Client: A leading international manufacturer of motor oils (premium segment).
The Challenge for Lavoro: To find a Sales/Business Developer to capture the Kazakhstani market practically from scratch. This meant we needed to find an “army in one person”: an individual who would build the brand, launch sales, navigate distribution channels, and conduct full market reconnaissance. All of this — without a local office, a team, and with low brand recognition.
Why We Called This a “Mission: Impossible”:
The market was already divided. Local players had long since established their networks.
We needed a unique hybrid: a tough salesperson with English, a brand development strategist, and an adventurer ready to work in a complete vacuum.
No one wanted to take the risk. Top candidates from competing companies justifiably demanded a significant salary increase for such a risk, which was not viable for the client. Very few are willing to leave a structured corporation for a “one-man army” role.
Candidate meetings were regularly rescheduled or canceled by the client, dragging out the headhunting process.
Our Tactics:
We didn’t waste months on a futile search for the perfect candidate from a narrow pool. Instead, we engaged the client in a tough negotiation process. We clearly demonstrated that a superhero with a perfect CV would not agree to the proposed compensation. We provided the client with salary analytics and proposed revising the terms to reach a compromise.
We also convinced the client to look for their candidate not only within the niche of motor oils but across the broader automotive industry, focusing on business development and brand launch skills. We agreed with the client to allocate fixed, dedicated time slots for interviewing candidates. Without this commitment, any of our work would have been meaningless.
The Outcome We Delivered:
We found that very adventurer-strategist for the client. A candidate from the adjacent automotive industry, with proven expertise in launching a business from the ground up. They weren’t intimidated by the solo operator format, were satisfied with the conditions, and their English proficiency and self-sufficiency met all requirements. They became the pioneer for conquering the new territory.
Our Key Conclusions:
If a search hits a wall where “no one will accept for this money,” it’s time to change not the candidates, but the search strategy and requirements.
True recruitment means managing not only the search but also the client’s expectations and their internal processes.
A challenging market requires mental flexibility: search not by the template of “who has already done this,” but by the principle of “who CAN do this.”
