Water Plus sought a commercially-focused Head of HR to design and implement the HR and people strategy for their business. Water Plus had gone through significant transformation as they aimed to become an employer of choice, so this was a key hire to drive change and embed values.

Both parties agreed that a retained agreement would yield the best results for this assignment. We had already built a strong relationship with Water Plus, having placed talent into both their finance and HR departments and had an existing relationship with the Interim HR Consultant. Water Plus sought a highly commercial HR/People leader with the ability to drive the HR and people strategy and embed the values, so finding the right person with the right experience and culture fit was crucial to the success of the placement. As a result, Emma invested a considerable amount of time in understanding the culture of the business and how the ideal candidate might fit. She then drew upon her extensive network, the GRG Executive Search database and LinkedIn Recruiter, to begin forming her longlist. We understand that great candidates know and are likely to recommend other great candidates. Therefore, throughout her market mapping, Emma acquired several exceptional recommendations from professionals who were not active on the market themselves. Emma then carried out a series of face-to-face interviews, deploying competency-based interview techniques in addition to her industry expertise in order to narrow the longlist down to a final shortlist. All five candidates were invited to a first stage interview with the interim HR Consultant. Three candidates progressed to the next stage which involved the CFO and Commercial Director, and one preferred candidate progressed to the final stage interview with the CEO which resulted in an offer and acceptance. At each stage of the interview process, Emma maintained regular contact with each candidate in order to manage live feedback. From offer, Emma maintained regular contact with both client and candidate leading up to and beyond the candidate's start date and handover.

The role was successfully recruited. The candidate has embedded herself within the business, understanding their culture and values and supporting the business with their ongoing journey. Water Plus commend our exceptional service, and we continue to deliver talent into their HR function, in addition to their wider business needs. Emma maintains regular contact with all parties, including video calls and business lunches.