Case studies
Ordnance Survey
Financial Planning Accountant (FPA)
Client Profile
Ordnance Survey (OS) is the official Government mapping agency for Great Britain, with a deep-rooted history that dates back to the 1700s. Nowadays, its 607 maps (available in printed or digital form) chart the geographical intricacies of our ‘green and pleasant land’, and a range of other platforms allow lovers of the great outdoors to explore forests, coastlines, hills, mountains and more.
Assignment
Having worked with OS in the past – after an extensive tendering process to be placed on the organisation’s Preferred Supplier List (PSL) – Robertson Bell had built a good relationship with the organisation. In particular, Robertson Bell had placed this role’s hiring manager in a FPA role and, after being very successful in this position, that candidate was promoted after only six months, and then again to Head of Financial Planning and Analysis. This FPA role became vacant after another member of the team left the organisation, so a backfill was required, but the hiring manager was initially unable to find a sufficient quality of candidate in the market to fill the role. He approached all the agencies on OS’s PSL for this position, however Robertson Bell was the only agency to reach out for a brief and understand the context in full.
Considerations and challenges
When chatting through the role and taking a brief, the consultant noted the emphasis that the hiring manager was placing on the energy required in the position, and how a ‘fit’ and future potential was required. Yes, OS wanted someone with FP&A experience, but the organisation prides itself on its social culture, so the hiring manager was more inclined to be flexible on some of the more desirable criteria – the candidate’s qualifications, for example – in order to ensure this fit within the team. OS was interested in someone who demonstrated a commercial mindset and the right attitude to work, who would challenge things to drive value, but, most importantly, was inquisitive, positive and energetic.
Based in Southampton, the location of the role caused a slight challenge, but the hybrid nature of only attending the office a couple of times a month allowed the consultant to broaden the search. Had the search been limited to the Southampton area alone, the pool of candidates would have been significantly smaller.
Solution
A candidate stood out who was based in Birmingham and was coming to the end of a contract with an international organising committee for large scale event; and with the event successfully delivered, this committee was due to be wound down. The timing, then, worked, but it was her ‘super bubbly, super chatty’ personality that made her a great fit for the role. She had, however, in light of the upcoming end of her contract, been proactive with her job search and secured interviews elsewhere – for roles in the private sector that were offering higher salaries.
The consultant demonstrated excellent relationship management, in firstly conveying the importance of the connection with the wider team, and then keeping the candidate engaged. She was one of the first interviewees, and feedback was not provided for some time after, while other candidates went through the process, so the consultant had to work hard to keep the relationship ticking over while the client came to a decision. With the focus on the cultural fit required for the role, though, OS was the candidate’s preferred option once an offer was made.
Outcome
This is an excellent example of the importance of managing relationships with both sides of the transaction, throughout the recruitment process. Being the only agency on OS’s PSL that took a detailed brief was key to understanding specific role requirements and knowledge of the market helped with identifying the right candidate. But working closely with the candidate to guide her through each step of the process, from interview to feedback, to securing the role, even keeping her engaged while she worked out her notice period, was crucial, when it’s often said that changing jobs is one of life’s biggest stressors. In this case, while waiting for feedback after her interview, the candidate was beginning to think that ‘no news is bad news’, but the consultant’s ability to keep the relationship ticking over proved the clincher.
And that relationship shouldn’t end once the candidate starts in the position, either. By staying in touch, the consultant has learned that the candidate has enjoyed her training, has been able to get stuck into projects she had never previously had the opportunity to do, is extremely happy in the role, and the occasional commute from Birmingham to Southampton isn’t as onerous as she thought it might be.
And who knows, maybe she’ll be promoted in the future herself and be line managing a position that she needs to recruit for – in which case Robertson Bell will be there.