Finding the right people: How Invendor and Southwestern Recruitment work together to build a strong team
Joonas Püvi, Raul Krebs
Hiring the right people is essential for any fast-growing startup. At Invendor, we know that skills and experience matter, but finding people who truly fit our culture is just as important.
For the past four years, we have partnered with Southwestern Recruitment (SWR) to make hiring smoother, faster, and more effective. The results have exceeded our expectations. Today, we can confidently say that SWR is an integral part of our recruitment strategy. Without an in-house HR team, finding top talent can be challenging, making SWR an invaluable partner.
In this article, Invendor CEO Joonas Püvi and CTO Paul Lumi share what they’ve learned from working with SWR and how other startups or companies can make hiring less of a headache.
Why we continue to choose Southwestern Recruitment as a hiring partner
1. Minimal need for public job listings
Over the last four years, we have conducted only one public hiring contest. For all other positions, we have either relied on internal recommendations or candidates sourced by SWR. This means we have effectively outsourced our entire recruitment process up until the first interviews—a shift that has significantly optimized our hiring efforts. Instead of sorting through hundreds of applications, we focus on meeting only the best-fit candidates.
2. 80% fewer interviews and higher-quality candidates
One of the biggest advantages of working with SWR is the quality of candidates they provide. Thanks to their understanding of our needs, we see around an 80% reduction in the number of interviews we would have needed to conduct compared to traditional hiring methods. Instead of spending hours screening candidates, we jump straight into meaningful conversations with pre-vetted professionals who are genuinely a good fit.
3. Long-term success in hiring
Out of our last 10 hires, 5 were sourced by SWR, and every single one of them is still with us today. That’s proof that hiring isn’t just about filling roles—it’s about finding people who stay and grow with the company.
The key ingredients to a successful hiring partnership
From SWR’s perspective, a successful hiring process isn’t just about filling positions—it’s about ensuring the right fit for both the company and the candidate. Here are the key factors that have made our collaboration with Invendor so effective:
1. Clear understanding of the position and vision
Every hire has a purpose—it’s a solution to a problem. Identifying that problem and understanding how the new hire will solve it is essential. This ensures alignment between the candidate’s skills, career goals, and the company’s needs.
Invendor’s leadership has always had a clear vision of why they need someone and how that person can grow within the company. This clarity has allowed us to refine our search and identify candidates who not only meet the immediate needs but also align with the long-term vision of the organization.
2. A supportive and open culture
People don’t just join a company for a job—they stay because of the culture and leadership. Invendor has built an open and supportive work environment where employees thrive and grow.
Knowing this as a recruiter has made it easier to attract high-level candidates who are looking for more than just a paycheck—they want a place where they can develop and succeed long-term. Many of our candidates have shared that seeing all previous SWR placements still thriving at Invendor strengthens their confidence in the company—it’s a clear sign that employees feel valued and choose to stay.
3. Consistent communication and strategizing
Hiring works best when company leaders make it a priority. Nothing deters a high-caliber candidate more than a long period of radio silence. Regular communication and strategizing with the recruiter help fine-tune the hiring process and keep momentum strong.
This is one area where Invendor excels. Their level of engagement and responsiveness makes our job as recruiters significantly more effective. Working with a company that actively participates in hiring decisions is every recruiter’s dream.
4. A well-oiled interview process
Recruiting is a two-way street—it requires balancing the assessment of skills and personality with selling the company vision. Gone are the days of rigid, one-sided interviews. Instead, modern hiring is about having conversations that inspire confidence in both directions.
Invendor’s interview process reflects this philosophy. Candidates frequently share positive feedback about their experience, appreciating the structured yet engaging approach that allows them to see themselves as a part of the company.
Hiring is like sales—It’s a two-way street
At Invendor, we see every interview as a sales pitch—both sides need to be convinced. We’re not just choosing candidates; they’re choosing us too. That’s why we focus on selling the role—highlighting why this is a great opportunity, while candidates showcase how their skills and mindset align with us.
Top candidates take their time to decide. They care about company culture, leadership, and long-term vision. That’s why interviews aren’t just a screening process—they’re a conversation and a chance to build a lasting connection.
With SWR as our recruiting partner, this process is even smoother. Since they understand our company inside and out, they help address candidates’ concerns early, ensuring a better hiring experience for everyone.
What other companies can learn from our hiring process
1. Let a recruiter handle the first steps
Hiring takes time, especially when filtering applications and conducting early-stage interviews. By outsourcing these steps to a trusted recruiter, we’ve saved significant time while ensuring we only meet top-quality candidates.
A great recruiter does more than match resumes—they assess personality, motivation, and long-term potential. Some of our best hires weren’t obvious choices on paper, but SWR recognized their value.
2. Define your needs beyond just skills
A successful hire isn’t just about qualifications—it’s about mindset, work style, and cultural fit. When working with a recruiter, clearly communicate:
- Company values
- Preferred work styles
- Long-term team dynamics
Unlike traditional agencies, SWR goes beyond CV-matching. They take time to understand our company culture, ensuring every candidate aligns with our team.
3. Provide recruiters with clear, honest feedback
Recruiters can only improve their candidate recommendations if they get clear feedback from you. If a candidate isn’t the right fit, tell them why. Maybe it’s a skills gap, maybe it’s a personality mismatch—either way, the clearer you are, the better candidates you’ll get next time.
With SWR, we don’t just talk about individual candidates—we have ongoing conversations about how our needs are evolving. This has helped fine-tune the hiring process over time.
4. Build a long-term relationship with your recruiter
One of the biggest advantages we have seen is the long-term partnership with SWR. They understand:
- What drives our company forward
- What kind of people thrive in our culture
- Where we’re headed in the future
Tip: If possible, work with the same recruiter over multiple hiring cycles—it pays off in the long run. It’s like dating—you don’t have to start from scratch every time. As you get to know each other, you can pick up where you left off and move forward more naturally.
What’s next?
As Invendor continues to grow, hiring will always be one of our top priorities. Thanks to SWR, we’ve built an efficient and reliable hiring process that allows us to keep finding top talent without wasting time. We’re excited to keep working together and fine-tune our hiring process even further.
We work closely with Raul Krebs from SWR, and after every successful hire, we find ourselves asking:
"How does he consistently find candidates who not only meet our skill and experience requirements but also fit so well into our company culture?"
About Invendor
Invendor is an Estonian technology company specializing in hardware and software solutions for industrial consumables management. Invendor’s mission is to deliver the first full-stack, cost-effective, and decentralized VMI solution, seamlessly connecting multiple parties on a single platform. Invendor’s solutions are trusted by industry leaders such as Alas-Kuul AS, Svetsmaskinservice AB, Elvalhalcor S.A, and ABB AS.
About Southwestern Recruitment
Southwestern Recruitment is a recruiting agency whose mission is to connect ambitious companies with specialists and leaders in Estonia, Latvia, and beyond. Their team consists of highly skilled professionals, each focused on their area of expertise. SWR’s recruitment strategy is based on the 40 years of targeted search experience of their sister company, Thinking Ahead, which has also been recognized by Forbes.
