Executive search and selection - Case Studies

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Recruitment throws up a number of challenges on a daily basis. Detailed below are some examples of some of the more interesting and demanding ones that we have risen to.

These examples amply demonstrate how important our core values of honesty, integrity, commitment and results really are.

Major Food Group - General Manager

As an aggressive and acquisitive food group in the UK, our client's business had expanded rapidly there was a need to bring in senior talent to manage the business units. The specification was exacting to say the least, as the candidate had to be a classical marketer with first hand experience of managing both finance and manufacturing departments. In addition a strong track record of internal promotion and proven experience of managing the P and L was deemed necessary. The appointment had initially been given to a London-based, generalist head-hunters. After six months all they had been able to provide was a shortlist of four candidates -none of whom was remotely suitable and not one of them subsequently progressed to a second meeting.

Typically, having already billed our client a substantial proportion of the fee, the head-hunter walked away from the assignment accusing the client of wanting the impossible.

The next day, following an internal recommendation, we were contacted to determine whether or not we could be of assistance. A meeting was set up within 24 hours, where the brief was discussed. Within a further 48 hours a shortlist of three candidates was provided. All three candidates impressed at the first interview stage and were subsequently progressed to the final stage of interviewing. Our extensive reference checking revealed issues with one of the candidates-particularly with regard to man management skills and we took the decision to withdraw this candidate from the process, leaving two in the frame.

To cut to the chase, three weeks later the role was filled by one of our candidates. Reassuringly, such was the strength of our shortlist that the "runner-up" would have been offered the position too had the first choice candidate turned it down. Our client was delighted at the speed and accuracy of our service and very frustrated by the seven months he had waited to fill the position-not to mention the fees paid to the initial head-hunter, who had promised everything but delivered nothing. He vowed not to make the same mistake again and to use EMR as first port of call for all future, senior marketing briefs.

Major FMCG Group - Marketing Director - Prague

The potential of Eastern Europe has been recognised by many FMCG players but one of the main problems in exploiting this market is getting the right talent who you can trust to deliver. Our client had previously briefed both a local head-hunter in Prague and a London-based generalist head-hunter who "had done a good job finding a Personnel Director". The shortlist from the Prague company had been rejected as the candidates lacked the necessary classical marketing skills-which is not surprising since the market is too immature to have such talent available. The shortlist from the generalist head-hunter consisted of international marketers who were experts at country management with a sales focus, which was wholly inappropriate for managing a department with a thirty million dollar advertising budget. They clearly lacked the expertise to recognise the difference between a Country Manager and a Marketing Manager - although apparently "they had lovely offices and wrote really long interview assessments".

Following a chance conversation with our client we were asked if we knew any fast track marketers with experience of marketing in Eastern Europe. We provided one candidate within 24 hours and three interviews and twelve days later said candidate was offered the role.

We are now the only approved firm to supply senior marketing professionals to this client-they will not make the same mistake again.

Banking - European Marketing Director

A leading European Investment Bank called us with an urgent need to recruit a European Marketing Director as soon as possible due to an unforeseen resignation. The board of this bank had significant concerns over the length of time previous search (headhunting) assignments had taken, often with no successful completion. Within the space of a week, our Senior Consultant specialising in this field, facilitated a face-to-face briefing followed by a shortlist of five suitable candidates.

With an International matrix structure, line managers needed to be involved in the interview process across the globe and EMR co-ordinated an extensive recruitment process, comprising video-conferences, testing and a series of interviews within their London office. A fortnight later an appointment was made allowing a one month crossover period with the previous Marketing Director. Had the previous resourcing solution been selected then all that would have occurred within the same period would have been the arrival of a large report, accompanied by an even larger invoice.

Public Sector - Multiple Assignment

This major government agency has embarked on a substantial change programme spanning over five years. A significant element of this new business strategy has been to the sales and marketing plan, resulting in a number of senior "Head of..." assignments arising within Corporate Communications, Product Management, Customer Communications, Market Research & Analysis and Sales Development. After a highly competitive tender process EMR secured an exclusive agreement to source all these positions on a retained basis. This was in part due to our ability to adapt to the demands of our clients requirements - public sector recruitment in particular requiring extensive quality control and administration as well as managing large advertising campaigns.

We are proud to have played a pivotal role within the change management programme of such a high profile organisation and that our influence in the recruitment process has already started to have such a positive result. To date we have a 100% record of delivery and will enjoy working in partnership with the organisation until the change programme is complete in 2007.

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