When Konzepthaus was founded in 2016, we quite happily described ourselves as a recruiting business. And we were. A very good one, if we may say so in a modestly British manner.
Specialised in design recruitment, we worked closely with creative studios, particularly within automotive and mobility, and matched exceptional designers with organisations that needed them.
Simple enough. Except… it was never quite that simple.
It Was Never “Just” Recruiting
At its most basic, traditional recruitment works like this:
Client has vacancy. Agency fills vacancy. Invoice follows. Everyone shakes hands and moves on.
We, however, have always been slightly suspicious of simplicity.
From the outset, our approach was consultative. Which is a polite way of saying we sat down with design leaders and asked rather a lot of questions:
The Mechanic With Only A Spanner
Sometimes, traditional recruiting can resemble a car mechanic trying to fix an entire vehicle armed with only a spanner.
Engine trouble? Spanner. Electrical fault? Spanner. Suspension issues? Give it a go with the spanner.
If hiring is the only tool you possess, unsurprisingly, it becomes the solution to everything.
What we discovered in our partnerships with creative teams was that, although sometimes hiring was an answer, it wasn’t always the best answer.
Occasionally, the real solution could be found somewhere else: upskilling an existing team member, promoting from within, or investing in learning and leadership development.
From a purely commercial recruitment perspective, this is bordering on lunacy. Advising a client to spend less on recruitment fees is hardly the textbook growth strategy for your business.
But: we didn’t see things from the commercial perspective. Rather, we saw them from a partnership perspective. And that didn’t mean quick transactions. It meant building trust. Strengthening culture. Delivering sustainable results.
That difference, between simply placing a person and shaping a team in the long run, is where our evolution began.
Diagnosis Before Description
If hiring is the medicine, then understanding the symptoms comes first. So, over the years, our conversations deepened: Where does it hurt? What outcome are we aiming for? What are the side effects of each option?
Hiring briefs evolved into strategic discussions about:
Recruitment became the prescription, but only after the right diagnosis. Sometimes the right prescription is indeed executive search, finding the next Head of Design. Other times it’s freelance support to flex capacity. And in some cases it’s Consulting, Learning, or Design Project Management.
This is how Konzepthaus grew into a holistic partner, offering the right medicine to every symptom. Not only separately, but as complementary tools in a well-stocked pharmacy.
From Vacancy-Filling to Talent-Shaping
Today, we’ve specialised in Automotive and Mobility Design globally for over a decade.
What we’ve gathered?
A lot of empirical insight, industry data, and, most importantly, trusted relationships.
What we’ve become?
Strategic sounding boards, sparring partners for leadership decisions, consultants on team structure, and learning advisors on capability building.
Yes, we still recruit. Still place designers and conduct executive searches. Still help studios flex with freelancers.
But: recruiting is no longer the whole story. It’s one chapter.
Whereas the word “Recruitment” describes a service, the word “Talent” describes a philosophy.
Recruitment focuses on filling a seat. Talent focuses on building capability.
Recruitment can be transactional. Talent is relational.
Recruitment answers the question: “Who can do this job?“. Talent asks: “What does this organisation need to thrive?”.
Why “Recruiting” In The Name Must Go
If a word no longer accurately describes the thing it represents, then it’s simply the wrong word. And “Recruiting” no longer reflects:
This change isn’t semantics. It isn’t branding for branding’s sake. And it certainly isn’t a fondness for corporate wordplay.
It’s alignment. Clarity. Evolution.
Goodbye Recruitment. Hello Talent.
We’re no longer just the mechanic with a spanner. Instead, we’re the team with the full toolkit: diagnosing, advising, developing, structuring and, when appropriate, hiring. And frankly, it was about time the name caught up.
So from today, the “Recruiting Team” becomes the “Talent Team”.
Because that’s what we’ve truly been building all along.
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