Our Process | Xist4 - A Data and Technology Recruitment Agency | Bristol | London

Why Most Hiring Campaigns Underperform

Most organisations go to market without the insight they need to succeed. The result is a campaign that attracts the wrong people, or nobody at all.

The most common reasons are straightforward:

The salary is out of step with what the market is actually paying, so the best candidates do not apply or decline at offer stage.

The job description reads like a wish list rather than a compelling opportunity, so strong candidates self-select out before they even apply.

The advert goes live once on one or two job boards and is never tested, optimised or refreshed, so it fades without ever reaching the right people.

The search relies entirely on active candidates, missing the 70% of the market who are not actively looking but would consider the right opportunity.

The outcome is familiar. Empty seats. Wasted spend. Declined offers. And a hiring manager wondering why it is so hard to find the right people.

 

What You Get

The Hiring Campaign Diagnostic is a two-day engagement priced at £1,500. It gives you a structured, expert review of your recruitment approach before your campaign goes live, backed by 26 years of specialist recruitment experience in data, technology and leadership.

It includes:

The Recruitment Insight Audit

A detailed, evidence-based analysis of your current hiring approach across nine key areas, salary and benefits alignment, job description and advert quality, sourcing channels, talent mapping, candidate journey, employer brand, and time to hire metrics. Delivered as a branded report with a visual scorecard showing where you are strong, where you have gaps and what to prioritise first.

A Four-Week Posting and Optimisation Plan

A practical roadmap showing where, when and how to advertise your role, including channel prioritisation, posting cadence and A/B testing guidance so your campaign reaches the right people and stays visible.

Strategic Recommendations

Specific, practical actions you can take immediately to improve your reach, sharpen your messaging and increase the quality of applications you receive.

A Playback Call

A structured conversation to walk through the findings, answer your questions and agree the next steps before your campaign goes live.

 

Ready to Go to Market the Right Way?

The Hiring Campaign Diagnostic costs £1,500 and takes two days. It is designed to save you significantly more than that in wasted spend, failed campaigns and extended vacancies.

If you are planning to recruit in the next four to eight weeks and want to make sure your campaign is set up to attract the right people, get in touch and we will talk it through.

Book a Hiring Campaign Diagnostic

How It Works

A proven 5-step process

 

1. Discover

You complete a structured discovery questionnaire and join a short consultation call. We use this to understand your current recruitment goals, the role you are hiring for, the challenges you have faced and what success looks like.

2. Benchmark

We analyse your salary position, sourcing channels and talent availability against live market data in your sector, so you know exactly where you stand before your campaign goes live.

3. Assess

Using our nine area framework we evaluate your recruitment approach across job adverts, candidate experience, employer brand, sourcing mix, role design and more, identifying where you are strong and where you have gaps.

4. Advise

We translate the findings into clear, practical recommendations backed by 26 years of specialist recruitment experience in data, technology and leadership. No generic guidance. Specific actions you can take immediately.

5. Deliver

You receive your branded Hiring Campaign Diagnostic report, complete with a visual scorecard and market data. We then walk you through the findings on a playback call, answer your questions and agree next steps before your campaign goes live.

What our clients say

Testimonials

In a tough market, Xist4 helped us fill critical IT Infrastructure and Development roles quickly and effectively. Gozie delivered a highly professional service throughout, and we successfully appointed every position.

Xist4 were a refreshing change, with Gozie taking the time to understand our business and a niche Computational Scientist brief, then delivering an excellent on-profile shortlist. Exceptional service throughout; we will use them again and highly recommend.

Xist4’s thorough pre-analysis and filtering meant our team saw only on-brief candidates, and their clear grasp of our technical requirements kept everyone well prepared throughout a lengthy process. The result was the successful appointment of both a Development Manager and a Product Manager, and we would readily recommend their services.

In a short time, Xist4 delivered high-calibre engineering hires who are already growing with us, thanks to a process that truly understood our needs. Gozie’s team is responsive, reliable, and easy to work with, and we look forward to building on the partnership.

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