12 Calls to Hire: When Technical Recruitment Goes Right

This one is interesting for you. Give you the quick story of it.

I made a whopping 12 phone calls. Within 5 days, I presented my A-level candidates. This was for an SAP Master Data Analyst role.

12 phone calls and we got her done.

If you’ve been following along, you know that’s not normal. I’ve talked about contacting 97 people for an HRIS Analyst role. About calling 75 people for a Senior Geologist. About how quality technical recruitment typically requires reaching out to around 100 people to make one successful placement.

So when you only need 12 calls? Something is very different.

The interesting thing about this search was that the candidates were so strong that the client decided to hire two people. Unfortunately, one declined. But that’s okay. Let’s celebrate the person who accepted instead.

Congratulations to our newest hire, the SAP Master Data Analyst.

Today, I want to talk about what made this search so efficient, what it teaches us about recruitment, and what both employers and candidates can learn from when everything goes right.

The Usual Recruitment Math (Quick Recap)

Before we dive into why this search was different, let’s revisit the normal pattern.

For specialized technical roles, here’s the typical funnel:

• 100 people contacted
• 60-70 respond (some don’t answer, some aren’t interested)
• 25-30 genuine conversations (the rest aren’t qualified or available)
• 12-15 actually meet qualifications (many looked good on LinkedIn but aren’t quite right)
• 6-8 express real interest (timing isn’t right for others, or competing opportunities)
• 3-5 strong enough to present (meet all requirements, interview well, truly interested)
• 2-3 make it to final interviews
• 1 gets an offer
• 1 accepts

This isn’t inefficiency. This is the reality of recruiting for specialized roles in niche markets.

Passive candidates need convincing. Timing isn’t always right. People have competing opportunities. You can’t predict who’s truly qualified or genuinely interested until you have real conversations.

So 100 contacts to make one hire is normal, expected, and appropriate for quality technical recruitment.

But when you only need 12 calls to find multiple excellent candidates? That tells you something went very, very right.

What Made This Search Different

Let me break down the factors that aligned to make this search so efficient.

Factor 1: Clear, Realistic Requirements

The role was for an SAP Master Data Analyst. That’s specific, but it’s not unicorn territory.

The requirements were:

• SAP experience (common enough in Calgary’s corporate landscape)
• Master Data focus (a specific module, but not impossibly rare)
• Analytical skills (standard for the role)
• No bizarre combinations like “10 years experience but willing to work for entry-level salary”
• No conflicting demands

The market actually has these people. When requirements are realistic, the talent pool exists. When they’re not, you’re searching for unicorns.

Factor 2: Competitive Compensation

The client offered market rate—or better.

There was no “we want senior skills at junior budget” situation. No lowballing. No trying to get a deal.

Money talks. When compensation aligns with market realities, candidates are interested. When it doesn’t, you waste everyone’s time with people who will never accept your offer.

This client understood market rates and paid them. That made all the difference.

Factor 3: Attractive Opportunity

This wasn’t just a job—it was a good opportunity.

The company has a solid reputation. The work is interesting. There’s growth potential. People actually want to work there.

When candidates research your company and like what they see, they’re more likely to engage. When they research and find red flags (high turnover, bad reviews, toxic culture rumors), they decline your calls.

Employer brand matters. A lot.

Factor 4: Good Market Timing

Timing is everything, and this search hit the market at the right moment.

It wasn’t peak competition season (everyone trying to hire the same profiles simultaneously). There weren’t multiple other companies desperately recruiting for identical roles. Candidates were available and looking.

You can’t always control timing, but when it works in your favor, searches move fast.

Factor 5: Strong Existing Network

Here’s the part that matters most: I already knew people in the SAP space.

I’ve placed SAP professionals before. I have relationships with SAP consultants, analysts, and developers. When I need someone in this space, I can reach out to people I already know or get referrals from my network.

I wasn’t cold-calling strangers and hoping for the best. I was activating a network built over years of placements in this area.

That’s why strategic sourcing beats recruitment software. Databases can’t replicate relationships. Technology can’t replace knowing exactly who to call.

When All These Factors Align

Magic happens.

12 calls instead of 100. Five days instead of five weeks. Multiple strong candidates instead of struggling to find one qualified person.

It’s not luck. It’s what happens when requirements are realistic, compensation is competitive, the opportunity is attractive, timing is good, and the recruiter has the right network.

The “So Strong They Wanted to Hire Two” Phenomenon

The slate of candidates I presented was exceptional.

All were well-qualified. All interviewed brilliantly. All were cultural fits. The client couldn’t choose.

So they made a rare decision: “We’ll hire two.”

This doesn’t happen often, but it happens when:

• You have multiple excellent candidates and can’t bear to lose any of them
• The work volume actually supports two people (or will soon)
• Budget allows for it
• The urgency and opportunity align

It’s a testament to the quality of the candidates. And honestly, it’s a smart business decision when you find truly great people. Why lose good talent just because you only planned to hire one?

The Decline

One of the two candidates declined the offer. But that’s okay.

Candidates have their own considerations. Personal reasons. Competing offers. Timing issues. Concerns about fit. Life circumstances.

All valid. All their right to decide.

Even when things go well, not everything works out perfectly. That’s recruitment. You present great options, make strong offers, and sometimes people still say no.

The lesson? Don’t take it personally. Thank them for their time. Keep the door open. Move forward with the candidates who said yes.

And celebrate the person who accepted—because that’s why we’re all here.

The Efficiency Factors Breakdown

Let me get more specific about what made this search so efficient.

The Network Effect

I didn’t start from zero. Years of SAP placements mean I have a network in that space.

I know who the players are. I know who’s worked where. I know who might be open to new opportunities. I can reach out directly to qualified people instead of cold-calling strangers.

When you need to find someone fast, network matters more than anything else. Technology can help you identify people, but relationships get them to answer your call.

Role Clarity

The job description was crystal clear. Requirements were specific but achievable. There was no ambiguity about what they wanted.

When I talked to candidates, I could articulate exactly what the role involved. No vague “we’re not sure yet” or “it depends on who we hire.” Clear expectations make it easy to identify who’s actually qualified.

Unclear roles waste everyone’s time. You screen people who aren’t right. You present candidates who don’t fit. Clients interview people they shouldn’t. Everyone gets frustrated.

Role clarity = efficiency.

Speed

From first contact to candidate presentation took 5 days.

The client was responsive. Decision-making was fast. There were no bureaucratic delays. No “let me run this past seven people and get back to you in three weeks.”

Everyone moved with urgency. That momentum keeps candidates engaged and prevents them from accepting other offers while you’re deliberating.

Fast doesn’t mean sloppy. Fast means focused, decisive, and respectful of everyone’s time.

Quality Over Quantity

I didn’t need to contact 100 people. I needed to contact the RIGHT 12 people.

Strategic targeting matters more than volume. If you know the market and have the network, you can go directly to the people most likely to be qualified and interested.

This is the difference between spray-and-pray (post job, hope for applicants, wade through hundreds of unqualified resumes) and strategic sourcing (identify specific people, reach out directly, have targeted conversations).

One approach is efficient. The other is exhausting.

When Searches Are Easier vs. Harder

Not every search takes 12 calls. Not every search takes 100 calls. Understanding what makes searches easier or harder helps set realistic expectations.

Easier Searches Have:

Common skill sets with decent talent pools. If the market has 200 people who could do this job, finding one is much easier than if only 24 exist.

Realistic requirements and compensation. When what you’re asking for actually exists in the market and you’re willing to pay for it, searches move faster.

Flexible timing. “We’d like to hire someone in the next 2-3 months” gives you room to work. “We need someone by next Friday” creates unnecessary pressure and limits options.

Good company reputation. People want to work for companies with positive reputations. Bad reputation or unknown company makes recruiting harder.

Clear decision-making process. One hiring manager who can make decisions quickly > committee of seven people who all need to weigh in.

Responsive hiring managers. When clients get back to you within hours or days (not weeks), searches stay on track.

Harder Searches Have:

Ultra-niche skill combinations. “We need someone who has worked in SAGD, knows advanced HYSYS, has P.Eng designation, speaks Mandarin, and will relocate to Fort McMurray” = very small pool.

Below-market compensation. If you’re offering $80K for a role that typically pays $120K, good luck. You’ll waste months before accepting reality.

Unrealistic requirement combinations. “10 years experience, fresh perspective, willing to take direction like a junior, works for mid-level salary” = unicorn hunting.

Urgent deadlines. “We need someone yesterday” limits your ability to find the best candidate. You end up settling.

Multiple stakeholders with different priorities. When five people need to agree and they all want different things, searches stall.

Poor company reputation or unknown company. Candidates research employers. If they don’t like what they find (or can’t find anything), they won’t engage.

The Spectrum Is Real

Here’s what I’ve seen in recent searches:

• 12 calls: SAP Master Data Analyst (this one)
• 24 calls: Bilingual Senior Buyer (literally the entire available pool in the market)
• 75 calls: Senior Geologist with SAGD experience
• 97 calls: HRIS Analyst with Workday expertise

All of these were successful placements. But the effort required varied dramatically based on market conditions, skill specificity, and timing.

Setting realistic timeline expectations matters. Not every search is the same.

What Employers Can Learn

If you want fast, efficient searches like this one, here’s what you need to do.

Be Realistic About Requirements

Don’t ask for unicorns. Prioritize must-haves vs. nice-to-haves. Understand what the market actually offers.

If your “must-have” list is 15 items long and only 3 people in North America meet all of them, you need to rethink your requirements.

Be willing to train on some things. Hire for 80% fit and develop the other 20%. Perfect candidates don’t exist.

Pay Competitively

Know market rates. Don’t lowball.

The time wasted trying to hire someone at below-market rates costs more than just paying correctly the first time. Vacant roles cost money. Delays cost money. Settling for less qualified candidates costs money.

Pay what the job is worth. Good people have options and will choose the better offer.

Have a Clear Decision Process

Who needs to interview? What’s the timeline for decisions? What are the actual deal-breakers?

Answer these questions before you start recruiting. Don’t make it up as you go.

Fast decisions get you better candidates. Slow, committee-based processes lose top talent to companies that move quickly.

Be Ready to Move

When you have strong candidates, act quickly.

Good people have options. They’re interviewing elsewhere. They’re getting other offers. Delays mean losing candidates to competitors.

If someone is excellent, make the offer. Don’t wait two weeks “just to be sure” or to interview five more people for comparison. Paralysis by analysis costs you great hires.

Work With Recruiters Who Have Networks

This 12-call search worked because I knew the SAP space. I had the network. I could go directly to qualified people.

If I’d been starting from scratch—no SAP placements, no network, no relationships—this would have taken much longer.

Network matters more than database access. Relationships matter more than technology. Experience in your specific hiring area matters more than generic recruitment services.

Choose recruiters who actually know your industry and have placed roles like yours before.

What Candidates Can Learn

Understanding why some searches are fast helps you position yourself for success.

Why Some Job Searches Move Fast

Your skills are in high demand right now. Supply and demand work in your favor. Multiple companies want what you offer.

Your background perfectly matches what the market needs. You’re not close to what they want—you’re exactly what they want.

Timing is right. You’re available when opportunities exist. Not everyone has this luxury, but when it aligns, it’s powerful.

You’re in recruiter networks already. If recruiters know you and have placed you before (or know your work), you get called first when perfect opportunities arise.

Why Some Job Searches Take Longer

Your skills are more common. More competition for similar roles. Nothing wrong with you—just more people competing for fewer jobs.

Market timing is off. Economic slowdowns, industry downturns, seasonal hiring patterns all affect how long searches take.

Requirements you’re looking for are rare. If you want very specific things (industry, role, company size, location, compensation, culture), it takes longer to find all those factors in one opportunity.

You’re starting from scratch building your network. Cold applications take longer than warm referrals.

How to Position Yourself for Fast Placements

Build relationships with recruiters BEFORE you need a job. When opportunities arise, recruiters call people they already know and trust. Be one of those people.

Keep skills current in high-demand areas. Watch what roles keep coming up. If SAP, Workday, or specific technical skills are consistently in demand, those are good skills to develop.

Be flexible on some requirements. The more rigid your criteria, the longer it takes to find the perfect match. Some flexibility speeds things up.

Respond quickly when opportunities arise. When a recruiter reaches out about a great role, don’t take three weeks to decide if you’re interested. Speed matters.

Make it easy for recruiters to present you. Updated resume. Clear about what you want. Professional in communications. Easy to work with.

The Role of Luck

Let’s be honest: timing matters. Being in the right place at the right time matters.

I called those 12 people when they happened to be open to opportunities. If I’d called them six months earlier or later, the results might have been different.

You can’t control luck entirely. But you can position yourself to benefit when it happens. Stay visible. Stay connected. Stay ready.

The Bottom Line

Not every search takes 100 calls.

Some take 12. Some take 150. It depends on many factors: requirements, compensation, company reputation, market timing, recruiter network, role clarity, and yes, some luck.

What Made This SAP Search So Fast:

• Clear, realistic requirements (not unicorn hunting)
• Competitive compensation (market rate or better)
• Good company with attractive opportunity
• Right market timing (no intense competition for same profile)
• Strong recruiter network (I knew the SAP space)
• Multiple factors aligned perfectly

The Lesson for Everyone:

Success isn’t just about effort. It’s about strategy, timing, network, alignment, and sometimes catching the right wave at the right moment.

When everything clicks, amazing things happen fast. When they don’t, persistence matters. Both are normal. Both are valid.

The 12-call search and the 97-call search both ended with successful placements. One was easier, one was harder. But both got done.

Set expectations based on what you’re working with. Celebrate when it’s easy. Persist when it’s hard. Understand the difference.

And when you find yourself with candidates so strong that you want to hire two? That’s a good problem to have.

Ready for Your Next Hire?

If you want efficient searches that deliver strong candidates quickly, clear requirements, competitive compensation, and fast decisions make all the difference.

For employers: We specialize in technical recruitment across SAP, finance, engineering, and energy sectors. When you need quality candidates fast, we have the networks to deliver and are ready to connect.

For candidates: Being in the right recruiter’s network when they have the perfect role changes everything. Let’s connect before you need your next opportunity.

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