Case Study: Strategic Hiring for Overwhelmed MSP in Denver
Executive Summary
A rapidly scaling Denver MSP was drowning in client demands with an undersized engineering team. Lacking recruiting bandwidth and needing immediate MSP-experienced talent, they partnered with us. Through hyper-localized passive candidate targeting, we placed a perfect-fit Systems Engineer in just 25 days – solving their capacity crisis while preventing costly bidding wars.
Client Background
- 15-person MSP serving Denver businesses
- Experiencing >40% client growth YoY
- Critical need: Systems Engineer with MSP experience
- No dedicated HR/recruiting staff
The Burning Platform: Growth Outpacing Capacity
🚨 Client overload: New clients overwhelming 4-person engineering team
🚨 Zero recruiting bandwidth: Leaders wearing multiple hats
🚨 Niche experience requirement: Must have prior MSP environment experience
🚨 Competitive market: Denver’s tech talent war driving up salaries
🚨 Long-term fit: Needed cultural match for small-team dynamics
Our Solution: Stealth Mode Candidate Acquisition
Competitor Mapping:
– Identified 30-40 Denver-area MSPs for talent sourcing
– Researched engineers with verifiable MSP project experience
Passive Candidate Focus:
– 100% outreach to employed professionals (avoiding active job-seekers)
– Prevented salary bidding wars and counteroffer risks
The Results: From Crisis to Contribution in 25 Days
Candidates Vetted | 106 |
Candidates Submitted | 2 |
Submission-to-Hire Ratio | 50% |
Time-to-Start | 25 days |
Interview-to-Offer | 7 days |
Tangible Outcomes
- Client capacity relief: Engineer handled 30+ tickets/week immediately
- Zero ramp-up time: MSP experience enabled Day 1 contribution
- Cost savings: Avoided $18k+ lost revenue from unmet client demands
- Leadership bandwidth reclaimed: 100+ hours saved on recruiting
Client Testimonial
“I kept finding myself increasingly strapped for time and it was proving difficult to find individuals with the right MSP experience. You were amazing pairing us with Matt so quickly, and he’s been such a quick contributor in so many ways. Blake and I both appreciate this partnership!”
— Operations Manager
Why Our Strategy Worked
- Industry-specific sourcing: Knew exactly where to find MSP talent
- Passive candidate expertise: Avoided competitive bidding situations
- Velocity-focused process: 7-day interview-to-offer timeline
- Local market knowledge: Understood Denver’s unique tech landscape
- Cultural alignment screening: Ensured small-company fit
Conclusion
For overwhelmed MSPs without recruiting resources, a surgical approach targeting passive talent from competitor environments delivers rapid, high-impact hires. Our placement eliminated a critical bottleneck within 25 days – proving specialized recruitment partners are force multipliers for growth-stage IT providers.