Client – A U.S.-based software company specialising in document processing
The Challenge
The company needed to appoint an Enterprise Account Executive to drive new business growth. But this wasn’t a standard sales hire. The role demanded an exceptionally rare profile: someone with proven experience selling open-source software into compliance-driven environments.
On paper, the requirements were exacting. They created four major hurdles:
- A niche talent pool – very few salespeople possessed this blend of technical and compliance expertise.
- Time sensitivity – rapid growth meant the business couldn’t afford delays in sales execution.
- Low brand recognition – as a challenger brand, the company struggled to attract top performers directly.
- Below-market salary – the role had to compete on opportunity, not compensation.
After weeks of unsuccessful searching, the leadership team feared momentum would stall without the right person in place. That’s when they turned to FT Select. The brief was clear: don’t just find candidates, find the needle in the haystack, someone who could combine technical credibility, compliance know-how, and enterprise sales excellence. FT Select knew this couldn’t be solved with job ads or databases. It would require targeted headhunting, direct outreach to professionals already performing in similar environments.
FT Select’s Approach
Activating our network of pre-qualified enterprise software sales professionals, we launched a focused, high-touch search. The process was designed to balance speed with precision:
- Within days, 45 potential candidates were identified.
- Through rigorous evaluation, 8 highly qualified individuals were shortlisted.
- From there, 4 standout finalists were presented to the client, each closely aligned with both the technical and cultural requirements.
Rather than overwhelming the client with options, we delivered a shortlist of proven, business-ready professionals.
The Outcome
In just two weeks, FT Select delivered a shortlist of highly qualified candidates that the client had previously been unable to access. From that shortlist, one Enterprise Account Executive was successfully appointed, meeting every requirement of the brief. The strength of the talent pool was so impressive that the client went a step further, creating an additional Enterprise Account Manager role and appointing a second candidate from the same search. What began as a single, hard-to-fill vacancy quickly became two strategic hires that accelerated growth and strengthened the company’s position in a competitive market.
Why FTS?
This success demonstrates what sets FT Select apart. We don’t flood clients with CVs or rely on the same candidate pools as recruiters. Instead, we combine deep industry knowledge, discreet engagement, and a precision search methodology to reach individuals who aren’t actively looking but are the exact fit for the role. By acting quickly and decisively, we turned a challenging search into two successful placements in just two weeks, delivering measurable impact that went beyond the original brief.