The Proof — A Case Study in Passive Candidate Success

When Strategy Meets Talent: A Level Up Success Story

Earlier this year, one of our clients — a mid-sized logistics company — approached us with a tough problem:
They had a critical vacancy for a Business Development Executive. The role had been open for 4 months.
Dozens of CVs. Multiple interviews. Still no hire.

Their team was frustrated. The job boards weren’t producing quality.
Their competitors were poaching from them — but they couldn’t seem to do the same.
Morale was dropping, and revenue targets were starting to slip.

Enter Level Up.

Instead of pushing the same job description into the same places, we redefined the entire search.
We mapped the competitor landscape. Identified top-performing sales professionals.
We researched them deeply — and reached out with precision-crafted messages based on where they were in their career journeys.

One candidate stood out.
Let’s call her Thandi — a high-performer at a national firm, not looking to move, but quietly considering her next five years.

We didn’t pitch her a job. We had a conversation.
We learned what mattered to her:

• Impact

• Ownership

• Flexibility

• A leader who trusted her

We then worked closely with our client to reposition the role, adjust the package, and personalise the approach.
Within 3 weeks, Thandi signed.

The result?
✔ She onboarded quickly
✔ Hit 140% of target in her second quarter
✔ Was promoted to Regional Manager within 6 months

Today, she’s not just an employee — she’s a brand ambassador. And our client? They’ve asked us to build a full talent pipeline using the same passive candidate strategy.

This is what happens when recruitment becomes relational, not transactional.
Tomorrow, we conclude this series with a look at how to future-proof your hiring strategy by putting passive recruitment at the core.