Case studies
Peabody Housing Association
Roles
- Over 26 succsessful recruitment campaigns
Client profile
Peabody is one of London’s oldest and largest housing associations, managing 66,000 homes across the capital and the South East, and serving 17,500 care and support customers. By building and maintaining high-quality properties, working with local communities, and delivering reliably good services, their mission is to create positive change and improve people’s lives.
Assignment
Having supported Peabody in recruiting high-calibre finance professionals since 2012, Robertson Bell is proud to be a member of the housing association’s PSL. With their own in-house recruitment capability, Peabody frequently call upon our unique expertise to deliver on their more challenging assignments, and we have been successful in engaging and attracting outstanding talent for a diverse range of recruitment projects.
Considerations and challenges
- The niche skills and experience required for some housing association roles can restrict the size of the available talent pool.
- Perceived lack of career development opportunities within the not-for-profit sector for ambitious, property finance professionals.
Solution
Our in-house database of almost 100,000 professionals in the Public and Not-for-Profit sectors generally yields many promising candidates, yet it is Robertson Bell’s impressive connectivity that sets us apart within our industry and enables our clients to reach hard-to-find, passive candidates with defined skills and experience.
Example assignments
Finance Manager for Operations
When recruiting for this position, we presented Peabody with a new-to-sector candidate whom we knew lacked some of the specialist expertise the hiring manager was looking for. But having worked with the individual when they were a client of Robertson Bell, we were well acquainted with their qualities, and we also knew they were eager to transition into the housing sector. The candidate was subsequently appointed, and has since progressed well within the organisation, thanks to their excellent mix of skills, experience, and knowledge of commercial best practice.
Development Finance Systems Manager (Pamwin specialist)
Peabody aims to continually expand its portfolio through 2,000 new build properties each year, which makes development finance a critical component of their long-term strategy. So when in-house recruiters failed to identify a suitable candidate for this vacancy, they turned to Robertson Bell. Pamwin specialists are always in high demand, and with a very limited talent pool to recruit from, we presented the client with an alternative solution. Our lead consultant headhunted a financial modeller with a comparable skill-set, and although the individual didn’t have Pamwin experience, we knew they would be a good fit culturally. Peabody’s hiring manager agreed with our assessment of the candidate’s potential, and their subsequent appointment added significant value to the Peabody Finance Team.
Outcome
We have placed 26 high-quality permanent and interim professionals into all areas of Peabody’s Finance Team. Our long-standing relationship with Peabody has given us deep understanding of both of their operational requirements and also of their culture – enabling us to source candidates who provide a good fit, both technically and culturally. We are proud to work with such an important organisation who add such great value to the communities that they serve.