Case overview
A large industrial holding company of Russian origin asked us to find a local business development manager in Kazakhstan for its building materials business. It had no office in the country or local market expertise, and previous searches with other recruitment agencies had not succeeded.
We analyzed the market, built a pool of eight candidates, and filled the role after 1.5 months of active search.
This case may help recruiters supporting international clients in new markets and companies considering outsourced recruitment when they lack local expertise.
Case background
The client, a large industrial holding company of Russian origin with international operations, planned to develop sales of building materials in Kazakhstan. It needed a business development manager with Kazakhstani citizenship and local registration. The company had no office in Kazakhstan, no local market expertise, and no internal resources for the search. Two recruitment agencies had previously been engaged, but neither had presented suitable candidates.
What did we do?
After receiving the brief, we mapped the market, identifying building materials companies and adjacent businesses that could provide suitable candidates.
We combined job boards, LinkedIn, and direct search.
This produced a pool of eight candidates who met the client’s core requirements.
We focused closely on finding a local professional who spoke Russian fluently, also knew Kazakh, showed initiative, and combined the required professional skills and competencies.
Results
Our selection benefited from years of work with this client. Over five years, the recruiter had developed a strong understanding of the client’s expectations for both professional skills and behavior. The client reviewed seven of the eight candidates and chose one finalist, who completed every approval stage and started in the role. Because there was no local office in Kazakhstan, the hire worked directly with the holding company’s headquarters.
Before: No local office or Kazakhstan market expertise, two unsuccessful searches with other agencies, and demanding requirements for both professional and personal qualities.
After: Eight candidates in the pool, one finalist, and one successful hire.
Active search took 1.5 months. The full project, including approvals and offer preparation, took about three months.
Key lessons for recruiters and employers
Working with international clients in new markets
1. A company without a local office still needs local expertise
When a company enters a new market without an office there, it lacks access to informal networks and insight into local hiring practices.
- What to do: Offer more than candidate sourcing: map the market, analyze key industry players, and clarify local candidate requirements such as citizenship, language, and employment rules.
- Why it works: This closes the information gap between headquarters and the local market, strengthening trust and improving candidate selection.
From this case: Mapping companies in the building materials sector was the first step toward identifying sources of suitable candidates.
2. Long-term client relationships speed up selection
Years of work with one client help a recruiter understand its culture, expectations, and less obvious assessment criteria.
- What to do: Invest in lasting client relationships. Record feedback on each candidate, analyze why candidates succeed or are rejected, and learn which behaviors the client values.
- Why it works: This makes it easier to assess fit before presenting candidates, reducing irrelevant profiles and shortening the path to a finalist.
Result: Over five years, the recruiter placed 40–50 professionals with the client and learned to recognize suitable candidates through their communication, behavior, and responses to case questions.
3. Local candidates with strong Russian language skills are a specific need in CIS markets
Employers in CIS countries may need a candidate with local status, including citizenship and registration, who can also work comfortably with a Russian employer.
- What to do: State these requirements clearly in the brief and account for them in the search—for example, Russian fluency with Kazakh as an additional language.
- Why it works: This reduces communication barriers when a hire works directly with headquarters and helps them integrate into the company.
4. An unsuccessful search with other agencies creates an opportunity to earn trust
After an unsuccessful attempt with another agency, a client may be disappointed but eager to find a dependable partner.
- What to do: Respect the client’s previous experience and offer a transparent process with clear stages, regular reporting, and visible progress.
- Why it works: This rebuilds trust and shows how your approach differs from earlier searches.
Conclusion
Supporting international clients in new markets requires both search skills and the ability to make up for gaps in the client’s local expertise.
- For recruiters: Invest in long-term client relationships. The knowledge you build about their expectations becomes a real advantage when assessing candidates.
- For companies: When entering a market without a local office, outsourcing recruitment can work better than searching internally if the partner understands the region.
