In March 2025, Clicks IT Recruitment was engaged to assist a greenfield startup in the Defence space to recruit niche, hard to find Engineering Test and Evaluation resources.
Background and Challenge
The client, a specialist in producing UAS and robotics under Jericho Disruption Innovation Program (Jericho), experienced rapid growth after a successful bid for Jericho. and initially engaged a generalist recruiter’s RPO division in the recruitment of over 50 technical specialists.
Their specific requirements included industry-specific technical experience, as well as a minimum baseline security clearance; which resulted in many niche roles unfilled, with a looming deadline of a July 2025 project kick-off date. To ensure key roles were filled by the due date, the client engaged Clicks to augment the procurement process and provide a boost in specialist technical and defence-experienced recruitment services.
Their specific requirements included industry-specific technical experience, as well as a minimum baseline security clearance; which resulted in many niche roles unfilled, with a looming deadline of a July 2025 project kick-off date. To ensure key roles were filled by the due date, the client engaged Clicks to augment the procurement process and provide a boost in specialist technical and defence-experienced recruitment services.
With the primary RPO agency acting as an intermediary between the client and Clicks, our specialist defence account management team began candidate sourcing for a large number of Software, Engineering and Aviation roles that satisfied their specific criteria:
- Security clearances ranging from baseline to NV2
- Full time, on site
As the client had been in business for three years, some quality applicants had elected to pursue opportunities with more well-known organisations in the space (Lockheed Martin, Babcock, Saab). In securing the Jericho work, the client was confident in their reputation, and that their culture, remuneration and the role’s responsibilities presented a competitive, attractive offering. The specialist aviation skills required, and the client’s South Australia location naturally narrowed the total candidate pool. A vast majority of suitable candidates would subsequently turn down the opportunity due to their current defence roles and associated discharge periods.
Clicks’ Solution
Clicks met with key hiring members to obtain a detailed brief on the role requirements, including ideal candidate behaviours, foreseen challenges in the role, team fit, and how superior performance and cultural cohesion would add value. Clicks’ internal structure, whereby each Consultant has responsibility for nurturing and growing talent communities in designated skill verticals, enabled us to have an informed peer-to-peer discussion about the technical aspects of the roles. Clicks exchanged knowledge about the competitor landscape and potential targets to fill each role.
Clicks proposed sourcing strategies including headhunting and other channels with established successful outcomes.
Our Approach
- Facilitating a discovery exercise with the hiring manager around reasons why individuals would be attracted to the roles, upcoming projects, the culture of the team and organisation, along with benefits offered by the organisation.
- Requested the hiring members highlight the specific attitudinal and behavioural traits required for these niche technical roles. From our experience in recruiting permanent vacancies for Defence professionals, we knew the importance of thorough consultation. Being armed with the right information would aid our delivery of a successful and prompt recruitment outcome.
- Leveraging our understanding of the Software Engineering candidate market, through over 30 years specialising in IT recruitment across Australia and experience recruiting for the Defence and Aviation industry, to focus this recruitment strategy.
- Planning a sourcing campaign based on previous experience recruiting similar roles, targeting both active and passive candidates in the South Australian market.
- Embarking on a dedicated advertising campaign incorporating SEEK, LinkedIn, and the Clicks website.
- Carefully composing detailed, descriptive advertisements using gender neutral language to attract the right behavioural fit and not just the skills. In conjunction with this approach, Clicks used Boolean search tactics to find passive candidates using LinkedIn Recruiter, SEEK Talent Search, and Clicks’ specialist semantic search tools.
- Preparation for candidate interviews conducted prior to recommending to the client by composing a bespoke series of job-specific behavioural, technical and general questions. These ensured candidates had the required breadth and depth of information skills, experience and the right personal attributes. A focal point for Clicks was ascertaining the candidates’ motivations for job seeking and understanding their interest, and subsequent commitment, to the opportunities.
Outcome and Benefits
As anticipated, suitable candidates that matched the client’s specific criteria were not easy to find.
Clicks connected with over 112 candidates, 7 of whom were deemed suitable after our detailed assessment process. These 7 candidates were submitted to the client via its prescribed internal process. To date, Clicks has made three highly specialised placements with this client:
Project Enabler / Customer Compliance
This role was critical to the project as it served as the interface between internal operations and Defence’s System Program Office. The client required someone who could effectively sit between the two parties to ensure compliance across all Test and Evaluation activities. The position had been open for a substantial period, and the project team had struggled to find the right fit.
The successful candidate came from left field, a Facilities Project Lead from a Defence Prime. Although they did not have direct experience working with an SPO, we identified strong transferrable skills: contract management, oversight of contractors, tendering, and compliance. The candidate was successfully placed and helped maintain alignment between the organisation and the customer.
GCS Engineer
The role of GCS (Ground Control Station) Engineer was another critical and longstanding vacancy. This specialist position required someone capable of designing, developing, and maintaining the hardware and software used for drone management. The challenge was compounded by the need for both Defence experience and commercial drone knowledge, given that drone technology is still in the early stages of Defence adoption.
The Clicks team sourced a specialist who was a Defence Flight Operations Engineer and had independently developed an iOS Ground Station application for UAVs. Although early in their career and largely self-taught, the candidate possessed the core technical capability needed, enabling a minimal learning curve. He remains with the company as a key member of the project team.
Software Engineer
The client was utilising a COTS application to manage their UAS, but the interface required substantial redevelopment to make it fit for purpose and adaptable to evolving project needs. To meet delivery milestones, they required an NV1 cleared Software Engineer with experience across Python, C++, HTML, HMI and automation. Clearance, timeframe and technical depth made this an especially challenging role to fill.
The Clicks team identified a candidate with a versatile background spanning software engineering, communication systems, and UI development. Despite the demanding skillset and tight timelines, the candidate possessed the adaptability and technical breadth needed to quickly contribute with minimal ramp‑up. The candidate was sourced, interviewed, background checked and offered within a week. They have become a key contributor to the project’s software evolution and UI overhaul.
