Harvey John
Unit 2 Ferry Wharf
Hove Enterprise Centre
Basin Road North
Portslade, East Sussex
BN41 1BD
Overview
INNIO Group, a leading energy solution, and service provider, has been at the forefront of green technology, having embarked on the journey to decarbonize the energy sector more than half a century ago.
Today, INNIO continues to actively support commitment remains unwavering as they actively embrace the shift towards achieving net zero. Their diverse and comprehensive portfolio not only reflects INNIO’s dedication but also provides customers with the tools and confidence to transition toward carbon neutrality.
INNIO retained Harvey John on four separate vacancies after facing challenges in attracting the right caliber of indirect tax profiles into their team.
Our collaboration began in November 2021, successfully filling the initial vacancy. Impressed by the results, INNIO continued to entrust us with three additional key positions over the following year.
Approach
The human resources department at INNIO Group identified Harvey John as specialist indirect tax recruiters in Hungary and invited us to a meeting.
Following a discovery meeting where we learnt about their challenges in attracting the right technical abilities in Budapest – a market that is dominated by shared-service centres and many underqualified VAT specialists – it then became apparent that there were wider business implications for every month that this individual was not identified.
“At the beginning of the project we had a kickoff call where, based on Alex’s detailed questions, we determined the scope of the role, professional experience, and personality of our ideal candidate. After this, it was clear to us that Alex had a great understanding of the role, could perform a high-quality pre-screening, and deliver us with CVs that meet our expectations” – Fanni Szekeres – HR Advisor & Talent Acquisition Expert
Due to the urgency of the hire, how competitive the Hungarian market is, and the lengthy period of time that the market had seen the vacancy remain open, Harvey John suggested a retained solution so that we could ensure the best possible results that were available at that time.
“We needed to fill the position urgently and Alex did a great job delivering us quality candidates on short notice. Our team is small, so it was important that our new colleague offered the wide range of experience we needed for this to be long-term position. All in all, we set the bar quite high but, with Alex’s expertise we managed to complete the recruitment process smoothly.” – Fanni Szekeres – HR Advisor & Talent Acquisition Expert
After our initial success, we were then retained on two further vacancies, one urgent hire and another to start a few months later.
Results
Following a thorough briefing and market analysis, we presented a curated shortlist of 11 CVs for consideration across both vacancies.
6
First round interviews
4
Moved to final interviews
2
Candidates were offered
Three months later…
We were retained to find an International Trade Compliance Expert to join their Customs & Trade team. Given the scarcity of trade compliance specialists in Hungary, this was an extremely niche search that had a pressing time constraint for the business given the rise in trade issues that stemmed from geopolitical events, such as Brexit and Russia’s war against Ukraine.
The final vacancy saw 1 immediately available candidate introduced. Before the rest of the shortlist could be produced, this candidate was interviewed twice & offered by INNIO Group.
“Very rarely does our tax team receive easy roles to fill, and the list of placements we’ve made at INNIO Group is no exception. However, what has truly enabled us to achieve a 4 out of 4 retained vacancy success here, is the commitment from Sándor, Klaus, and the internal recruitment team.” – Alex Mann, Head of Tax
Conclusion
“INNIO Group is a complex and fast-paced business who are at the forefront of leading the world toward a climate-neutral future. Therefore, the individuals they seek for their tax and customs team must be highly skilled and adaptable. What sets the INNIO hiring team apart is their understanding of these challenges and their active role in aiding the recruitment process. Unlike many hiring managers, the team at INNIO is always accessible, allocates sufficient time for briefings, and promptly delivers feedback. It may sound simple, but many fall short in this regard. When recruiting in a fiercely competitive shared-service center market like Budapest, it’s crucial to take recruitment seriously and collaborate closely with your recruiter.” – Alex Mann, Head of Tax
“Alex has a great network across the indirect tax field not only locally, but globally, which is a huge advantage if you’re looking to fill a global role. Harvey John and Alex work very case-specifically, which is very rare in today’s recruitment market.” Fanni Szekeres, HR Advisor & Talent Acquisition Expert
