TA DIAGNOSTIC

Is your hiring working as hard as it should?

A half-day strategic review of your talent acquisition function, designed for Series A and B founders who know something isn't quite right but haven't had the time to diagnose it properly.

What you get
⏱️
Half day
Structured diagnostic session
📋
5 areas
Assessed across your TA function
📄
5 days
Written report delivered
💷
£1,750
Fixed fee, no surprises
Built hiring functions at
HiBob Starling Bank Multiplier Zendesk
Sound familiar?

Most Series A/B startups don't have a sourcing problem. They have a systems problem.

The symptoms are visible. The root cause usually isn't. Not until someone with the right lens looks at it.

Hiring feels reactive, not strategic

Roles open when headcount is already a crisis, not when the plan calls for it. The process starts from scratch every time.

The ATS is a black hole

Candidates get lost. Data is incomplete. Nobody trusts the pipeline view. Reports tell you nothing useful.

Hiring managers are a wild card

Every manager interviews differently. Decisions feel inconsistent. Great candidates get lost between stages for no clear reason.

There's no data to explain what's wrong

Time-to-hire is creeping up. Cost per hire is unknown. You can't tell whether the problem is sourcing, process, or speed of decision.

The solution

The TA Diagnostic

A structured, half-day engagement that gives you a clear picture of where your talent function is working, where it isn't, and exactly what to fix first. A written action plan follows within five working days.

It's not a vague "here are your issues" conversation. It's a methodical audit across five dimensions of your hiring infrastructure, led by someone who has built TA functions for some of the UK's fastest-growing companies.

🎯

Structured, not exploratory

A defined framework applied consistently. Not a free-ranging conversation that goes wherever it goes.

📊

Data-led where possible

We review your actual ATS data, pipeline reports, and process documentation. Not just what you tell us.

🗺️

Clear output, clear next steps

A written report with a prioritised 90-day action plan. Not a slide deck full of observations.

What's included

Three phases. One clear output.

Before the session

Preparation

  • Short pre-work questionnaire on your current hiring setup, volume, and challenges
  • Review of any ATS data, process docs, or job descriptions you can share
  • Pre-read of your current tech stack and team structure
During the session (3–4 hours)

The Diagnostic

  • Structured discovery with you and relevant stakeholders
  • Live review of ATS configuration and pipeline data
  • Assessment of interview process, offer workflow, and candidate experience
  • Honest diagnosis of where the real problems are
Within 5 working days

The Report

  • Current state assessment across 5 key areas
  • Prioritised recommendations with clear rationale
  • A 90-day action plan for the highest-impact changes
  • Optional: a follow-on engagement proposal if the scope warrants it
The report covers five areas

A complete picture of your hiring function

⚙️

Process

🖥️

Technology & ATS

📊

Data & Metrics

👥

Team Capability

🌟

Candidate Experience

Is this for me?

Built for growth-stage companies with active hiring challenges

📈

Series A or B startups with 5+ active or planned roles per year

🏗️

Companies using Ashby, Greenhouse, Lever, or Workable, and those still struggling with a basic ATS

🧩

Founders or People leads who want senior TA input without a full-time commitment

⏱️

Organisations where hiring feels reactive, inconsistent, or data-poor

🔍

Teams that know something is off with their hiring but haven't had time to diagnose it

🚫

Not for agencies, RPOs, or companies looking for ongoing recruitment execution

Who delivers it

Marc Douch
Founder, StackBuilders

I've spent over a decade building talent acquisition functions for some of the UK and Europe's fastest-growing technology companies. I know what a well-functioning TA operation looks like at every stage. I also know the shortcuts founders take that cost them later.

StackBuilders exists to give growth-stage companies access to Director-level TA expertise without the full-time hire, bringing the speed, accountability, and commercial focus that comes from working independently.

HiBob · EMEA TA Lead Starling Bank · TA Manager Multiplier · Global TA Director Zendesk · EMEA Recruiter
10+
Years building TA functions at high-growth tech companies
80+
Offers extended at Multiplier with <$2k cost per hire
40%
Of Multiplier hires sourced directly, with no agency fees
$200m
ARR scale reached at HiBob during EMEA TA tenure
Investment

Clear, fixed-fee pricing. No surprises.

The Diagnostic is fully standalone. There is no obligation for anything that follows.

£1,750
fixed fee
  • Pre-work questionnaire and ATS data review
  • Half-day diagnostic session (3–4 hours)
  • Written report: current state, prioritised recommendations, 90-day action plan
  • Delivered within 5 working days of the session
  • Optional follow-on proposal if broader scope is warranted
The alternative cost? A recruitment agency placing 3–4 mid-senior roles charges £40,000–80,000 in fees. The Diagnostic is the fastest way to understand whether you need to change your approach, before that cost compounds.
Book a discovery call

Check if the Diagnostic is right for you

Answer three quick questions and we'll show you how to book a free 20-minute discovery call to discuss your situation.

Thanks. Based on what you've shared, the TA Diagnostic is likely a good fit.

Book a free 20-minute discovery call and we'll talk through your specific situation, confirm whether the Diagnostic is the right next step, and answer any questions you have.

Book your free 20-min discovery call