The builder
Has created the capability before and is comfortable working without inherited infrastructure.
Stage 01 · The unresolved need
The role doesn't exist yet.
MVRK handles confidential searches for HR roles the business has not hired for before—before the title, market, or trade-offs are obvious.
Stage 02 · Brief
A title is not a mandate.
The search starts by defining what the business needs this person to change, protect, and build.
01
What must be true twelve months after this person starts?
02
Which decisions must they own without waiting for permission?
03
What will this role become when the business changes again?
Stage 03 · Market
The right person may have the wrong title.
MVRK maps adjacent profiles around the work itself, then makes the trade-offs visible before a shortlist hardens them into assumptions.
The operator
Balances strategic credibility with the willingness to own the unglamorous work that makes the function run.
The translator
Can turn leadership ambition into practical People systems across markets, cultures, and levels of maturity.
“Matteo was able to deliver great candidates and helpful insights on market and organisational approach.”
Global Senior Manager Talent & Reward, Arcese Group
Stage 05 · Accountability
The person shaping the brief stays in the search.
MVRK takes limited concurrent mandates. Matteo handles the market interpretation, candidate calibration, and difficult conversations from the first question through to the final decision.
Matteo Muscio Founder / MVRK
Stage 06 · Decision
Undefined becomes defensible.
If you're hiring for an HR role that's new to the business, fifteen minutes is enough to know whether MVRK can help define it.
Patterns from the search desk
Insight 4 May 2025
The Top 10 HR Trends for Established Businesses in 2025
Discover the biggest HR trends shaping 2025 for established businesses across the UK and Europe, from AI and talent strategy to pay transparency and hybrid work.
- 01 Economy
- 02 Innovation
- 03 Market Insights
Read article
Insight 1 May 2025
Don't Waste Your Shortlist
You paid to shortlist them, then forgot them. Re-engaging past candidates can cut time-to-hire in half and boost hiring quality. Here's how to do it ethically and effectively.
- 01 Market Insights
- 02 Recruitment
Read article
Insight 28 April 2025
Recruitment AI Automation; Use Cases in 2025
I've seen hiring from all sides. This post explores how AI can cut admin, boost efficiency, and let recruiters focus on what matters: people, not paperwork.
- 01 AI
- 02 Agentic
- 03 Automation
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Frequently asked questions
Plain answers on retained HR search, confidential hiring, and how MVRK works.
What does MVRK mean by HR search?
HR search means direct, research-led recruitment for People and HR roles where the usual job advert will not reach the right person. MVRK focuses on mid-to-senior HR roles, often when the company is creating the role for the first time.
How does retained search differ from contingent recruitment?
Retained search gives one firm responsibility for the market work, candidate approach, and advisory process. Contingent recruitment only charges on placement and can encourage volume. MVRK uses retained search when the role needs judgement, discretion, and a clear view of the market.
What is confidential search?
Confidential search is a discrete recruitment process where either the hiring company's identity, the role, or both are initially concealed from candidates. It is used when replacing an incumbent, during sensitive transactions, or for strategic hires that should not be publicised.
What HR roles does MVRK work on?
MVRK works on mid-management roles through to the level below CPO, including senior HR business partners, heads of talent acquisition, learning and development leaders, compensation and benefits leads, and HR directors for new regions or business units. MVRK does not handle CPO or CHRO searches.
Why choose MVRK for HR search?
MVRK only recruits for HR. A limited number of concurrent mandates keeps the founder directly involved in the brief, market work, and decision support.
What industries does MVRK serve?
MVRK is not industry-specific. Previous work spans logistics, manufacturing, technology, financial services, and luxury retail. The common thread is an HR role that must grow as the business changes.
What is MVRK's search process?
MVRK starts by pressure-testing the brief: what the role needs now, what it becomes next, and what the market will support. From there, MVRK maps the relevant candidate pool, approaches discreetly, and presents people with a written rationale instead of a stack of CVs.
Where does MVRK operate?
MVRK works across European markets, with experience covering the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Italy, the Nordics, Benelux, and DACH.