Established Media Agency Attracts Next-Gen Leaders

Managed Solutions & Retained Services at KSM

Challenge: Driven by new client acquisition and a media marketplace evolving through digital channels and programmatic buying, Kelly Scott Madison (KSM) had to adapt its talent strategy to keep pace with business and market needs. With a spike in demand and previous satisfaction with our Retained Services, KSM determined our Managed Solutions was best equipped to meet their high-volume hiring objectives.

Action: Waterstone directed full life-cycle recruitment, developed new talent acquisition strategies, and aligned new candidate pools to meet critical business hiring initiatives. The implementation of these strategies enabled KSM's executives to engage the best, passive candidates in the market, versus only interviewing inbound/active candidates. Understanding Waterstone's different offerings and strengths within each, KSM once again engaged our Retained practice for an additional C-level need during our existing Managed Solutions engagement.

Result: An initial Retained solution yielded multiple rich engagements and a true partnership with this client. Through consultation, Waterstone aligned its deep in-house expertise to suit varying client needs and deliver significant results through multiple offerings. Managed Solutions provided KSM maximum ROI: reducing Time To Fill (45 to 35 days), minimizing Cost-Per-Hire, and limiting Cost of Vacancy. As an extension of their brand, we successfully hired Integrated Media Directors, Media Planning Supervisors, Senior Digital Strategists, and Supervisors of Media Platforms to name a few key roles. With Retained Services, KSM benefitted from the Waterstone leadership team's 60+ years of in-house expertise and executive search experience. Waterstone's Retained process allows us to convey to top candidates an intimate, working knowledge of our client and their culture. We presented candidates with skill- and culture- fits more closely aligned with KSM's priorities.