Afternoon Finance

Newly launched AI-first platform Afternoon Finance supports financial advisors by automating data collection, administration and analysis. Co-founded by the team behind Nude Finance (now Tembo), the platform saves advisors hours of time and resources while significantly boosting productivity.

With ambitious growth plans and product development timelines, Afternoon Finance engaged Eden Scott associate director Peter Dunn and senior recruitment consultant William Johnstone to fill two critical positions: a Full-Stack Engineer and an AI Engineer.

These two positions were the very first technical hires outside the founding team.

Following an intensive search and selection process that involved reviewing over 1,000 profiles and speaking with more than 100 candidates, we successfully placed two outstanding hires into the business in just four weeks.

Brief

As an early-stage startup, Afternoon Finance needed high performing new team members who would quickly start generating results. Cultural fit was a priority, with the founders seeking proactive, self-sufficient and innovative candidates.

From a technical standpoint, both roles came with demanding requirements. The Full Stack Engineer position required someone with equal strength in front and back-end development, and proficiency in both Python and React. They would need to demonstrate technical adaptability, enthusiasm and programming fundamentals.

As well as demonstrating a robust background in natural language processing, the AI Engineer would need strong experience in the full data science lifecycle, taking a machine learning or AI model from proof of concept to live production.

Our client wanted to meet with a wide range of prospective team members before making their decision, meaning we needed to produce a large candidate pool while maintaining exceptional standards.

Challenges

Meeting the brief was particularly challenging in a competitive hiring landscape where experienced AI Engineers are in high demand. All shortlisted candidates had to meet rigorous technical standards while aligning with the startup’s values and fast-paced culture.

We needed to validate each candidate’s technical expertise and experience through detailed conversations, while also communicating the opportunity on offer to top-tier talent.

Approach

Our recruitment strategy combined advertising with proactive candidate sourcing and engagement with our existing network.
First, we conducted a thorough assessment of Eden Scott’s internal talent network to identify the most qualified candidates. Next we conducted an extensive search via LinkedIn, connecting with professionals whose technical skills and experience matched the required profile.

Over the course of the project, we reviewed over 1,000 applications, profiles and CVs, and held discussions with more than 100 candidates. We provided the client with a carefully vetted shortlist of roughly 12 candidates per role, with eight candidates per role progressing to interview with the Afternoon Finance team.

This structured and wide-reaching approach meant the Afternoon team were confident they had the strongest selection of candidates to draw from, ultimately ensuring they could make the right decision for their business.

Result

Despite the complexity of the brief and the competitive nature of the AI hiring market, the search concluded successfully within four weeks. Two exceptional candidates were placed, setting Afternoon Finance up for success in the development of their pioneering AI product.