CASE STUDY
Solving a Prestige Beauty Brand’s Hiring Challenge With a People-First, Strategic Approach
When positions open up, it’s natural to focus on filling them fast — and often, that works. But when vacancies persist, the issue might not be the pipeline or talent pool. They could be a symptom of systemic failures. So, how do you know when your hiring system is standing in its own way?
Client Need
Our client, a prestige beauty company in skincare and cosmetics, had acquired three legacy beauty brands from a major global player. Their goal was to consolidate each entity under the new corporate structure while maintaining brand continuity. A critical piece of this consolidation was creating a centralized ecommerce hub for all three brands.
On paper, this meant a straightforward hiring push. In reality, it wasn’t that simple. The situation soon ballooned into several open ecommerce roles with little progress toward filling them. The result? Stalled digital growth.
With any staffing engagement, Cella looks for the story behind the story: Why is the role unfilled? What brought the company to that point? When the client approached us, that’s what we did. Suddenly, the story became clear: This wasn’t simply about vacancies or the results of a corporate acquisition.
At the root, we found:
Overwhelmed processes
The client’s applicant tracking system (ATS) was live but unstructured, creating volume without filters or prioritization. A single staff member was left managing the chaos manually.
Multiple vendors, minimal traction
They were working with a number of staffing vendors, but most focused on high-volume submissions.
Misaligned, unsupported stakeholders
Hiring managers felt unheard and unsupported, leading to frustration, disengagement and a lack of momentum.
The problem The client’s hiring engine was stuck in neutral. But where others saw a talent shortage, we saw a broken system.
The good news? We had a solution to work with it and around it.
Cella's Solution
Delivering outcomes in this environment meant bringing structure, insight and partnership to a convoluted hiring process. Here’s how we did it.
We focused on the roles that mattered.
Our efforts were focused on staffing the four most challenging roles under the martech umbrella: Site Experience and Operations Manager, Ecommerce Coordinator, Ecommerce Project Manager and Ecommerce Manager. Speed was key, but so was quality. So, we moved fast to source and vet candidates.
We embodied our staffing motto: “tech-enabled, human-focused.”
The chaos the ATS caused had taken the human element out of the equation. Our goal? Bringing it back. We doubled down on stakeholder engagement, speaking directly with line managers, talent acquisition and the Chief of Staff to understand pain points, team dynamics and role expectations. We also ensured open, regular communication through weekly meetings.
We ensured candidate quality over just quantity.
Every candidate we presented was tailored to the client’s expectations. Instead of overwhelming managers with volume, we delivered a curated, high-quality shortlist from our candidate pool.
We ensured candidate visibility.
Instead of working strictly with the ATS, we sent candidate writeups directly to managers and coordinated closely with internal HR partners to ensure our candidates got visibility. Soon, the client recognized us for the quality of our recommendations, and the Chief of Staff gave us the green signal to bypass the ATS entirely.
We didn’t just work with the client; we were their partners in talent.
Over four months, we filled all four roles. What made the difference? We partnered with the client as their strategic advisor:
- Reframing expectations: We worked with them to define ideal candidates not just by past experience but also by capability and potential, aligning with the realities of the local market.
- Leveraging authentic brand passion: We truly knew and loved the brands, and that authenticity positioned us to better engage candidates and get them excited about the role.
- Stable employment: In a shifting job market, we were able to represent the client as both stable and dynamic, leveraging its scale and brand recognition to attract top-tier talent.
- Advising on market realities: As most companies were competing for top talent within a remote work environment, we used real-time market insights to advise them on talent’s hybrid/onsite expectations.
The Results
Five Critical Roles Filled Fast
We filled five complex roles within weeks, including a Senior Manager of U.S. Brand Marketing, laying the groundwork for the client’s ecommerce transformation.
Aligned, Not Just Hired
By moving from a volume-driven model to one rooted in alignment and long-term value, we helped establish a more scalable, strategic hiring approach for the client — one designed to support growth over time.
Built for the Long Term
Two and a half years later, both the Site Experience and Operations Manager and the Ecommerce Coordinator remain in place, proof of long-term fit. Moreover, as testament to the potential of the talent we placed, the Ecommerce Coordinator was promoted to Associate Manager of Global Ecommerce.
Powered the Client’s Ecommerce Transformation
As trust grew, so did our engagement with the client. We expanded into new divisions, supporting everything from contract hires and temp-to-permanent roles. With our Randstad partners, we provided regulatory professionals and filled 12 positions within supply and logistics, in addition to senior leadership searches, becoming an embedded part of the client’s talent strategy and ecommerce transformation.
Conclusion
Ultimately, this relationship went beyond filling roles. By focusing on alignment over volume, people over process and long-term value over short-term wins, we helped our client unlock the full potential of their ecommerce transformation.
And perhaps more importantly, we earned something no ATS can automate: advocacy, credibility and a seat at the table for what comes next.
