A Structured Recruitment Model Streamlined the Process and Delivered the Right Hire
Power International AS, the parent company of the Power and Expert retail chains across Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Sweden, operates with over €1 billion in annual revenue.
At the heart of this development is CTO Jarkko Lehtismäki, who leads a team of around ten people focused on one goal:
“We want shopping with Power to be the customer’s number one choice. That’s why we needed someone who could take our customer experience to the next level,” says Lehtismäki.
To strengthen their digital experience, Power decided to recruit a Lead UX Designer focused on usability and customer insight.
Outsource or Recruit In-House?
Once the decision to hire was made, Power faced the classic question:
Should we handle recruitment ourselves or bring in a specialist partner?
Having heard positive recommendations about our IT recruitment expertise, Lehtismäki reached out to us to discuss the opportunity.
The benefits of outsourcing became clear right from the first meeting.
“I really appreciate their way of working. Everything unnecessary is stripped away. All I had to do was show up to scheduled meetings and I knew exactly what I was getting for the investment.”
The collaboration not only saved time and resources, but also improved the end result.
From Vague Idea to Clear Profile
At first, Lehtismäki admits he only had a rough idea of the kind of person they needed. What he did know was that the new hire had to bring both technical expertise and the right personality to fit the team.
Through a structured questioning process, we helped shape that vision into a clear, actionable profile.
“The questions were easy to answer, and the consultant and their team did a great job of articulating the kind of person we were really looking for,” says Lehtismäki.
Next, Power received a comprehensive candidate list. Together, we reviewed what worked, what didn’t, and why. It was a valuable discussion that refined the role even further.
“That’s when I realized we needed someone with more seniority than we had originally thought.”
Finding the Right Fit
Four UX designer candidates made it to the shortlist. Each went through interviews with both our recruitment consultant and Power.
While the final hiring decision always rests with the client, Lehtismäki saw the pre-screening interviews as an important value-add.
“The process was not only efficient but also helped me develop my own thinking as a hiring manager,” he reflects.
In the end, one candidate stood out clearly.
Power filled the role on schedule and with a result that exceeded expectations.
“Without the consultants’ help, we wouldn’t have reached the right outcome. They found the person we truly needed, not just the one we thought we wanted.”
When the process is clear, decisions become easy — and the right people find their place.