If you search for the term “Purple Squirrel” on Google, you’ll find a range of definitions, but they generally converge on the same idea: the challenge of recruiting. In nearly every case, the term refers to the difficulty of finding a highly sought-after, uniquely qualified candidate who perfectly matches a specific job requirement. When your resource needs are especially precise—particularly for a short-term project—having the right partner to identify and secure that ideal candidate is crucial to your success.
I was a client of Enterprise Iron long before I became an employee. My first experience with the firm came when I led a large professional services division for a major software and services company. We were managing several large projects, and our business model heavily relied on partnerships to fill resource gaps. There were times when I reached out to Enterprise Iron to provide teams of 20 or more specialists with specific skills, roles, and timelines—sometimes with only 45 to 60 days’ notice. In every case, Enterprise Iron delivered, meeting our exact needs.
Since joining the firm, I’ve witnessed firsthand how Enterprise Iron continues to successfully staff teams—whether small groups of 4–5 or larger teams of 25. We have the experience and network to match the right resources with the right projects.
How Do We Do It?
At Enterprise Iron, our team members average over 20 years of relevant experience in the industries we serve. As a result, we maintain broad professional networks that allow us to identify and recruit highly qualified candidates. Our strategy is to hire professionals who have held the same roles as our clients, giving them keen insight into the challenges our clients face.
In addition, we employ a dedicated team of full-time recruiters with backgrounds in the financial services industry. They bring deep domain knowledge, experience, and established relationships, allowing us to effectively meet our clients’ resource needs in both the private and public sectors. One significant advantage we offer is the ability to access talent within organizations that may be “off limits” for our clients to hire directly—often due to non-compete clauses or other contractual constraints.
As an independent advisory consulting firm, Enterprise Iron is not restricted by these agreements (except with our clients). We are always careful to honor our client commitments, but we can often deliver resources that might otherwise be out of reach. Additionally, we continually evaluate partnerships with software vendors who want to leverage our expertise as integration and implementation partners.
Recent Successes
We’ve built a strong reputation in both the private and public sector retirement and pension markets. Clients often turn to us for our expertise in vendor systems (e.g., Recordkeeping and Pension Administration Systems) or in managing proprietary applications they’ve built and maintained. Our experience in compliance services, implementation support, and modernizing legacy platforms continues to set us apart.
In recent years, however, we’ve also been asked to provide resources with expertise beyond the traditional retirement and pension ecosystem. The industry has seen an influx of fintech firms using modular approaches to enter the market. In many cases, clients utilize enterprise-level applications that, while not specific to retirement, still require highly specialized expertise. Enterprise Iron has successfully supported several clients by sourcing candidates with these niche skill sets.
On multiple occasions, clients have told me, “Enterprise Iron is my first call when I need resources,” and one client remarked, “I couldn’t believe how quickly Enterprise Iron was able to find these resources.”
In Summary
Enterprise Iron is known for delivering high-quality projects that are on time and on budget. However, there are also times when clients simply need additional resources for short-term engagements. If you want to avoid the hassle of hiring and then downsizing staff after a project concludes, remember that Enterprise Iron can be your virtual bench. Read more about our Consultant Services and reach out to us at tscott@enterpriseiron.com to find out how we can help you find your Purple Squirrel!