Case studies

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17 engagements across ABA and behavioral health, allied health, clinical, technology, finance, insurance and executive search — each with the challenge, the approach and what the client said.

Featured — ABA & Behavioral Health3 engagements

ABA & Behavioral Health

BCBA hiring across expansion markets

BCBA, Clinical DirectorMulti-state

The challenge

Multiple BCBA seats opened simultaneously in new markets where certified clinician supply was thin, and inbound applicants were largely uncertified.

Our approach

Targeted sourcing against the certified population in each market, plus geographic talent mapping run before lease commitments so the client knew which markets were viable.

Shortlist window: 1 week to 45 days depending on market
Screening: BACB status verified before shortlist
Caseload, supervision ratio and drive time assessed on the screening call

“Hiring skilled professionals in behavioral health can be difficult, but Staffly made it easy. Their deep network and fast turnaround helped us build a strong team of therapists and clinicians. We've seen a significant improvement in patient care since partnering with them.”
Director of Clinical Operations
ABA Therapy Center

ABA & Behavioral Health

Continuous RBT hiring across multiple centers

RBT, Behavior TechnicianMulti-site, single region

The challenge

Attrition outpaced internal recruiting capacity, so RBT requisitions were permanently open and centers were turning away referrals.

Our approach

Containership high-volume applicant model against agreed qualification criteria, with the client's team retaining interviews and offers.

Credential status and drive-time radius verified before handoff
Cost per qualified applicant reviewed with the client monthly
Qualification criteria agreed in writing before launch

“We stopped competing for the same handful of applicants and started getting people who were actually credentialed and actually within range of our centers. The monthly review keeps everyone honest.”
VP of Operations
ABA clinic group

ABA & Behavioral Health

Building a clinical leadership bench

Clinical Director, Regional Clinical Director, BCBA SupervisorThree states

The challenge

Internal promotion had exhausted the BCBA pool, leaving supervision ratios under pressure as caseloads grew.

Our approach

Engaged search with a defined window per seat, sequenced by compliance risk rather than by hiring-manager preference.

Screening on supervision capacity and caseload history, not certification alone
Two markets flagged unfillable at the original band — compensation revised before launch
Seats sequenced so the highest compliance exposure closed first

“They told us plainly that two of our markets wouldn't hire at the salary we'd budgeted. That conversation saved us a quarter of wasted searching.”
Chief Clinical Officer
Autism services provider

Allied Health

SLP and OT coverage for new clinic openings

Pediatric therapy clinic groupSLP, OT, therapy leadTwo states

The challenge

Therapy coverage had to be in place before two clinic opening dates, with licensure portability differing between the two states.

Our approach

Pipeline built backwards from the opening calendar rather than forwards from the requisition, with licensure screened up front.

Licence portability confirmed before candidates were presented
Contract and permanent blended to cover the opening window
Caseload setting fit screened per candidate

“Staffly understands the unique challenges of healthcare hiring. They provided us with highly qualified speech-language pathologists and occupational therapists who have been a perfect fit for our team. Their efficiency and expertise set them apart.”
Recruitment Manager
Pediatric Therapy Clinic

School-year SLP and SLPA caseloads

School-contracted therapy providerSLP, SLPAMultiple districts

The challenge

A hard school-year start date, competing against travel-agency rates that beat the client's permanent salary on headline number.

Our approach

Early pipeline against the academic calendar, a contract and part-time blend, and drive time mapped per district.

Search started ahead of the district hiring window
Total-package comparison used against travel rates
Assistant-level roles filled alongside licensed clinicians

“We were always the last option after the travel agencies. Working a season ahead changed that.”
Director of Therapy Services
School-contracted therapy provider

Behavioral Health & Clinical

LCSW and LMFT caseloads across state lines

Outpatient behavioral health groupLCSW, LMFTTwo states

The challenge

Licensure rules differed between the two states, and telehealth employers were outbidding on flexibility rather than salary.

Our approach

Licensure-aware market mapping, then direct outreach to practising clinicians rather than reliance on applicant flow.

Screening for population and modality fit
Associate-level supervision coverage factored into the brief
Bilingual requirements scoped market by market

“They understood the licensure differences better than the last two agencies we used, which meant we stopped interviewing people who couldn't actually practise for us.”
Clinical Program Director
Outpatient behavioral health group

RN and CNA hiring for a census increase

Multi-specialty healthcare groupRN, CNARegional, multi-site

The challenge

A post-acute census increase required nursing coverage at short notice, including night shifts that had historically gone unfilled.

Our approach

Shift-differential benchmarking first, then targeted local sourcing once the package was competitive.

Night-shift differential benchmarked against local employers
Credential verification before shortlist
Multi-site coverage worked in parallel

“Finding the right leadership talent is always a challenge, but Staffly made the process seamless. They took the time to understand our needs and delivered top-tier executive candidates who aligned perfectly with our goals.”
HR Director
Multi-Specialty Healthcare Group

Technology

Unblocking a stalled engineering pipeline

Healthtech platformSenior backend engineer, data engineerRemote, US

The challenge

Months of high applicant volume with no hires. The client believed it was a sourcing problem.

Our approach

Diagnosed a five-stage interview loop losing finalists to elapsed time. Loop compressed, seniority bar calibrated with the panel, then direct outreach to employed engineers.

Interview loop reduced before sourcing began
Compensation range published, widening the eligible pool
Screening on delivery history rather than keyword match

“We asked for more candidates and got told our process was the problem. Uncomfortable to hear, and completely correct.”
VP of Engineering
Healthtech platform

First product and security hires

B2B SaaS companyProduct Manager, Cybersecurity AnalystHybrid, US

The challenge

Two first-in-role hires with no internal benchmark for what good looked like at their stage.

Our approach

Role definition workshopped before launch, then a deliberately narrow shortlist with written assessments against the agreed profile.

Seniority and scope agreed before outreach
Compensation range published up front
Shortlists kept small by design

“Four candidates, not forty. That was the point, and it worked.”
Chief Executive Officer
B2B SaaS company

Finance & Accounting

Controller search requiring close ownership

PE-backed services businessControllerSingle market

The challenge

Previous hires had participated in month-end close without ever owning it, which only surfaced during audit.

Our approach

Screening on close ownership, systems fluency and audit exposure rather than job title, with written candidate summaries per finalist.

Close ownership evidenced, not claimed
ERP and consolidation fluency verified
Audit and regulatory exposure documented

“The screening questions were ones our own CFO would have asked. We interviewed three people and hired the second.”
Chief Financial Officer
PE-backed services business

Revenue cycle leadership across sites

Healthcare operatorRevenue Cycle ManagerMulti-site

The challenge

Billing, coding and collections were fragmented across sites, and reimbursement expertise was scarce in the local market.

Our approach

Reimbursement-specific screening, with the search widened geographically once local supply was mapped and found thin.

Payer-mix and coding experience screened specifically
Search widened by market after mapping
Healthcare reimbursement depth prioritised over general accounting

“Most recruiters sent us accountants. We needed someone who understood payer mix, and that's who we got.”
Chief Operating Officer
Healthcare operator

CFO appointment for a growth-stage business

FinTech companyChief Financial OfficerUS

The challenge

A first institutional CFO hire, requiring both technical depth and the ability to operate with an investor board.

Our approach

Retained search with market mapping, confidential approaches and written leadership assessments.

Confidential outreach to employed finance leaders
Board-readiness assessed alongside technical depth
Cultural fit weighted explicitly in the brief

“Staffly was instrumental in helping us find a dynamic CFO who has transformed our financial strategy. Their ability to identify top-tier leadership talent and ensure cultural fit made the hiring process smooth and efficient.”
Chief Executive Officer
FinTech Company

Insurance

Underwriting succession ahead of retirements

Regional carrierCommercial lines underwritersRegional

The challenge

Two senior underwriters were approaching retirement, and their replacement market was other carriers' senior underwriters — none of them applying to adverts.

Our approach

Retirement exposure mapped by desk and line of business, then confidential approaches to competitor underwriters, hiring ahead of the gap with deliberate overlap.

Exposure mapped by desk before the search began
Confidential approaches to employed underwriters
Overlap period accepted as the cost of continuity

“We'd been treating this as a vacancy problem for years. Framing it as succession is what finally got it funded.”
Chief Underwriting Officer
Regional carrier

Claims and distribution hiring for an agency group

Independent agency groupClaims adjusters, Account ExecutiveMulti-state

The challenge

State licensing varied across the footprint, and the account executive hire involved a portable book with non-compete complexity.

Our approach

Licensure and state authority verified before outreach; non-compete and portability scoped with the client ahead of any approach.

State authority confirmed per candidate
Book portability assessed before shortlist
Non-compete position clarified up front

“They raised the non-compete question before we did. That's not something we'd experienced from a recruiter.”
Managing Principal
Independent agency group

Executive & Leadership

Confidential VP of Clinical Operations search

Healthcare operatorVP Clinical OperationsRegional, multi-site

The challenge

The incumbent remained in seat throughout, so any leak would have cost the client credibility internally and in market.

Our approach

Retained search with market mapping and passive outreach, with the client's identity withheld until shortlist stage.

Client identity disclosed only at shortlist
Documented market research delivered
Written candidate assessments per finalist

“Discreet from the first call to the offer. Nobody internally knew until we were ready to tell them.”
Chief Executive Officer
Healthcare operator

Senior leadership appointment for a behavioral health network

Leading behavioral health networkExecutive leadershipUS

The challenge

The organisation needed a leader who could hold clinical credibility and commercial growth at the same time.

Our approach

Research-led retained search across healthcare and adjacent sectors, with structured competency interviews.

Target universe defined and documented
Competency interviews structured against the brief
Offer and closing support through to start date

“Staffly played a crucial role in helping us find a visionary leader for our healthcare organization. Their deep industry knowledge and strategic approach ensured we hired an executive who not only met but exceeded our expectations.”
Chief Executive Officer
Leading Behavioral Health Network

VP of Operations for a manufacturing firm

Manufacturing firmVP OperationsUS

The challenge

Previous searches had produced candidates who looked right on paper but did not match the operating culture.

Our approach

Extended intake on operating style and culture before sourcing, then a shortlist assessed explicitly against both.

Operating style defined as a screening criterion
Track-record outcomes verified
Cultural fit assessed alongside capability

“Finding senior executives who align with our company's vision has always been a challenge. Staffly took the time to understand our business needs and presented us with outstanding candidates. Thanks to them, we successfully hired a VP of Operations who is driving real impact.”
Chief Operating Officer
Manufacturing Firm

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