Real deployment
32 Engineering Hires in 90 Days via Embedded RPO Pod
How a US Series-B startup hired 32 engineers in 90 days using AB7's embedded RPO model — dedicated sourcers, pre-vetted candidates, and a single point of accountability instead of 4 different recruiting agencies.
Client
US Series-B SaaS Startup (post-Series-B, scaling from 60 to 100+ headcount)
Engagement
90-day intensive + ongoing retainer
The challenge
What the client was up against.
After closing a $40M Series B, a SaaS startup had 90 days to hire 30+ engineers across full-stack, data, ML, and DevOps. Their in-house TA team of 2 was overwhelmed. They had tried four different US recruiting agencies, each charging 22-25% placement fees and producing 1-2 hires per month. Pipeline visibility was zero, candidate quality was inconsistent, and the founders were burning hours interviewing under-qualified profiles. They needed predictable monthly hiring volume without paying $300K+ in agency placement fees.
The solution
How AB7 deployed.
AB7 deployed an embedded 4-person RPO pod (1 lead recruiter, 2 sourcers, 1 coordinator) on a fixed monthly retainer instead of placement fees. The pod operated as part of the client's TA team — using their ATS (Greenhouse), brand voice, and interview rubrics. Sourcing across LinkedIn Recruiter, Wellfound, GitHub talent search, and a Boolean playbook tuned to their tech stack. Every candidate ran through a 3-stage pre-screen (resume → 30-min recruiter call → take-home assessment) before reaching the hiring manager — protecting founder time. Weekly pipeline reviews with the VP Eng kept calibration tight.
Services engaged
What we plugged in.
- Embedded RPO
- Engineering Recruiting
- Boolean & AI-Driven Sourcing
- ATS Integration (Greenhouse)
- Pipeline Calibration
- Coordinator Support
Verified outcomes
The numbers, before and after.
Engineering hires (90 days)
Before
1-2/month from agencies
After
32 hires in 90 days
10× hiring velocity
Cost per hire
Before
$28,000 (agency fees)
After
$4,800 (RPO + tools)
83% cost reduction
Founder interview hours
Before
~25 hrs/week
After
~6 hrs/week
76% time saved
Offer acceptance rate
Before
42% (agencies)
After
78% (RPO)
Calibrated pipeline
Key takeaways
What this deployment proved.
Hired 32 engineers in 90 days vs. 1-2/month under agency model
Cut cost-per-hire from $28K to $4.8K (83% reduction)
Recovered ~19 hours/week of founder interview time
Lifted offer acceptance from 42% to 78% via better calibration
Embedded model meant zero placement fees, predictable monthly cost
“Four agencies couldn't hit our hiring targets between them. AB7's embedded RPO pod placed 32 engineers in 90 days — and the cost-per-hire was 83% lower than what the agencies had been charging us. They felt like part of our internal team. Our VP of Engineering said it was the best investment we'd made post-Series-B.”
How we ran this
The 4-step AB7 deployment pattern.
Every engagement above followed the same four moves. Same shape, different roles.
- 01
Discovery & Diagnosis
Kick-off call, requirements scoping, success-metric definition. We walk away with the role spec and the integration plan.
- 02
Source & Vet
First profiles inside 60 minutes for common roles, 48 hours for niche. NDA-protected, pre-screened, role-fit assessed.
- 03
Onboard & Integrate
IT setup, system access, knowledge transfer, pair work in week one. By day 14, the new seat is operating independently.
- 04
Optimise & Scale
Weekly performance reviews, monthly retros, capacity expansion when ready. 30-day replacement guarantee throughout.
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