Discover Financial Services (DFS) is a leading financial institution offering banking and credit products, and managing both the Discover and Pulse networks across the UK and USA. With nearly 50 million cardholders, the Discover Card ranks as the third largest credit card brand in the US. Our partnership with DFS began in 2009 when we made our first placement, a Java developer, in their Farnborough, UK office. Over the past decade, we have grown into the largest and most successful supplier of talent to DFS, delivering over 250 placements across a wide variety of roles and business functions.
The Challenge
DFS was faced with the challenge of sourcing a highly experienced team of JavaServer Faces (JSF) developers for a critical, niche payment processing project. This initiative was essential to meeting business objectives, but it had to be completed on time and in a location known for recruitment difficulties. In addition to this urgent project, DFS continuously required highly skilled, pre-qualified talent across their global operations. This dual need for both immediate and ongoing recruitment support required a strategic solution that could address the technical expertise needed, while also navigating the local recruitment landscape and DFS’s global talent demands.
Our Strategy
To tackle these challenges, GCS implemented a comprehensive, tailored approach:
- Dedicated Expert Account Team: We created an expert account team that worked closely with DFS’s internal hiring managers to understand their needs, business culture, and technical requirements. This team ensured a seamless partnership and consistent communication, providing a high level of support throughout the recruitment process.
- Defined SLAs & Consultancy Plan: We established specific service-level agreements (SLAs) to ensure the timely delivery of qualified candidates and a structured consultancy and management plan to support ongoing recruitment needs. This clear framework helped streamline the recruitment process and set clear expectations for both parties.
- Proactive Sourcing Channels: To reach the right candidates for DFS’s needs, we leveraged a diverse set of sourcing platforms, including GitHub, Stack Overflow, and Meetups. In addition, we tapped into our extensive database of over 500,000 candidates, ensuring access to a broad talent pool with varied expertise.
- Thorough Candidate Pre-Screening: To ensure the highest quality candidates, we conducted extensive technical and cultural pre-screening. This ensured that each candidate not only met DFS’s technical requirements but was also a strong cultural fit for the organization, reducing turnover and improving team dynamics.
The Solution
Through this strategic approach, we successfully placed 252 professionals at DFS to date, with 64 permanent and 188 contract placements.
- JSF Developer Placements: Our efforts were particularly focused on fulfilling the immediate need for JSF developers to work on the payment processing project. We successfully placed 15 highly skilled JSF developers, ensuring the project was completed on time and to specification.
- Global Talent Supply: Beyond the project-specific roles, we continued to support DFS’s broader talent requirements across multiple areas of their global operations, maintaining a steady pipeline of pre-qualified candidates for ongoing and future needs.
The Results
- 252 Placements: Over the course of our partnership, we have successfully placed 252 professionals at DFS, including 64 permanent staff and 188 contract roles.
- On-Time Delivery for Niche Project: 15 JSF developers were successfully placed and contributed to the timely completion of the highly specialized payment processing project.
- Ongoing Talent Acquisition: Our proactive sourcing and candidate screening methods have allowed DFS to maintain a steady supply of top-tier talent across their global operations, ensuring they stay ahead in a competitive market.
Client Feedback
“GCS are always engaged and extremely professional. I will most definitely use GCS as my recruitment agent and will highly recommend them to my contacts.” — DevOps Engineer placed at DFS