Case studies
Gravesend Churches Housing Association
Roles
- Interim Year-End Accountant
- Permanent Financial Controller
Client Profile
Gravesend Churches Housing Association (GCHA) has been providing affordable homes in Kent for almost 60 years. It was formed in 1964 by members of local churches who recognised the need for more affordable rented housing in the area. It now manages more than 560 properties in Gravesham, Dartford and Maidstone. The association’s vision is to open doors to safe, secure and affordable homes whilst maintaining high levels of resident and staff satisfaction and engagement.
Assignment
Interim Year-End Accountant
The team at Robertson Bell had a pre-existing relationship with GCHA’s Financial Director (FD) and hiring manager, due to a mentoring programme run by the FD which Robertson Bell directors are regularly invited to present at.
As a result of this relationship, the FD had been using Robertson Bell as their first port of call for finance recruitment across the housing association. The FD directly contacted one of the interim managers she knew well, to ask for support in filling an interim Year-End Accountant.
The consultant immediately took the brief and, due to the time of year, already had a good understanding of the challenging requirements of the role as well as a strong network of available and suitable candidates.
Permanent Financial Controller
Following the recruitment for this interim role, the organisation lost a permanent member of staff who needed to be replaced. In order to bridge the gap until a suitable replacement was found, the interim Year-End Accountant’s contract was extended for several months.
The team needed to recruit a Financial Controller (FC) role on a permanent basis. As GCHA is a relatively small organisation, it needed someone who was comfortable being very hands-on with the accounting and day-to-day activities, with less of a focus on strategy. Although ideally, the FD wanted a fully qualified candidate, she was reasonably flexible so if someone had the correct experience, she was open to considering a part-qualified candidate.
Considerations and challenges
Interim Year-End Accountant
For a year-end accounting role in the housing sector, it is normal practice to seek a candidate who understands housing. Housing has its own statement of recommended practice (SORP) and, because of the time-sensitive nature of completing year-end accounts in time for deadlines, organisations need someone who already knows the field inside out. They don’t have the time or resources to train someone.
The organisation was not only also looking for a candidate who was able to attend the office due to the nature of its systems, but they also had a limit on budget. On taking the brief from the client the consultant recommended that the best use of the budget would be to hire a senior candidate on a part-time basis.
Permanent Finance Controller
For the permanent Finance Controller position, while housing experience was advantageous, it wasn't essential. The salary offered was competitive, but the size of the organisation was a limiting factor. The suitable applicants didn’t see the move to a smaller organisation as appealing, so the team decided that the profile of a candidate coming from a similar size organisation but looking for a ‘step-up’ in job title and responsibility would be a much better fit.
Solution
For the interim position, the consultant had a good understanding of the type of roles in demand and was therefore already prepared to recruit for year-end jobs. After the consultant took a brief from the client, a candidate immediately came to mind and an interview was arranged for the following morning.
This applicant had been recruited by Robertson Bell several years before and their relationship with the team remained strong. By knowing the candidates who are active in the market, the team is able to quickly match people to roles. In this case, the role perfectly suited the candidate’s specific search requirements.
For the permanent FC position, the organisation was already midway through a process with two other agencies, with two interviews booked, but the Robertson Bell team was able to send over three additional candidates at short notice. Unlike the other candidates interviewing, the candidates provided by Robertson Bell all had prior experience within the housing sector and were selected for interview.
The hiring manager only took all three of Robertson Bell’s candidates to the final stage of interviews. The role offered an ideal opportunity as a step-up for the successful candidate who had not previously managed a team.
Outcome
For the interim role, the recruitment process took around 24 hours from start to finish. The initial briefing call took place on Wednesday afternoon, with an interview scheduled on Thursday morning and the successful candidate was offered the role that same afternoon; an exceptionally quick turnaround. Due to the needs of the client, the candidate was in the role on the Monday morning. This contracted role finished recently, after being extended three or four times, which was a really positive outcome.
The line manager of the Financial Controller candidate is pleased with the progress of the successful applicant, as well as the speed of the hiring process. Despite having other interviews booked in with alternative agencies, the hiring manager found that the candidates that Robertson Bell was able to source were more suited to what they were looking for. Due to this successful outcome and the strong rapport built with the client, the line manager will return for the team’s help in the future.