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Scaling peak-season retail hiring with Project RPO and Contracting
A flexible talent solution that helped a global fashion retailer keep stores staffed, maintain hiring continuity and reduce pressure on internal teams during a critical trading period in Malaysia.
Case study
Our client is a global fashion retailer with more than 1,000 stores across 25 countries and a workforce of over 30,000 employees worldwide. In Malaysia, the business has operated since 2010 and had grown to 60 stores by 2024.
As the peak festive trading period approached, the client faced a sharp rise in hiring demand at the same time as its Talent Acquisition lead went on maternity leave. To maintain momentum and protect business continuity, our client needed a partner that could move quickly, bring more structure to a decentralised hiring process and provide immediate specialist support where it was most needed.
- Service: Project RPO, permanent and contract hiring
- Industry: Retail
- Size: 30k+ employees
- Locations: 1,000+ stores in 25 countries worldwide
The impact at a glance
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131
retail hires filled in 4 months across Malaysia
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2 weeks
Project RPO implementation time
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2
specialist temps deployed through our Contracting solution
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2 weeks
average CV-to-offer turnaround
When hiring pressure peaked
As the client prepared for one of the busiest periods in the retail calendar, hiring demand increased sharply across Malaysia. At the same time, their Talent Acquisition lead was due to go on maternity leave, creating immediate pressure on recruitment delivery at a business-critical moment.
The challenge extended beyond hiring volume alone. Hiring was largely decentralised, with store managers managing parts of the process through inconsistent hiring practices. Delays in offer letters and employment contracts also increased the risk of candidate drop-off and placed further strain on internal teams.
Delivering support at pace
We designed a blended solution focused on three priorities: scaling high-volume retail hiring, providing Talent Acquisition cover during maternity leave and restoring control over employment contract administration. This gave the client immediate support while improving visibility, coordination and consistency across the hiring process.
A tailored Project RPO solution was implemented within two weeks, with two onsite recruiters deployed to support frontline hiring across Penang, Klang Valley and Alor Setar. In parallel, our Contracting team secured maternity cover for the Talent Acquisition function and placed a legal contractor to manage the backlog of employment contracts, while regular fortnightly meetings with HR and store managers kept hiring activity aligned to business needs.
Business impact
With the right support in place, our client was able to keep stores staffed for the festive trading period and maintain momentum in a fast-moving retail environment. The business also benefited from a quicker, more coordinated hiring process, helping to reduce pressure on internal teams during a period of peak demand.
The impact extended beyond the immediate hiring need. Specialist contractor support ensured continuity across Talent Acquisition and legal functions, while a more structured process reduced bottlenecks and improved handovers. As a result, our client was left with a more resilient hiring model for future peak periods.
Our other services
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Project RPO
Delivering short-term goals on full-time roles.
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Managed Service Provider (MSP)
Maximising potential across the full lifecycle of non-permanent resources.
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Permanent recruitment
Attract the right talent for your business.
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Project solutions
Accelerate your most critical projects that define organisational success.
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