Case studies
Royal College of Nursing
Role
Senior Business Accountant
Client profile
The Royal College of Nursing is the world’s largest nursing union and professional body. Representing over 435,000 members, the organisation is engaged in the advancement of nursing standards, education and practice. Headquartered in London, the College also has operations in Cardiff.
Assignment
An ongoing restructure in the team led to a newly created Senior Business Accountant role within the team to bridge the gap between the commercial/trading arm of the organisation and create a business partnering service from the finance function. This was to enable a stronger line of communication and understanding of the financial health of the subsidiary.
Considerations and challenges
- Strong competition from commercial organisations offering significantly higher salaries.
- Sourcing a candidate who had a strong commercial background to work within a non profit organisation.
Solution
With a candidate database of almost 100K professionals we had access to a pool of candidates who were either currently working in the Public and Not-for-Profit sectors or alternatively looking for a step into the sector. Our initial search was very productive, yet RCN’s niche skills requirements demanded a more targeted approach. The unique sector-specific insight of our lead consultants proved invaluable in identifying and engaging with hard-to-find talent with the appropriate expertise and experience.
Outcome
A successful shortlist of candidates was presented and each of them were invited to interview from the first stage through to the third, which included a practical test. Due to the high quality of candidates sent through, RCN offered the role to a commercial candidate who was joining the sector and Robertson Bell have successfully followed through with a detailed and efficient compliance process before the candidate joined.