A few weeks ago, I posted a photo series that told a story: LEGO recruiter at a desk looking to hire a Wind Tech. Then celebrating with a raised fist. Then ringing the gong. Then ready for the next one.
The progression might have looked simple, but the story behind it? That was anything but.
Some hires are harder than others, especially when you’re dealing with hard to fill technical roles and the talent pool is narrow. This Wind Tech search took persistence, timing, and more than a bit of creative strategy.
But in the end, we found the right match. And that’s a story worth sharing.
The Wind Tech Challenge
Wind Technicians aren’t exactly growing on trees.
You need someone with the technical skills to work on complex turbine systems, the physical ability to climb 300+ feet, and the safety mindset to do it all in challenging weather conditions. Add in the requirement for specific certifications and experience with particular turbine models, and your candidate pool gets very small, very fast.
This wasn’t a role we could fill with a standard LinkedIn search and a few phone calls.
The client needed someone who could start quickly, had experience with their specific equipment, and would stick around long-term. In a market where skilled Wind Techs are in high demand, that’s a tall order.
Creative Sourcing Beyond Job Boards
When the obvious approach isn’t working, you have to get creative. Just as we’ve had to develop innovative approaches for location-based hiring, finding Wind Techs required thinking beyond traditional methods.
We started by mapping out where Wind Techs actually spend their time—both online and offline. That meant looking beyond traditional job boards to industry forums, certification programs, and specialized training schools.
We reached out to former colleagues, tapped into networks from adjacent industries, and had conversations with people who might know someone who might be a fit.
The key was thinking like a Wind Tech, not like a recruiter. Where would they look for opportunities? Who would they trust for career advice? What would actually get their attention? This is the essence of strategic sourcing—understanding your target candidate pool at a deeper level than any database can provide.
Persistence Pays Off
Here’s the truth about hard-to-fill roles: they test your patience.
There were false starts. Promising candidates who weren’t quite right. Great techs who were happy where they were. Qualified people who weren’t ready to make a move.
But persistence pays off in specialized recruitment.
The successful candidate actually came through a referral from someone we’d spoken with earlier in the search. They knew we were looking, remembered the conversation, and reached out when they heard about someone who might be interested.
That’s the thing about building relationships in recruitment—you never know when a connection will pay off.
Why We Ring the Gong
When we finally made the match, we celebrated.
The gong got rung. And we were ready for the next one. And yes, I posted about it on LinkedIn.
Some people might think that’s over the top, but here’s why we do it: hard-to-fill searches take real effort from the whole team. When you find the right person for a challenging role, that’s worth celebrating.
It’s also a reminder that no search is impossible—just different. Each one requires its own approach, its own strategy, and its own level of persistence.
What Makes the Difference
Looking back on this search, a few things made the difference:
Understanding the role deeply enough to have meaningful conversations with candidates. Knowing what questions to ask and what red flags to watch for.
Being willing to look beyond the obvious sources. The best candidates for specialized roles often aren’t where you’d expect to find them.
Staying patient but persistent. Hard-to-fill doesn’t mean impossible—it just means it takes more time, more creativity, and more follow-through.
And Now We’re Doing It All Over Again
The final line of my original LinkedIn post? “And now, we’re doing it all over again.”
Because that’s the thing about technical recruitment and specialized searches. When you do it well, clients come back. They trust you with their challenging searches because they know you won’t give up.
Key Takeaways
- Hard-to-fill roles require creative sourcing beyond traditional job boards.
- Specialized recruitment is about building relationships, not just filling positions.
- Persistence and patience are essential when the talent pool is small.
- Every challenging search teaches you something for the next one.
Struggling with a Hard-to-Fill Role?
If you’re dealing with hard to fill technical roles that have been open too long, let’s talk. We don’t quit when the search gets tough—we just get more creative.
Ready to discuss your challenging search? We’d love to help you ring the gong.