From the start, ISL took the time to dig into the nuance of what we were looking for, and clearly understood what early-stage hiring requires. They helped us find someone genuinely ready to step up and take real ownership from day one - comfortable with ambiguity, high responsibility and operating with autonomy. ISL acted as a strategic advisory partner on everything from salary benchmarks to role design and team structure, giving us confidence throughout with a high level of support and thoughtful challenge. As a busy co-founder juggling hiring alongside plenty of other things, ISL were the ideal partner - I wouldn’t hesitate to speak to them if you’re in the same boat.
Seedling is helping organisations take meaningful action on climate change by making carbon management accessible, practical and commercially valuable. Through its platform and consultancy services, the business supports organisations with carbon foot printing, emissions reduction planning, B Corp Impact Assessments, Science Based Targets, Carbon Reduction Plans and emissions reporting.
Following continued commercial success, the founders identified the need to strengthen the team with specialist expertise that would enable the business to scale
Like many early-stage businesses, the challenge was not simply finding capable people, but identifying individuals who could thrive in a small, ambitious team where every hire would shape the company's future culture.
The Solution
Having built a relationship with Seedling through the Bristol startup ecosystem, which included attending ISL’s Founder Lunches, we had already developed a solid understanding of the business before the recruitment process began.
Rather than adopting a traditional contingency approach, Seedling chose our Base Down retained hiring partnership. This gave them dedicated support throughout the process while providing predictable recruitment costs during an important stage of growth.
Alongside executive search, we provided salary benchmarking, talent market insights, branded recruitment marketing and ongoing hiring advice, helping the founders attract high quality candidates while navigating their first recruitment campaigns with confidence.
The two key expansion hires were: a Marketing Manager to strengthen Seedling's market presence and a Growth Associate to support the next phase of commercial growth.
Because we had invested time building a relationship before there was ever a recruitment requirement, we were able to move quickly once the hiring need emerged. The founders already trusted our understanding of their business, culture and ambitions.
The Results
The Results
Hiring with confidence
Building a team beyond the founders is one of the biggest transitions an early-stage business faces. By combining market insight with a structured recruitment process, Seedling made two appointments that strengthened both capability and culture.
Quality over quantity
The Marketing Manager search resulted in just five carefully selected introductions, with three progressing to interview before an offer was accepted only 14 days after launch. The Growth Associate search followed a similarly focused approach, resulting in a successful appointment within seven weeks.
Rather than overwhelming the founders with large volumes of CVs, we introduced a carefully curated shortlist of candidates who aligned with both the technical requirements of the role and Seedling's values.
Building for the future
Both hires have successfully embedded into the business and are now valued members of the team. In a company where every individual has a significant impact, finding people who shared Seedling's mission and collaborative culture was just as important as technical capability.
The successful appointments established a strong foundation for future hiring as Seedling continues its growth journey.
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