Harvey John
Unit 2 Ferry Wharf
Hove Enterprise Centre
Basin Road North
Portslade, East Sussex
BN41 1BD
When a recruitment brief sparks genuine excitement, it’s often a sign that something special is unfolding. That was certainly the case when David Waddell met with Tom Willis, CEO at Shoreham Port to discuss the exclusive search for an interim Finance Director.
DW: “From the outset, it was clear this wouldn’t be a conventional placement and certainly a recruitment process I was going to really enjoy working on. This was a unique chance to pair a commercially-minded finance professional with one of the most dynamic and visionary CEOs I’ve worked with in recent years!”
With Harvey John’s office based within Shoreham Port, the business lives, breathes and witnesses Port life on a daily basis. This not only brought the brief to life, which certainly enhanced the five-minute sales pitch, but it also put pressure on the delivery, as not only was it a key role for the Port due to internal restructuring over the interim period, but the client is Harvey John’s landlord!
Following the initial briefing, Tom explained, “I have worked with executive search at several points during my career with mixed experiences; in contrast, David made the time to really understand the Port’s requirements. He questioned to establish insights beyond the job description, gaining an appreciation of our culture and specific current challenges.” – Tom Willis, CEO
Moving forward with a clear mandate, the challenge of presenting a senior finance shortlist from a very competitive market was not necessarily going to be the problem, but shortlisting the shortlist to a manageable number is often the challenge!
Approach
As the approach work started to take shape, Tom highlights, “David mobilised to align with our timescales, ensuring we had the appointment made to enable effective handovers. He presented a field of suitably qualified candidates, the majority of which would have been capable of completing the role; it was then a matter of fit and alignment in terms of finalising the appointment.” – Tom Willis, CEO
DW: “On a daily basis, we engage with quality senior finance professionals who are either open to a contract or their next permanent challenge. If a business is in the position to make a senior appointment, then now is a really good time to kickstart the conversation. And with many candidates available at little or no notice, a recruitment process and onboarding can realistically be completed over a matter of weeks, as proven in this case.”
Results
With over 2500 Finance Director profiles based within 25 miles from Brighton…
Conclusion
Successful recruitment isn’t just about skills and CVs; as we often say, there’s always a story behind every CV as there is behind every job description. It’s essential to move forward with a clear understanding of the role and business as well as what the candidate is ultimately looking for. A blend of everyone’s opinions, expectations and essentially what they all want from the introduction.
“Communication was regular and timely. David appreciated that making this appointment was one of many things we were doing and adapted his approach to fit around our needs. Since this appointment we have already recommended David and HJ to other organisations.” – Tom Willis, CEO
DW: “Some pitches are easier than others! But selling an opportunity to join one of Sussex’s most prominent businesses and to work with a dynamic team and CEO certainly made my job just that little bit easier! And I think you can tell I enjoyed that one!”
