Below are three examples of many successful searches conducted by consultants from Capability HR.
Asia Pacific VP HR, US Technology Company
THE ROLE
A newly created role heading up both operational HR and strategic business partnering. The organisation had two main business streams which were becoming increasingly disparate –it was vitally important that these internal clients were serviced equally.
THE ASSIGNMENT
Liaised with both UK based direct hiring manager as well as indirect senior managers based in the US to scope the role and advise on recruitment process. We agreed on a five-stage process including the business stream MD’s and the global HR Director. The agency challenge in managing this assignment was not only the search but the relationship management skills required to coordinate a global selection panel, keeping momentum in the process and keeping candidates engaged through a testing process.
THE OUTCOME
The shortlist included candidates from agreed targeted organisations with similar business models and product lines. The key criteria outside of technical HR knowledge was experience of the geographical footprint, knowledge of a sales and service organisation, ability to create and lead a new function and the ability to deal with some very challenging internal stakeholders. Sourced from a direct approach, the successful candidate had allthese attributes and was offered the position after an eventual process of seven interviews plus references and psychometric testing.
HR Director Australia, European Industrial Company
THE ROLE
To replace the existing HR Director who was returning to Europe following a secondment to upgrade the Australian HR function.
THE ASSIGNMENT
To find a candidate capable of maintaining the progress made by the previous incumbent and take the function further as a member of the local organisation. The difficulty of this assignment was that the successful candidate had to have both a big and small company mentality. The Australian organisation is of SME proportions but the European HQ, with which they would heavily liaise, is one amongst the world’s largest. The agreed process was a combined search and advertised selection to allow us to target the industry specific and complex global organisation experience whilst leveraging the consumer brand with multi-media campaign.
THE OUTCOME
The campaign brought in volume of suitably qualified candidates to compliment the search. The challenge came in selecting the correct person who was a fit with both the local leadership team and the global organisation. After reducing applicants to two candidates accepted by the European HR team we advised on a process involving a business presentation and Q&A with the local leadership team in order to determine a winner. In fact the successful candidate had the exact experience required but in reverse; overseas experience (as well as local) with an Australian global entity.
Head of Learning Strategy, Australian Big 4 Bank
THE ROLE
A newly created position to oversee a rapidly changing learning function which was evolving from a culture of taking orders for off the shelf products to one where this role and their team would genuinely consult with the business.
THE ASSIGNMENT
The assignment had an added quirk in that we needed to hire at the Head of level but the incumbent would initially be placed in a relationship management role with the most demanding division of the bank. As a contingent assignment the sourcing focused on database search and blind advertising stating the client’s strong preference for banking experience.
THE OUTCOME
The search yielded strong banking candidates but not the blend of technical expertise, stakeholder management and team leadership credentials required for the role. We agreed to broaden the search outside of banking and also look at interstate candidates with a slightly more attractive package to entice the move. The successful candidate came from an insurance learning background and most crucially, had the correct attitude required to embrace lower level responsibilities initially as an opportunity – to see the how the mechanics of the function worked – before taking on leadership responsibilities.