Success Stories

Reducing hiring costs by 49% while scaling Product & Engineering teams with 11 hires

6 months
Onsite | FinTech | SME Lending
Established

The Challenge

We've partnered with Funding Circle since 2013, supporting the build-out of their Engineering, Data and Leadership teams as the business has scaled.

At this point in the partnership, Funding Circle entered a short but intense hiring phase. Multiple engineering and product-aligned roles needed to be filled quickly, while the internal talent team was already operating at full capacity.

The challenge wasn’t just filling roles. It was managing:

A burst of volume hiring across product and engineering
Tight timelines
Maintaining hiring quality and candidate experience during a high-demand period

As Funding Circle were ramping up hiring, we proposed an onsite model to help them secure the talent they needed more efficiently.

Rather than charging individual role fees, a monthly project fee offered a more flexible and cost-effective way to meet both the pace and volume of their requirements, with a dedicated technology recruiter working onsite, delivering across multiple roles simultaneously and integrating seamlessly with their internal talent team.

This wasn’t about adding another agency supplier. It was about increasing delivery capacity in a way that felt like a true extension of their team during an important hiring phase.

The Solution

We went onsite as an embedded talent partner, joining Funding Circle’s London office 3 days per week, working alongside their internal team and stakeholders.

Instead of running delivery at arm’s length, the on-site model was built around closeness and pace:

Stakeholder proximity and trust

Regular 1:1s with hiring managers, quick intake sessions, and day-to-day access (including Slack) meant we could clarify requirements in real time, sense-check profiles quickly, and keep momentum high. Being physically present created instant buy-in and stronger relationships across the business.
A tighter delivery

Weekly progress meetings focused on what mattered: current pipeline, interview feedback, next steps, and post-offer/admin progress. This reduced drift and helped unblock internal delays where possible (for example, slower approval steps on the client side).
Candidate experience

On-site context meant we could represent the teams and culture properly, answer questions with confidence, and run a more human, credible “sell”. Combined with quick feedback, candidates moved through the process with more clarity and less waiting around.
Working inside their infrastructure

Funding Circle’s ATS/CRM was the day-to-day source of truth, with Burns Sheehan maintaining records for our internal reporting.

"Working with the team has been a fantastic experience.

They truly partner with us, respecting our boundaries and processes while attentively delivering on our requirements. Unlike others, they don’t push irrelevant profiles or work for their own agenda—they genuinely listen and consistently provide a stream of suitable candidates. Their knowledgeable approach, paired with valuable market insights, has made our trusted partnership highly effective."

Carl Woodbridge, Talent Acquisition Lead

The Results

16 roles worked across engineering and product-aligned positions
11 total placements (8 permanent and 3 contract)
45% of placements came via the Burns Sheehan network
22 days average time to hire (across the project)
49% cost savings vs. our standard contingency hiring model

Alongside delivery outcomes, the on-site model helped Funding Circle create faster, cleaner loops between hiring managers, talent, and candidates, reducing friction, improving alignment, and keeping processes moving even when priorities shifted.

total placements (8 permanent and 3 contract)

of placements came via the Burns Sheehan network

days average time to hire (across the project)

cost savings vs. our standard contingency hiring model

Industry

Onsite | FinTech | SME Lending

Location

London

Company stage of growth

Established

Get in touch

Speak to an Account Manager to see how we can find you the right talent for your team.

Louise Smith

Senior Director, Head of Product & Delivery

How can we help

More success stories

"Great communication throughout, regular scheduled catch-ups, and a strong understanding of the brief from day one."

Will Evans, Former Head of Product & Technology

Read bio

“Reliable, consistent and collaborative. I value the relevant calibre engineering talent they provide.”

Danny Stewart, Technical Recruitment Lead

Read bio

"Excellent network of good talent. Focus and dial in roles quickly. Excellent set of expertise across the business and quickly getting relevant candidates."

Alistair James, Chief Technology Officer

Read bio

"Reliable, easy to speak to, always honest, and the team consistently delivers on what they say they will."

Charlotte Woodward, People Partner

Read bio

"The turnaround time on hiring, particularly on Product roles, was exceptional. Ultimately, they got the job done by helping us hire excellent people, quickly."

Sam Whitehead, VP Product & Growth

Read bio

"Their support was crucial for improving diversity metrics. As our exclusive partner, they proactively sourced hard-to-find candidates while we focused on refining processes. "

Josh Carter, Lead Talent Partner

Read bio

"We used Burns Sheehan to help us scale up our tech, engineering and data teams. As well as being really knowledgeable, everyone at Burns Sheehan has been a pleasure to work with."

Sophie Garrard, Head of Talent

Read bio

"Burns Sheehan is our go-to partner when it comes to Data hiring at Dojo. We can always expect a quick turnaround, extremely high-quality options and exceptional candidate experiences."

Dave Simpson, Head of Talent

Read bio

"Burns Sheehan takes the time to truly understand our business, EVP, and the type of candidate who thrives here. It's a truly consultative & partnership-driven approach."

Sandy Lacey-Aberdein, Head of Talent Acquisition

Read bio

"Burns Sheehan are professional, expert recruiters who always find me top talent. Their communication is excellent, and they rarely fail to deliver—truly best in class."

Mark Harris, Chief Product Officer, Europe

Read bio

"They were honest, supportive, transparent, hard working and went above and beyond. They really took the time to fully understand the brief."

Kirsten Goodall, Talent Acquisition Coordinator,

Read bio

We were introduced to LegalTech Definely by one of our venture capital partners, and quickly engaged on a contingency basis to source a Senior AI Product Manager to join their AI team and shape the future of their product offering.

Read bio

"We have worked together since 2022, and throughout this time, they have been critical in helping us build a high-performing team at Revantage."

Kimani Mbugua, VP, Head of Data & AI

Read bio

• EVP AI

"As a female leader in AI, I appreciated Nick's tailored, respectful approach and his genuine interest in the space."
Lee Frankel, Executive VP of AI/ML

Read bio

• VP Engineering

"Burns Sheehan stands out for the quality of candidates they provide and an impressive hit rate far above average."
Sena Trendafilova, Head of Talent Acquisition

Read bio

• Director of Data

"They really take the time to know us, and the values we're trying to build in teams.”
Mike Forman, CTO

Read bio

Domestic & General engaged Burns Sheehan, on a retained search with an embedded Principal Consultant on-site 2 days a week over a 3-month cycle, fully integrated with D&G’s Talent Team.

Read bio

• Director of Data
• Director of Architecture

"Burns Sheehan supported us through a period of growth as we transitioned our offering."
Caroline Edwards, Chief People Officer

Read bio

Let’s discuss your hiring goals

Get in touch with our managing director to discuss your hiring goals