How it started…
In the distant year 2021, our story with HiBob began. What started as filling one tactical position soon grew into a 15+ person dedicated development squad and a long-term strategic partnership.
Before coming to Newxel, HiBob had already spent 3 months searching with another vendor. Despite their strong reputation and resources, the rare combination of Kotlin/Scala expertise and strict cultural fit requirements made hiring extremely difficult. They were close to abandoning the Ukrainian market entirely.
Challenge
HiBob’s goal was clear: they needed senior Kotlin/Scala developers to strengthen their web development teams. But the task was far from simple.
The required skills were rare in the market, and HiBob’s standards were even higher than most. Every candidate not only had to be technically strong but also had to fit seamlessly into the company’s people-first culture. This meant that even the best tech specialists could be turned away if they didn’t align with the company’s values, communication style, or way of working.
Time was another critical factor. After three months of searching with another vendor, HiBob still hadn’t filled the role. Project timelines were at risk, and without the right hires, plans for future team growth including building teams in other countries would be put on hold.
The challenge was a mix of rare talent search, cultural precision, and speed under pressure.
Solution
From the very first call, it was clear this wouldn’t be a “just fill the role” type of project. HiBob needed people, not placeholders.
We started by building a custom recruitment approach: every search combined a technical screening with a deep check for cultural match. Within weeks, after months of failed attempts with another vendor, HiBob welcomed their first hire through Newxel, which was a 101% match.
We managed the process end-to-end, from deep requirements analysis to onboarding:
Step 1. Analytics and candidate search
We merged technical expertise evaluation with a cultural alignment check, ensuring every hire could thrive in HiBob’s collaborative, people-first culture.
Step 2. Fast delivery
Our focused approach meant the first hire was secured in weeks — a turning point that restored momentum to the project.
Step 3. Step-by-step scaling
Starting with four senior back-end developers, the team expanded to include front-end developers and product managers, always maintaining quality and fit.
Step 4. Leadership hires
We recruited a Site Manager in Ukraine to lead a 6-person team and later a Team Lead in Romania to drive new local growth.
Team
Engineering team lead
Technical lead
Back-end engineer
Front-end engineer
Technologies we use
Kotlin
Scala
Newxel’s operational excellence framework for HiBob
Recruitment was only part of the story. We implemented a build–scale–optimize framework designed to support HiBob’s growth across multiple markets.
Took care of everything beyond hiring, setting up workspaces, managing equipment, handling HR and people partner services, ensuring legal and financial compliance across all hiring countries.
By the time the dust settled, HiBob didn’t just have a dedicated team. They had a strategic partner ready to grow with them, market by market, role by role, ensuring every hire was more than just a skillset on paper.
Expanded
into Portugal with a new recruitment contract, opening doors to the European market.
Scale
Romanian hiring from 4 to 15 developers, adding leadership roles to strengthen local delivery.
Build
a core team in Ukraine using a highly customized approach, sometimes taking up to a year to secure the perfect fit, prioritizing quality over speed when necessary.
Services provided for HiBob
Talent acquisition
Recruiting professionals, including Senior and Team Lead levels.
Workspace management
Renting and administering office spaces.
Equipment management
Providing and managing equipment for both office and remote work.
HR support
HR and People Partner services.
Legal and financial support
Handling all legal, accounting, and financial matters in the hiring countries.
IT infrastructure
Setting up and maintaining IT systems for smooth operations.
Outcome
What began as a single hard-to-fill role turned into a fully integrated 15+ person dedicated development team spread across Ukraine and Romania — all hired with both technical precision and cultural fit in mind.
Leadership roles, such as the site manager in Ukraine and the team lead in Romania, strengthened delivery and team cohesion locally. Our work in these markets gives HiBob access to fresh talent pools without taking on the risk and complexity themselves.
With operations, compliance, and HR fully managed by Newxel, HiBob could focus entirely on the development of their data-driven HR platform and scaling, confident that each new addition to the team was more than just a technical fit — they were the right people for the long run.
HiBob x Newxel — at a glance
- 15+ successful hires across Ukraine and Romania
- Leadership-level recruitment in both markets
- Reduced time-to-hire from 3+ months to just a few weeks
- Talent operations supported across 3 countries (Ukraine, Romania, and a new market)
- 100% cultural and technical match rate across all placements
- End-to-end operational support including workspace, equipment, HR, and compliance
What’s next?
Our journey with HiBob is far from over. With Newxel’s global hiring expertise and operational excellence framework, we’re already laying the groundwork for their next big chapter – expanding into a brand-new country (hush, it’s still a secret).
The dedicated team we’ve built together is scaling fast, and our role goes beyond recruitment: we’re their strategic partner for building, managing, and optimizing teams worldwide. Wherever HiBob decides to grow next, Newxel will be right there – opening doors to new markets, connecting them with top talent, and making sure every hire is more than just a skillset on paper.
