Product Manager selection

‍Today, Product Manager has become one of the key roles in technology companies: it is products that form the vector of product development, manage cross-functional teams, work with metrics, set hypotheses and are responsible for the result.
In the face of high competition and the rapid development of digital solutions, the demand for experienced product managers significantly outstrips supply. This is especially acute in areas such as fintech, medical tech, and B2B SaaS, where not only classic product management skills are important, but also a deep understanding of industry specifics, security requirements, scalability and compliance.
The market has become a “candidate market”: the best specialists are chosen, not just considered. They are overloaded with offers, are selective in choosing a team and product, and are often not actively searching. That is why closing middle+ and senior Product Manager positions requires fine-tuning the search, accurate positioning of the offer and a quick response.
In one such case study, we helped a fintech company find a strong product in just 12 days.

Customer request

We were approached by a major European fintech company that develops platforms for managing digital financial products and services. The company serves B2B and B2C clients around the world, with a special focus on data security, scalability of solutions and compliance with regulatory requirements.

The client needed an experienced Product Manager, which will be able to take control of the full development cycle of new features and products — from ideas and research to market launch and post-release analytics.

It was especially important to find a specialist with a strong technical background, an understanding of the specifics of high-load fintech systems and experience in an international environment. Readiness to relocation to Germany was also a prerequisite.

Requirements for the candidate:

• Product management experience in fintech or related areas with a high level of regulation
• Strong skills in analytics, working with metrics, formulating and testing product hypotheses
• Knowledge of Agile practices and experience working in cross-functional teams
• English at least B2+
• Readiness to relocate and work in a multicultural environment

It would be a plus:

• Understanding data security standards and financial regulations (e.g. PSD2, GDPR)
• Experience in bringing products to new markets or scaling existing solutions

Difficulties encountered

A combination of product and fintech expertise
The client was looking not just for a product, but for someone who could quickly dive into the fintech ecosystem, understand the logic of digital wallets, payment gateways, KYC/AML, etc. There are few such specialists, especially ready for relocation.

Relocation requirement
Despite the attractiveness of the European market, not all experienced sales were ready to move. Many people already had comfortable conditions: remote work, flexible schedules, and high salaries.

High competition for top products
Fintech is one of the most competitive markets. There are many offers from international companies, startups and banks. Finding a candidate who is not only suitable but also free/ready for change is a highly challenging task.

Tight deadlines
This position is critical for the launch of a new product, so the client set the goal of closing it as soon as possible — without compromising on quality.

Recruitment process

1. Briefing and profile clarification

At the start, we had an in-depth session with the hiring manager and the product team to not only fix the requirements, but to understand as much as possible:

• features of the company's internal processes;
• the type of products to be worked with (regulation, scalability, security);
• stakeholders with whom the product interacts;
• key challenges he faces in the first 3—6 months;
• soft skills that are important for integrating into an international team.

This made it possible to form an accurate and lively candidate profile rather than a one-size-fits-all, as well as to agree on possible “zones of flexibility” — where requirements can be relaxed and where absolutely impossible.

2. Search strategy

We immediately determined that the market would be competitive and that the right candidate would be highly passive. That's why we chose hybrid search strategy, which includes:

• Direct search via LinkedIn — targeting fintech and related industries (banks, insurance, regtech, crypto);
• Profile analysis on Product Hunt, AngelList, GitHub, and Slack-communities;
• Profile posting Telegram-channels and food communities;
• Hunting through recommendations: active work with our internal database, references from previous candidates and former clients;
• Reverse funnel: we connected candidates with whom we had previously talked about related positions and quickly rescreened them to a new profile.

3. Working with passive candidates

Most relevant candidates were not actively searching. Therefore, the focus was on:

• Individual requests: each pitch was tailored to the profile, interests and career trajectory of a particular candidate;
• Focus on growth and challenges: not just “there is a vacancy”, but “there is an opportunity to influence the product in a fast-growing fintech company with an international scale”;
• Client positioning: together with the client's HR brand, we packed the vacancy into a clear and attractive “value offer”;
• Supporting motivation to relocate: provided information about the country, office, visa support, family integration and other aspects of moving. We paid attention to this already at the first contact.

4. Assessment funnel

We have set up a clear pipeline so as not to lose speed but not lower the quality bar:

1. Pre-screening — assessment of experience, motivation, English proficiency, flexibility to move;
2. Interview with our recruiter — in-depth interview on product cases, soft skills and management experience;
3. Presentation of candidates to the client — with a detailed summary for each (key achievements, growth zones, motivation, cultural comments);
4. Support at all stages of the interview with the client — from a technical interview to a final call with CPO/CEO;
5. Help at the offer stage — including discussion of relocation conditions, taxation, insurance and legal support.

5. Adapting the approach in the process

We worked closely with the hiring team and received regular feedback. This made it possible to:

• refine hypotheses by profile (for example, involve candidates from related fields — traveltech and edtech);
• promptly correct tone of voice in peaches;
• in the case of interesting but “non-standard” profiles, offer them with arguments and examples of cases where they achieved results.

The result of our work

On day 5, we found a candidate from Eastern Europe who had experience in managing fintech products, including payment solutions and KYC systems. He worked for an international company, spoke English at a high level and was open to relocation.

The candidate has successfully passed:

• Screening with our recruiter
• Interview with the client's product lead
• Business case
• Final meeting with CPO and CEO

Twelve days after the start of work on the vacancy, the offer was signed. The candidate started the relocation process and was preparing to move to Germany.