Clay

THE BRIEF:
We began our partnership with Clay in their early-stage funding days, supporting their rapid scaling needs through a contingent search model. Focused on quality from the start, Clay sought top-tier engineering talent that could drive their mission, align with their culture, and accelerate their technical roadmap.

SOLUTION:

‍As our partnership deepened, we transitioned to a retained model, utilizing a dedicated 5-person delivery team to support hiring across backend engineering, infrastructure, and AI. By integrating into their workflows and collaborating directly with founders and technical leadership, we consistently delivered high-impact hires from the top 1% of the talent pool. Even during hiring pauses, our understanding of Clay’s evolving priorities allowed us to re-engage seamlessly and accelerate hiring at critical growth stages. We’re proud to continue to support building Clay’s world-class engineering team, placing some of their most impactful and influential team members.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Starting with a flexible contingent search model helped get the initial hires underway quickly.

Transitioning to a retained engagement with a dedicated delivery team allowed for deeper integration, alignment and consistency.

Staying connected during hiring pauses preserved momentum and allowed for rapid ramp-up when growth resumed.

Aligning with client culture and mission, and targeting top-tier talent (top 1%) were critical success factors.

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