Case Study: Transforming Tangent into a Multi-Purpose Staffing and Solutions Company

Overview

Tangent, a well-established contingent recruitment agency, faced the challenge of meeting new client opportunities in an evolving recruitment landscape. Historically focused on contract recruitment, Tangent sought to expand its service offerings and reposition itself as a versatile, solutions-driven staffing company with global reach. The company partnered with Black Slate to lead a comprehensive rebrand, shifting its business model from contingent recruitment to a multi-purpose staffing and solutions provider. Black Slate’s strategic direction enabled Tangent to introduce new products, update its brand, and extend its market presence globally.

Challenge

Tangent’s traditional focus on contingent recruitment was successful but increasingly limited in a market that was demanding more flexible, tailored, and comprehensive staffing solutions. To remain competitive and grow its market share, Tangent needed to evolve its services to meet the demands of global clients, including offering more permanent recruitment solutions, project-based staffing, and compliance support for international workforces. The company also wanted to create a more cohesive brand that would reflect its broader service offerings and global capabilities.

Black Slate was tasked with leading the rebranding and business transformation, which included developing a new brand identity, expanding Tangent’s product offerings, and positioning the company as a key player in the global staffing and solutions market.

Objectives

• Rebrand Tangent from a contingent recruitment agency to a multi-purpose staffing and solutions company.
• Develop and implement a suite of new products to offer clients more flexible and tailored staffing solutions.
• Position Tangent as a global player capable of managing large-scale recruitment and compliance operations.
• Strengthen Tangent’s online and offline presence through a comprehensive rebranding and marketing strategy.

Solution

Black Slate’s approach to transforming Tangent into a multi-purpose staffing and solutions company was threefold: expanding the service offerings, creating a clear brand proposition, and ensuring global scalability.

1. Product Suite Expansion:

Black Slate collaborated with Tangent to develop a diverse suite of new products that catered to a wide range of client needs. The goal was to move beyond the traditional contract recruitment services and provide clients with comprehensive solutions for both permanent and contingent workforce needs. The new product offerings included:

•  Flex: An agile contract contingent product that allows clients to ramp up or down their contractor workforce as needed, offering seamless access to the best talent globally.
•  RaaS (Recruitment as a Service): A retained recruitment solution for permanent hires, giving clients access to a dedicated team focused on long-term talent acquisition.
•  Outsource: A project delivery solution, where Tangent can take over complete packages of work, providing full staffing solutions for specific projects.
•  CPC (Contractor Payroll & Care): A contractor payroll and care solution that ensures compliant and efficient contractor engagement globally. This service includes housing, schooling, and medical care for contractors, allowing clients to scale international operations effortlessly.
•  Hire Me: An on-site solution for volume hiring campaigns, providing clients with direct access to Tangent’s recruitment teams.
•  On D: An on-demand service for intermittent permanent assignments, providing quick and efficient recruitment solutions for businesses with fluctuating hiring needs.

These products positioned Tangent as a comprehensive staffing partner, capable of addressing a wide range of workforce challenges with agile and scalable solutions.

2. Brand Proposition:

The rebranding process was central to the transformation. Black Slate developed a new brand proposition that reflected Tangent’s expanded capabilities and its shift toward a solutions-oriented approach. The messaging emphasized Tangent’s ability to deliver tailored workforce solutions, whether through permanent recruitment, project outsourcing, or contractor management.

Tangent’s new proposition focused on three key pillars:

•   Agility and Flexibility: The ability to provide agile workforce solutions that can scale up or down based on client needs.
•   Global Reach: A global presence with the capability to manage staffing and compliance in over 180 countries, allowing clients to engage contractors and staff in regions where they might not have a local entity.
•   Comprehensive Care: Offering a full suite of care services for contractors, ensuring they are well-supported while working in different locations, from payroll to housing and emergency support.

This new proposition repositioned Tangent as not only a recruitment agency but a full-service workforce solutions provider, capable of handling complex, international staffing needs.

3. Global Scalability:

Black Slate helped Tangent tap into its global potential by developing products and services that could be implemented at scale across different regions. The CPC (Contractor Payroll & Care) product was particularly pivotal, allowing Tangent to engage contractors in 180 countries with full compliance. This opened up new markets and revenue streams for Tangent, particularly with Fortune 500 companies and SMEs seeking to scale their international operations.

Black Slate also worked with Tangent to optimize its internal systems and processes, ensuring that the company could efficiently manage global operations, including contractor care, payroll, and logistics. This operational overhaul made it easier for Tangent to offer consistent, high-quality services across multiple regions.

Outcome

The rebranding and transformation led by Black Slate successfully positioned Tangent as a multi-purpose staffing and solutions company. The expanded product suite allowed Tangent to meet the evolving needs of its clients, offering both contingent and permanent staffing solutions, project outsourcing, and comprehensive contractor care services. As a result, Tangent was able to increase its global footprint and attract clients seeking more than just recruitment services.

Key outcomes of the transformation included:

• New Market Penetration: Tangent’s ability to engage contractors and staff in 180 countries allowed the company to break into new markets and offer services to a broader range of clients, including tech scale-ups and established multinationals.
• Diverse Service Offerings: With the introduction of products like Flex, RaaS, and CPC, Tangent was able to cater to both long-term and short-term client needs, making the company more versatile and adaptable to market demands.
• Enhanced Client Relationships: The new brand positioning as a global solutions provider strengthened Tangent’s relationships with existing clients and attracted new ones looking for comprehensive workforce solutions.
• Operational Efficiency: Tangent’s internal systems and processes were optimized to manage large-scale international operations, improving service delivery and ensuring compliance across all regions.