Success Stories
Hiring Full Stack JavaScript contractors for a legacy migration
- Contract Project
- Proptech | B2B2C SaaS
- Growth Stage
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The Challenge
Zoopla (part of the Houseful group) was facing a challenge common in established tech businesses: their legacy Mason/Perl infrastructure was beginning to limit their ability to evolve the product. A move to a modern React-based architecture had become essential for technical improvement and to unlock future innovation.
But legacy migrations are notoriously tricky. You need contractors who can read old code, understand system dependencies, and rebuild functionality without breaking what's already working. These aren’t just experienced JavaScript developers — they’re niche specialists who’ve handled migrations before and know where the pitfalls are.
The challenge is that these people are almost always busy. They’re deep in other high-stakes projects and rarely on the open market. Reaching them isn’t about ads or LinkedIn messages but instead takes industry knowledge and trusted relationships.
Since partnering with Zoopla in 2020, we’ve helped them make over 40 technical hires. They came to us again for speed and trusted access to the kind of specialist contractors this work demands.
The Solution
A targeted search finding exactly the right people for exactly this type of work.
Instant communication loops: Weekly video calls and a dedicated Slack channel for instant communication. Daily updates to ensure all stakeholders remained aligned. When we found someone, Zoopla knew immediately. When their requirements shifted, we pivoted the same day.
Database deep-dive: In-depth candidate mapping leveraging our 21-year database and extensive network to identify contractors who'd successfully handled similar migrations and reaching out directly.
Data-driven talent mapping & market insights: Sharing regular hiring insights and market trends with Zoopla to help them make smarter decisions about timing and positioning.
"We’ve hit a massive milestone! Zoopla has now fully migrated all routes from the old Mason/Perl stack to our modern React app on top of new API endpoints. This is a game-changer, and we couldn't have done it without you finding us such incredible contractors. This has unlocked the next big step—migrating the old website using those new APIs—and the fantastic contractor team you built is already on it. Huge thanks again for all your hard work!"
Mimi Kouidri, Talent Acquisition Partner
"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 TA
The Results
The headline numbers:
- 6 specialist contractors placed
- 10-day average placement time
- 66% came from our existing talent relationships
- Perfect candidate satisfaction (100 NPS)
- Delighted client (90 NPS)
6
Full-Stack contractors placed
66
%
came from our existing talent relationships
100
perfect candidate NPS score
Industry
PropTech
Location
London
Company stage of growth
Growth Stage
Get in touch
Speak to an Account Manager to see how we can find you the right talent for your team.
Chris Spranklen
Managing Director
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