SOUTH HADLEY — For more than 40 years, Darby O’Brien Advertising has created and executed innovative branding, advertising, and political campaigns. In recent years, clients have increasingly asked the agency to bring its same out-of-step approach to another important area of business: recruiting.

Many businesses, especially in technology and manufacturing, are facing unique challenges in today’s job market. Many have plenty of well-paid positions open but are unable to find the right candidates to fill them. Then, when they find the right people, it can be a challenge to keep them. Traditional headhunters and online hiring services often fall short, offering boilerplate approaches to a problem that needs customized solutions — and offering no follow-up.

“Anyone can generate a pile of random résumés from all over the world in your inbox,” Darby O’Brien said. “Finding a quality candidate with staying power is what really matters.”

The agency decided to launch Catch & Keep after developing successful recruiting campaigns for clients including VSS CNC Machining, the Mental Health Assoc., Paragus IT, and Berkshire Real Estate.

“We take the time to dig in and understand the business and identify exactly the kind of person they’re looking for,” O’Brien said. “Then we develop targeted strategies to reach them. Some of these strategies are very out of the ordinary, but that’s why they work.”

Case studies and more information on Catch & Keep can be found at darbyobrien.com/recruiting.