Recruiter Spotlight: Sharon Hedlund — How Strategic Sourcing Filled an 'Impossible' Role in Two Weeks

Every recruiter has a "white whale" story — that one impossible-to-fill role that tests everything they know. For Sharon Hedlund, Director of Recruitment at Engage Partners' New York office, those stories come around more often than most — because she's the one clients call when nobody else can find the right person.

The Impossible Search

A financial services firm in the tri-state area had been trying to fill a senior compliance role for over four months. The position required a rare combination of regulatory expertise, industry-specific certifications, and the soft skills to work across multiple departments. Three agencies had tried. All three had failed.

The client's HR director, frustrated and facing pressure from leadership, reached out to Engage Partners as a last resort. Sharon took the call.

A Different Kind of Search

Rather than casting a wide net, Sharon went deep. She leveraged her extensive network in finance and accounting, conducted targeted outreach to passive candidates, and used Engage Partners' proprietary candidate database to identify professionals who might not be actively looking — but would be open to the right opportunity.

Her approach wasn't just about skills matching. She screened for cultural alignment, career trajectory, and long-term retention potential — the things that make a placement stick.

Fourteen Days Later

In just two weeks, Sharon presented three highly qualified candidates. The client interviewed all three and made an offer to their top choice within days. The candidate accepted — and has since been promoted within the organization.

"The secret isn't magic," Sharon says. "It's preparation. When you've spent years building relationships and understanding your market, you can move fast when it matters."

Why Relationships Win

Sharon's success is a reflection of the broader Engage Partners philosophy: invest in relationships before you need them. Her network didn't appear overnight — it's the result of years of genuine connection with professionals across finance, administration, and beyond.

Have a role you can't seem to fill? Contact Engage Partners and let Sharon and the team show you what strategic sourcing looks like.