EMBEDDED HIRING FOR GROWING STARTUPS.
We step in as your Fractional Talent Partner, owning hiring, building the foundations, and helping you scale without chaos.
HOW EMBEDDED WORKS
THE GAP WE FILL Many of our clients are hiring, or planning to hire, a full time TA Partner, but they can’t wait several months for that person to get hired and ramp up. We bridge that gap.
PHASE 1Plug in and deliverWe embed within a week and take full ownership of hiring. Working directly with founders, we move fast, define roles clearly, and close high-impact hires end-to-end.
Build the engine PHASE 2We build your hiring function while delivering results. From role scorecards and interview frameworks to ATS optimisation, candidate experience, onboarding foundations, and scalable hiring playbooks.
PHASE 3Transition cleanly When the time is right, we transition hiring fully in-house. That might mean supporting a permanent Talent hire or simply handing over a proven system your team can run themselves. Either way, there’s no reset, no knowledge loss, and no slowdown.
SENIOR HIRING, WITHOUT ADDING HEADCOUNT.
WHAT WE DOMany startups we work with are considering a Talent Lead or Founding Recruiter. Hiring already feels heavy, but demand is uneven, priorities are shifting and agency models don’t scale. That's where we come in.
We embed with your team as your fractional TA leader for as long as you need. We don't just fill roles, we build your entire hiring function from scratch.
Close your critical hires
GTM, Product & Tech, Operations, People.
Build your infrastructure
process, scorecards, interview frameworks, ATS setup.
Interview guidelines
Role specific guides and scorecards so interviews are consistent and fair.
Repeatable playbook
We document everything so your team can continue hiring at pace.
WHY WE ARE DIFFERENT WE BUILD HIRING, OTHERS JUST FILL ROLES.
We integrate deeply with your team, learning your culture, understanding your constraints, so we can deliver the right hires and build a TA function that actually fits your business.
➔ Significantly lower cost than hiring a full-time Talent Partner in year one
➔ Start in days or weeks, not months
➔ Up to 50% lower cost than agency hiring at scale
➔ No upfront spend on recruitment tooling or licences, we bring them with us.
SUPPORT, SHAPED TO YOUR STAGE
SERVICES We offer a range of hiring support, shaped around your needs and growth stage.
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Fractional Talent Partner embedded in your team
Build your TA infrastructure while closing your roles
Clear ownership when hiring becomes business critical
Full flexibility, pause or extend as your needs change
Direct access to the best Sourcing tech stack
You keep the playbooks and capability when we leave
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Targeted and dedicated search for critical hires
Full-cycle recruitment from sourcing to offer
Market mapping, targeted campaigns, candidate engagement, and brand representation throughout
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Senior guidance, without full execution.
Process audit, gap analysis, and recommendations
Scorecards, interview frameworks, and TA best practices
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Hands-on support to design and build your talent function from the ground up.
OUR TRACK RECORD
6 WEEKS
AVERAGE TIME TO HIREAVERAGE TIME TO SHORTLIST5 DAYS
6:1
INTERVIEW TO HIRE RATIO54%
RESPONSE RATE TO OUTBOUND75
AVERAGE NPS SCORE96%
OFFER ACCEPTANCE RATESEED AND SERIES A–B STARTUPS, READY TO SCALE.
WHO WE WOR WITHWe work with Seed and Series A–B startups who are hiring actively but don’t yet have a dedicated Talent team. Typically founder-led, stretched teams who need someone to take ownership of hiring, move fast, and build the foundations properly.
We also support Series C companies with embedded Talent leadership during regional expansion or new market entry.
EMBEDDED VS PERM VS AGENCYLOWER COST, FASTER IMPACT, NO LONG-TERM LOCK-IN.
Working with an embedded Talent Partner gives you senior hiring execution without the cost or commitment of a full-time hire or repeated agency fees.
WHAT YOU AVOID
Months lost to slow ramp-ups, mis-hires, or unclear ownership
Agency fees stacking up as volume increases
The first-year cost and risk of hiring a full-time Talent Partner before you are ready
THE IMPACT
Significantly lower first-year cost than hiring a full-time Talent Partner
Often 50% cheaper than agency hiring at scale
Start in weeks, not months
TESTIMONIALSWHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING
“Lottie has consistently demonstrated dedication and commitment to delivering high-quality candidates to help us build awesome teams. She manages multiple recruitment streams in a high-pressure environment, holds me to account when needed, and progresses pipelines quickly and efficiently. I always trust Lottie’s judgement, she takes the time to understand the specific needs of each role and has a proven ability to source and attract great candidates.”
Alex Rolfe, Delivery Director / Satalia“Lottie was an invaluable asset to have in the People team. She works diligently, methodically and goes above and beyond with her contributions to the hiring effort. I very much enjoyed working with Lottie and wouldn't hesitate to recommend her.”
Charlotte Grant, Head of People“ Lottie was brilliant to work with throughout the process - quick to respond, sharp in understanding what I was after, and excellent at articulating that to the company, while also giving me a clear picture of the role in return. I felt genuinely well-represented, and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her to anyone looking for an experienced, professional and enthusiastic talent partner."
Tom Bray, Software Delivery Manager FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Still have questions?
Take a look at the FAQ or reach out anytime. If you’re feeling ready, go ahead and apply.
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Embedded hiring is when an experienced Talent Partner joins your business on a temporary, fractional basis. We take ownership of hiring from the inside, partnering with founders and hiring managers or your existing Talent team, building process, and delivering hires without the overhead of a full-time team.
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Agencies fill roles but don't build capability, you're left dependent on them for every hire. Freelancers work on a per-role basis and don't leave infrastructure behind. We build your entire TA function from scratch: process, scorecards, interview frameworks, playbooks. When we leave, you keep everything and can continue hiring on your own.
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We combine a thoughtful, human-centered approach with clear communication and reliable results. It’s not just what we do, it’s how we do it that sets us apart.
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Most embedded engagements run for 3-6 months, but we're flexible. You can pause, extend, or scale up/down based on your needs. Some clients work with us for a few months to get hiring on track, others extend as they continue scaling.
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A: We bring our own recruitment tools, including a full LinkedIn Recruiter license, Juicebox for AI-powered sourcing, and expertise with all major ATS platforms (Greenhouse, Lever, Ashby, Workable, TeamTailor, Loxo, etc). If you don't have an ATS yet, we'll help you choose and set one up.
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We typically recommend a 3-month minimum for embedded work to allow time to build your TA function and close your critical roles. After that, you can extend month-to-month or pause as needed.
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Yes, absolutely. If hiring slows down or priorities shift, you can pause and restart when you're ready. We're designed to be flexible!
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We hire across all startup functions: Tech, Product, Operations, Go-to-Market (sales, marketing, customer success) and People. Our strength is in building TA infrastructure and closing roles across these areas.
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Yes, absolutely. Many of our clients hire us to bridge the gap while they search for a full-time Talent Partner or Head of Talent. We help define the role, run the search through our established People & Talent network, and manage a proper handover and onboarding so your new hire inherits a working TA function and they don’t have to start from scratch.
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Let's talk. We'll help you figure out whether embedded TA, advisory, or search makes the most sense for your stage and needs. There's no one-size-fits-all, we tailor our approach to what you actually need.
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Absolutely. If you have an internal recruiter or People person, we can work alongside them, either leading the function or supporting specific areas (e.g., senior hiring, process design, manager training). We’re highly collaborative and have extensive experience partnering with in-house People and Talent teams!
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Book an intro call with us. We'll discuss your hiring needs, current challenges, and whether embedded TA is the right fit. If it makes sense, we can typically start within 1-2 weeks.
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Not much. We need clarity on your open roles, introductions to key hiring managers, and access to your ATS (or we'll help you set one up). We're designed to be low-friction and fast to onboard.
HIRING COMING UP?
Book an introductory conversation to see if Wolven Partners is the right fit.