Case studies
PA Housing
Roles
- Finance Systems Accountant
- Finance Systems Assistant
- Service Charge Officer
Client Profile
PA Housing is a provider of social housing with more than 23,000 homes across the Midlands, London and the South East. It offers a range of housing solutions from affordable rent, independent living and shared ownership for those in need. PA Housing is passionate about providing affordable homes and great services and aims to connect with customers in every community it serves, creating places where people thrive and are proud to live.
Assignment
Following a previous relationship with the line manager, the Robertson Bell team was delighted to offer support in filling the positions of Finance Systems Accountant, Finance Systems Assistant, and Service Charge Officer.
The profile required for the Finance Systems Accountant role was not typical of someone working on a permanent basis. The department was planning a systems overhaul and needed to execute a strategy to integrate all processes correctly. Therefore, much of the candidate’s role was project-based and this type of experience is more common in the interim market.
The remaining requirements involved supporting the wider finance team, ensuring systems are running smoothly and setting up a help desk. The client was looking for a candidate with experience working on a similar project that involved systems implementation and an understanding of the back end of processes – such as coding and core reporting. Outside of technical expertise, they also required an applicant with strong management and effective communication skills that is able to diagnose and fix issues that may be preventing others from doing their work in a calm manner.
The Finance Systems Assistant position was intended to facilitate the help desk set-up and predominantly be the first line of support for finance if systems are not functioning correctly or, for example, to set up codes for the new financial year.
The Service Charge Officer position required a more consultative approach from the team, as the original job description and previous experience did not fully align with the salary offering. Robertson Bell worked closely with the line manager to identify if there were any areas of compromise to be considered, which would not impact the candidate’s ability to fulfil the role but would attract talent for the salary offered. This led to the requirement of previous service charge experience being replaced with strong established housing sector experience.
Considerations and challenges
The Finance Systems Accountant and Finance Systems Assistant roles both offered flexible working hours, but employees were required to attend the (non-London) office once a month. This limited the pool of candidates that the consultants could reach. Additionally, the project-based nature of the Finance Systems Accountant role meant that consultants had to encourage interim candidates to consider a permanent role.
The Service Charge Officer position involved managing expectations and regular communication with the client. Much of the team’s work involved a back-and-forth process of informing the client of the talent available on the market and then ensuring to attract the best of what was available.
Solution
The salary offered and the permanent nature of the Finance Systems Accountant role influenced the profile of the applicants put forward. The consultants sourced a strong candidate who was ready to take a small step back in terms of responsibility and, after contracting for some time, was now looking for a more stable role with greater flexibility. The candidate’s CV was shared a week and a half after the initial brief was taken, the interview took place the week after, and the applicant was offered the role.
Following the success of this senior hire, the client put the Finance Systems Assistant position on hold.
For the Service Charge Officer role, the team entered into discussions with the client to find a compromise and the requirement for service charge experience was removed to broaden the candidate pool. This allowed for candidates with a housing background who would be able to learn the service charge element to be considered.
Two CVs with two very different profiles were shared. One was more of an up-and-coming profile with less experience; the other had over ten years of housing experience operating at a transactional level. The client chose to hire the more experienced candidate who began their new role recently.
Not only was this a positive outcome for the client but also for the candidate who had struggled to find work throughout the pandemic and was really pleased with achieving the position as well as a pay rise.
Outcome
The client was very pleased about successfully filling the vacant roles and that the quality of the Finance Systems Accountant meant that the more junior role was not immediately required. The high level of communication and consultative skills allowed the consultants to deliver a positive outcome in a challenging market. As a result of this hiring campaign, the client has returned to fill further vacancies with the team.
On the client relationship side, the fact that the line manager came back to Robertson Bell after the positions had gone through HR is a testament to the reputation and expertise of the team.