Case studies
Poplar HARCA
Roles
- Finance Project Consultant
Client Profile
Poplar HARCA is an award-winning Housing and Regeneration Community Association in East London. The organisation was voted into existence over 20 years ago by the local community whose needs and aspirations shape its work and hold it to account.
The association manages over 9,000 homes and, with partners, is leading a £2.5bn programme that includes new homes, education, healthcare, faith buildings, business and community spaces.
The organisation invests around £4m each year in community regeneration which involves helping people into work and training, providing creative spaces for young people, initiatives to improve health and wellbeing, and creating affordable workspaces.
Assignment
A consultant working alongside the Finance Director at the organisation had identified that its out-of-date finance system needed updating. The wider business was facing bottlenecks whereby the finance department wasn’t able to produce essential information quickly enough, and the problem had been traced back to an inefficient system. The department needed an employee dedicated to carrying out an investigation into the operations of the system and to overseeing the implementation of new processes and procedures.
The client was hoping to source a candidate who had experience both in housing and the particular finance system in use, Agresso, so that they would therefore understand the unique challenges faced, and have a good grasp of what the business would likely want to achieve from the finance system. This ranged from straightforward tasks such as reconciliation and posting inventories to more foundational issues with processes.
Considerations and challenges
As a result of these systematic problems, the organisation was reaching year end without the required information. It was therefore eager to source a candidate who had previously solved similar issues within large, complex organisations.
Additionally, the candidate needed to have the expertise necessary to advise boards and executive levels with their findings, ideally at no less than a head of finance level.
The combination of requirements of a senior level housing specialist available at short notice and a very specific set of systems requirements, left the team with a small pool of candidates to choose from.
Solution
Our consultants work extensively in this space and therefore have comprehensive knowledge of the type of applicants in the jobs market, as well as having insight into their skills and experience. As a result, from conversations with the client, a jobseeker known to the Robertson Bell team came to mind as a strong candidate for this position.
This initial CV was shared half an hour after the initial brief, followed by further applicants in the next 24 hours, creating a shortlist of five candidates shared for the role.
The client felt confident that the first candidate sent met the needs of the organisation and would be a strong fit. Therefore, following a smooth interview process, the candidate was offered the position.
Outcome
The successful candidate was in position a month after the initial briefing and following a successful three-months, the contract was extended to six months.
The client was extremely pleased with the quality of the candidates as well as the speed of the process. The fact that the first candidate shared was the successful applicant is testament to the quality of Robertson Bell’s network and to the expertise of its consultants. The level of detail the team had gained about the candidate and their skillset, allowed them to confidently put that candidate forward for a role that met their needs.
The candidate was thrilled that the position ticked the boxes of what they had been looking for, including hybrid working and a friendly office culture.
Following the strong rapport built with the organisation, the team has since worked frequently with the client to fill various roles.