Case studies
Government Property Agency
Roles
- Interim Head of Reporting
- Interim Project Accountant
- Interim Finance Change Manager
- Interim Capital Accountant
- Head of Finance Business Partnering & Strategic Finance
- Head of Client Finance
- Finance Business Partner
- In-Year Planning and Reporting Manager
- On-Boarding Finance Manager
Client profile
The Government Property Agency is an executive agency of the Cabinet Office with responsibility for ensuring efficient and effective use of government real estate. Acting as an asset manager, landlord, service provider and strategic property advisor, the Agency deploys commercial property expertise in supplier negotiations to enhance value both for government and the taxpayer.
Assignment
Following the successful delivery of an extensive campaign for the Cabinet Office (the GPA’s sponsor body), Robertson Bell was retained to design and deliver two large-scale recruitment projects across the Financial Business Partnering, Financial Analysis and Financial Accounting teams.
Campaign 1 - Interim
6 roles across a 12-month period, ranging from SEO to Grade 6, including:
- Interim Head of Reporting
- Interim Project Accountant
- Interim Finance Change Manager
- Interim Capital Accountant
Rates ranging from £275/day to £650/day.
Campaign 2 – Permanent
Initially 10 roles, later extended to 15 due to the quality of shortlist delivered. Roles spanned from HEO to Grade 6, including:
- Head of Finance Business Partnering & Strategic Finance
- Head of Client Finance
- Finance Business Partner
- In-Year Planning and Reporting Manager
- On-Boarding Finance Manager
Salaries ranged from £30,000 to £70,000. All roles required candidates to undergo and successfully complete a Counter Terrorist Check (CTC) security clearance (or above) prior to starting.
Considerations and challenges
- As a recently established organisation, the GPA does not yet boast a strong employer brand, so Robertson Bell had to create a compelling employer proposition that enabled our client to compete effectively with high-profile organisations recruiting from the same talent pool.
- Hiring managers were keen to attract new-to-sector talent with strong commercial and/or property experience, yet remuneration was not competitive with private sector positions of similar seniority.
- Interim candidates were required to have existing security clearance at an appropriate level – either CTC, SC or DV.
- Interim roles were based in London, and permanent roles were based across the UK, but all required travel to Birmingham – so the available talent pool was restricted to individuals willing to commute out of area.
- IR35 status for interim roles meant that many contractors from out of the sector would be unlikely to consider the opportunities.
- Recruitment campaign was in progress when the Covid-19 lockdown was implemented.
Solution
Robertson Bell has a very strong market presence and our close relationship with our candidates encourages them to act as advocates, sharing opportunities across their own networks. This enhances our ability to engage hard-to-find candidates generally overlooked by traditional recruitment methodologies. Robertson Bell’s internal culture ensures our consultants readily collaborate, extending our organic reach.
Our consultants spent a significant amount of time with hiring managers in order to develop a deep understanding of role profiles, and to consult on and define the type of candidates who would be most effective within specific teams/roles. Armed with these insights, we were then able to create a sophisticated, multi-channel campaign incorporating comprehensive in-house and third-party database searches, plus targeted advertising on specialist sites such as ICAEW. We also leveraged our consultants’ impressive connectivity in a wide-reaching headhunt to engage passive candidates whose expertise and experience were aligned with specific roles.
Robertson Bell is well-equipped to help employers meet stringent inclusivity guidelines, and for this campaign we reached out to BAME candidates via LinkedIn, engaging with diverse audiences through specialist diversity jobs boards. CVs were screened and graded by a panel of three diversity-trained consultants. All shortlists were supplied ‘blind’.
Faced with complex demands and challenging timelines, we employed Prince 2 methodologies alongside bespoke KPI and MI reports to ensure continual campaign monitoring. This allowed us to provide full transparency at all times.
When the Covid-19 lockdown was implemented part way through the campaign, we were able to switch seamlessly to a virtual process via our In-Sight video platform. Our ability to manage an entirely remote selection process without compromising the integrity of the experience for either client or candidates, demonstrated the efficacy and value of our robust and agile operational assets.
Outcomes
Initial screening was performed by a panel of Robertson Bell consultants to relieve pressure on hiring managers and quickly identify the most attractive candidates. Our permanent project team generated an average of three candidates surpassing the required interview score for each role, with those in second and third place being added to the GPA’s reserve list for 12 months.
Our consultants maintained close communications with candidates throughout the process, managing expectations and minimising the chance of drop-out. As a result, all vacancies were filled with high-quality individuals, in line with the GPA’s diversity targets. Robertson Bell also handled the offer management process, providing two-way post-interview feedback. Successful interim candidates were operational within 24-48 hours of appointment.
Our interim project team provided the GPA hiring managers with an exceptional short-list of candidates, with 100% interview ratio. Each role was successfully filled with the preferred candidate.