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Embedded recruiting for infrastructure teams

A dedicated recruiter works inside your hiring process. You get the research, a written report every week and comp data, and you keep the candidate pipeline when the engagement ends.

Scope

One recruiter works your roles inside your systems and interview loop. That covers defining each role with you, mapping target companies, direct outreach, screening against agreed scorecards, weekly reports, offer support and handing over all the research at the end.

Fee structure

A recruiter paid per placement has a reason to submit candidates quickly and often. On a monthly engagement we're paid for the work, so we'll tell you when the scope, comp band or location means the role can't be filled as written.

Triggers

Hiring situations

Several hard roles

Several niche roles, each needing research and direct outreach to fill.

Internal TA capacity

Your recruiters are covering volume hiring and cannot go deep on commissioning or platform roles.

Market data

You want comp bands, a count of qualified people in each metro, and how competitors structure their teams.

In-house handover

You want the research and candidate pipeline handed to your team when the engagement ends.

Model comparison

Recruiting models

Contingency

No fee until a hire starts

Paid for speed and volume. You don't see the market research, and the same candidates are often sent to your competitors.

Internal TA only

Long-term ownership and employer brand

Usually lacks contacts in niche disciplines, and learning a new discipline can take longer than the hiring deadline allows.

Retained search

Committed senior-level effort

Priced per role, so it's usually kept for a few executive or confidential roles.

Embedded (this practice)

A dedicated recruiter and market research for a set of roles. The pipeline transfers to you.

Needs your involvement: a named sponsor, approved comp and feedback within 48 hours.

Engagements

Engagement scopes

Embedded Search Sprint

When it fits: A defined set of hard roles that need a dedicated recruiter inside your process now.

  • Scorecards per role, agreed with you
  • Named target companies and candidates, with direct outreach
  • Weekly written pipeline reporting
  • Written notes on each candidate, including risks
  • Offer strategy and counteroffer risk review
  • Full research and pipeline handover
Time box
Two-month minimum term
Commercial structure
Monthly engagement, capacity-based
Investment
See homepage engagement scopes
Complete when
Agreed roles are closed or formally re-scoped

Fractional Talent Partner

When it fits: You need recruiting leadership and process design without adding a permanent TA hire.

  • Hiring plan and role sequencing
  • Interview process and scorecard design
  • Comp bands updated with pay heard on candidate calls
  • Training materials and research files for your team
  • Monthly hiring review with leadership
Time box
Three-month initial term
Commercial structure
Capacity retainer, defined weekly commitment
Investment
Custom, scoped on the diagnostic call
Complete when
Your team can run the process without us

Selective Executive Search

When it fits: A site leadership, engineering leadership or confidential replacement role that needs a retained search.

  • Confidential market approach reviewed with you
  • Named target list and reference-check plan
  • Structured assessment against an agreed scorecard
  • Offer and transition management
Time box
Milestone-based leadership search
Commercial structure
Retained milestones
Investment
Custom, scoped on the diagnostic call
Complete when
The role is filled or the search is formally re-scoped

Talent Intelligence Sprint

When it fits: You need to know whether the role is fillable before committing to a search.

  • Named target companies and people by discipline
  • Number of qualified people by metro
  • Observed compensation ranges
  • Related industries to recruit from, and the titles they use
Time box
Defined research sprint
Commercial structure
Defined-scope research engagement
Investment
See homepage engagement scopes
Complete when
The written brief is delivered and reviewed

Reporting

Weekly report

  • Roles in the engagement and where each one stands
  • How many people we have mapped, by discipline and metro
  • Outreach sent that week
  • Candidates screened against the agreed scorecards
  • Candidates submitted, each with a written case and any risks
  • Candidates in your interview process
  • Anything blocking the search, such as a pay range below the market

Method

Search stages

  1. Step 1

    Brief

    A written role brief, a scorecard agreed with the hiring manager, and a check of scope, pay and location against the candidate market before outreach starts.

  2. Step 2

    Market map

    A named list of target companies across AI infrastructure firms, operators, EPCs and OEMs, built with AI tools and checked against people we already know.

  3. Step 3

    Outreach

    Direct outreach from Czarina, with a weekly report on how many people were contacted, who replied and why people passed.

  4. Step 4

    Screening

    Screens against the scorecard, a written case for each candidate including the risks, and their pay expectations on the record.

  5. Step 5

    Offer

    Offer planning, a read on counteroffer risk, and help with the resignation and any relocation through the start date.

  6. Step 6

    Handover

    Your team keeps the pipeline, research files, messaging and comp data. The work stays with you when the engagement ends.

What the engagement requires from you

  • A named hiring sponsor who can make decisions
  • An approved compensation range before outreach begins
  • Feedback on submitted candidates within 48 hours
  • Interview slots held open during the active search window

We commit to delivery standards, research depth, outreach volume, reporting cadence and response times. Outcomes depend on market conditions, scope, compensation and process speed.

FAQ

Questions

What is embedded recruiting?
A dedicated recruiter who works inside your ATS and interview loop, using your scorecards and your employer brand. You pay for the recruiter's time and research each month.
How is this different from contingency recruiting?
A contingency recruiter is paid only when a hire starts, so the incentive is to send resumes fast, and the market research stays with the recruiter. An embedded engagement is paid for the work, so the target list, comp research and our feedback when a role can't be filled as written are part of what you get.
When should we hire an internal recruiter?
For roles you hire over and over, an internal recruiter is the better long-term choice. Embedded works for niche, time-bound hiring such as a site launch, a platform team build, or a few hard roles that don't justify a permanent recruiter.
Do we keep the pipeline when the engagement ends?
Yes. Research files, target company and candidate lists, outreach messages and comp data go to your team. The handover is the Handover step of our method and costs nothing extra.
What is the minimum term?
Two months for an Embedded Search Sprint, three months for a Fractional Talent Partner engagement. A shorter term doesn't leave time to take a role from intake to signed offer.
How many roles can one engagement cover?
There's no fixed number. It depends on how hard the roles are and where they're located. We agree on the roles at kickoff and re-scope in writing if one turns out harder than expected.

Model comparison

Bring the roles and the deadline. We'll tell you whether embedded, retained, a market map first, or no outside help makes sense.