Democracy Counts x Oscar

Democracy Counts is a UK-based leading software and services company that develops technology for running elections and other public-sector administrative services. Founded in 2009, the company is headquartered in Warrington, Cheshire, and works with organisations where accuracy, security and trust are non-negotiable.

Oscar has been a recruitment partner to Democracy Counts for over a decade, but the partnership has truly flourished over the past 12 months as we supported their ambitious growth plans and rising demand across their specialist technology teams.

The Challenge:

Democracy Counts needed a recruitment partner that could consistently deliver high-calibre candidates at speed, helping them scale their teams without compromising on quality. As they accelerated their growth plans, they faced hiring a volume of specialist technology professionals in a competitive market.

Maintaining quality while increasing pace put real pressure on hiring timelines and internal resources. Much of the specialist talent they needed was not actively looking, so a reactive advert-led approach was never going to be enough. They required a partner who understood technology and could engage passive candidates quickly, while protecting the exacting standards their public-sector work demands.

The Approach:

Oscar built a trusted partnership by developing a strong understanding of Democracy Counts’ business, culture and hiring needs. Regular check-ins and face-to-face meetings kept us aligned through a particularly busy period of growth. Since taking over the account, we have strengthened the relationship further, using those conversations to review progress and get ahead of upcoming hiring needs.

Alongside this, we took a proactive approach through targeted headhunting, talent pipeline and regular marketing insights, streamlining recruitment through screening, interview management, and offer support to secure top technical talent efficiently. This gave Democracy Counts a clear view of the market at every stage and kept the process moving forward without adding pressure to their internal team.

The Results:

Since November 2016, Oscar has successfully placed 41 professionals with Democracy Counts, with 20 of those placements delivered in the last 12 months alone. This provided the talent needed to rapidly scale their technical teams during a period of significant business growth.

As a result, Democracy Counts has become more competitive in the market and accelerated delivery of the existing projects already in their development pipeline. The recruitment and onboarding process has remained smooth throughout, with placements delivered within the challenging timeframes and to a consistently high standard. The relationship active and ongoing, with Oscar continuing to support Democracy Counts across new specialist roles as thier plans to develop.

"I have been lucky to have Oscar as my approved go-to for all things Dev recruitment for over 6 years.

During this time, we have established a close working relationship, working with several specialist agents – all of whom have never failed to deliver. The standards and commitment remain consistent throughout Oscar, meaning I can always be assured of the best service and experience.

I have a very specific set of requirements and know what I am looking for in a candidate – the team at Oscar have taken time to get to know me, the business and what we are looking for, so that we are as efficient as possible when managing our recruitment process.

Over the last 6 months, we have undertaken a significant growth plan, which has resulted in recruiting 12 new hires (a mix of full-stack devs and automated/ manual testers).

The success rate with candidates recommended by Oscar has been stellar – most candidates have had the perfect mix of technical and personal skills, meaning they will successfully integrate into the business and our culture.

Iona Gadsby has been extremely attentive, with just the right level of communication – I like to be kept up to date and know how we are progressing, without being pestered! Iona always has a smile in her voice and an excellent listening ear – she has been attentive, patient, professional and fun, things which I value highly.

Recruitment can be a drain of time and energy, but working with Oscar I know that my time will be well spent and that often, we find the best fit candidate at our first attempt.

On occasion, I have sought advice and industry insight from Oscar’s senior management team, who were happy to accommodate my requests and assist me with networking outside of our sector."

I view Oscar as a trusted partner and look forward to working with them, as we continue to grow and expand our team. I feel we are aligned with our culture, values, commitment and drive – what more can you ask for!