Project reference · Specialist recruitment & payroll outsourcing
Thirteen years from the first finance hire to a payroll tender.
A European commercial-vehicle manufacturer’s Ukrainian sales and financing companies used us for finance and specialist hires from 2010 to 2012, under one agreement for both companies. When the sales company looked for a new payroll provider in 2023, it asked us again, and we answered its questionnaire, priced the work and presented our payroll system within a week.
13 years from the first brief in 2010 to the payroll tender of 2023
Relationship
2 companies a sales company and its financing arm, under one recruitment agreement
Structure
11 briefs finance, credit, HR, sales and after-sales roles in 2010–2012
Recruitment
7 days from the payroll enquiry to our presentation to the client’s team
Payroll
The shape of it
Eleven briefs, then two invitations
Each bar is one role brief; a dot marks a role filled by our candidate. The two markers on the right are the client asking for more than recruitment.
The brief
Finance people who can work in two systems
The client imports and sells commercial vehicles in Ukraine and services them in its own workshops; a sister company finances them. Both needed accountants and controllers who could keep Ukrainian statutory books and report to a European group at the same time, in English, from an office outside the city.
The finance director was clear from the first contract draft: no exclusivity, no retainers, a fee only when someone is hired, and an acceptance act before every invoice. We accepted, and agreed one contract signed by both companies so that every new brief could start the same day it arrived.
The roles
From chief accountant to credit controller
Over two years the briefs moved through the whole finance and commercial side: two chief accountants, a deputy, an accountant, a credit controller for the financing company, an HR manager, a logistics specialist, a warranty administrator, an IT specialist, a financial sales representative and a dealer manager. For the hardest profiles we headhunted, wrote our own job descriptions from the client’s notes and sat in on the interviews. Three roles were filled by our candidates: the warranty administrator, the HR manager and the credit controller.
The hard parts
Where it gets difficult
No exclusivity, other agencies on the same role
The client briefed several agencies at once. We asked for a weekly stop-list, so nobody was presented twice and our time went into candidates nobody else had.
A credit controller is a rare profile
Collections, legal claims and financial analysis in one person, for a financing company. We met people from banks, collection agencies and leasing firms, and headhunted two who were not looking.
Two companies, one agreement
A sales company and its financing arm wanted the same terms. One contract, signed by both managing directors, and an addendum when the fee and the scope changed.
Interviews that cross borders
Senior hires were also interviewed by group managers abroad, by phone and video. We scheduled, briefed and followed up both sides.
A payroll tender in one week
The client wanted a new payroll provider within the month, integrated with its group ERP system. We answered the questionnaire, priced it per employee and per company, and presented in English and Ukrainian.
Data security first
The client asked to enter data directly into our system. We offered read-only access to employee data, orders and reports instead, because payroll data does not take outside input.
What we did
Recruit, contract, return, tender
- 2010 — Recruit. A chief-accountant search, the first contract draft and the client’s revisions: no exclusivity, fee on employment, act before invoice.
- 2011 — Contract. One recruitment agreement for both companies; eleven briefs over two years; three roles filled by our candidates.
- 2013 — Return. After a change in our recruitment team we got back in touch; the financing company invited us to offer payroll, HR audit, work-permit and safety services.
- 2023 — Tender. A payroll-outsourcing enquiry through our website: questionnaire, quotation, presentation and a data-access proposal within eight days.
Recruiting the finance team first is a good way to learn how a company pays its people. When the payroll question came, we already knew the client.
In the client's words
“Thank you for the professional selection.”
The client’s finance director, confirming the start of a hire in 2011 (translated).
How we work
We do not show you another company’s name
The client, its group and its people are not named here, and they will not be named in a meeting either. We are glad to talk this project through in detail. What we will not do is discuss the last client that way with you, or you with the next one.
Next step
Changing your payroll provider in Ukraine?
Send us your questionnaire, or ask for ours. We will tell you what the move takes, how we connect to your group systems and what it costs per employee, before you decide.