Context
By 2016, CaratLane had established itself as an emerging name in India’s online jewellery space, steadily growing its digital presence from its Chennai base. While the brand was well-regarded in its retail segment, it had limited visibility within India’s competitive technology talent market.
The CTO & Co-founder had a clear vision for the company’s technology function, but both internal HR and external recruitment partners struggled to differentiate between product-company talent requirements and service-company profiles. The leadership’s early preference was to hire from top engineering institutions like IITs; however, interest from such talent was low, and hiring outcomes remained inconsistent.
When The LHR Group came on board, the immediate results were promising- 3 offers from the first four profiles shared but none converted to joining. Location preferences, perceptions about online jewellery’s growth potential at the time, and a workplace setup that lacked the infrastructure associated with modern tech environments all contributed to low acceptance rates.
The Challenge
CaratLane’s hiring hurdles stemmed from multiple factors:
- Location Preference – Chennai was not widely perceived as a preferred destination for product-tech roles.
- Workplace Setup – The environment and infrastructure were functional but lacked the appeal of leading tech workplaces.
- Talent Expectation Mismatch – The salary structures were below prevailing market benchmarks, while the focus was on elite academic pedigree over proven skill fit.
- Leadership Bottleneck – Their CTO was handling initial interviews, which led to bandwidth strain and perception gaps.
The result: low joiner conversion despite occasional strong offers, and an inability to secure the calibre of talent needed to execute on product ambitions.
Our Approach
1. Reframing the Search Lens
We shifted the hiring strategy from a pedigree-first to a skills-first model, focusing on high-calibre engineers with strong fundamentals in algorithms and data structures from reputable engineering colleges (outside the IIT/NIT bracket) that had a history of producing high-performing talent for companies like Amazon.
2. Expanding the Geographic Pool
We extended the search to high-quality talent in Tier-2 and Tier-3 tech hubs like Belgaum, Bhubaneswar, Coimbatore, Kochi- identifying candidates from product-focused teams and outsourced product development setups.
3. Correcting Salary Positioning
Through market benchmarking across 10 product-led companies, we highlighted gaps in compensation and recommended targeted adjustments for critical roles, enabling access to a stronger candidate pool.
4. Redesigning the Interview Experience
We advised that the CTO step in at later stages rather than the first round, ensuring his involvement was positioned as a senior-stage engagement that reinforced leadership authority.
We also recommended making the first-round interview technically challenging to attract serious candidates and signal the company’s technical depth. This approach led candidates to compare the process favourably with Amazon and Google.
The Impact
- 57 Offers Extended
- 36 Successful Joinees
- 63% Joining Rate
Key hires included VP Engineering, multiple Engineering Managers, SDE I/II, DevOps Engineers, Head of Try-at-Home, CFO, and Head of UX.
Why The LHR Group
The LHR Group brings a research-led, market-calibrated approach to building technology teams. By aligning leadership vision with hiring realities, optimising talent sourcing, and refining candidate engagement, we ensure that our clients not only identify the right talent but also secure them in competitive markets.
