CASE STUDY

Appointing a Group HR Director

Situation

A major private company was looking to appoint a new Group HR Director. This business, which had grown rapidly by moving into new products and international markets, was concerned that its distinctive culture would be lost. They wanted an HR leader who could help preserve that culture whilst also ensuring the company had the right systems, structures and people underpinnings to continue to grow.

Approach

The core challenge in this search was to find a candidate who could combine big company experience with a small company mindset: someone who would instinctively understand what made this company special whilst recognising that it needed to flex its approach as it scaled up. We therefore looked primarily in businesses that had been through this journey, searching across a range of sectors often very different to that of our client. This process relied heavily on our judgement about whether a candidate would fit.

Impact

The shortlist reflected the geographical and sectoral breadth of the search – six candidates, each based in a different country and from four different sectors. They worked or had worked for global multi-nationals and so understood what world-class HR looked like. However, all had a mindset which meant that they would be able to combine that large company insights with a smaller company culture with a disdain for bureaucracy. The successful candidate came from a global market leader in their sector, but with a reputation for entrepreneurialism and being able to operate at pace.