Case studies
The Prince's Trust
Roles
- Interim CFO - FTC
- Interim Senior FBP- FTC
Client profile
Founded in 1976 by the Prince of Wales, The Prince’s Trust helps young people aim higher. Last year, they supported 60,000 people in finding suitable jobs, education and training, and their aim over the next decade is to help one million more young people to transform their lives. With sites across the UK, the majority of the organisation’s 40-strong Finance team are based in London.
Assignment
In January 2020, The Prince’s Trust reviewed their recruitment process and added Robertson Bell to their list of preferred suppliers. Following a restructure, they requested our support to recruit two London-based interim finance roles requiring frequent nationwide travel:
- Interim CFO (£100,000 - £115,000) – Fixed Term Contract
- Interim Senior Finance Business Partner (£60,000 - £65,000) – Fixed Term Contract
Key considerations and challenges
- Both roles required a very particular blend of sector-specific expertise and commercial experience.
- FTC status of both roles meant that many career interims with the right level of experience would be unlikely to consider the opportunities.
- The extensive travel requirements further limited the available talent pool.
- Both opportunities were accompanied by the perceived risk in joining an organisation undergoing rapid change and led by a newly appointed executive team.
Solution
We took a bespoke approach, creating a highly effective recruitment campaign which included targeted advertising, a rigorous search of Robertson Bell’s network and third-party databases, plus a far-reaching headhunt exercise.
Crucially, our consultants’ deep understanding of the sector enabled them to present only those candidates whose skills and experience were closely aligned with role requirements.
We also created a rigorous yet highly efficient selection processes that allowed time-poor hiring managers to engage effectively without adding to their existing pressures.
Outcome
CFO role: We received 87 applications, and our headhunt campaign generated 17 additional responses from high-calibre candidates. We submitted a very high-quality shortlist, with the client selecting two for final interview. Both candidates were considered appointable, yet the outstanding qualities of their first-choice candidate led the client to offer a package at the top of the banding, together with a longer contract than had originally been briefed.
Senior FBP role: We received 64 applications and generated a further 13 candidates from within our contractor network. This was condensed to a shortlist of five, four of whom were interviewed in a single- stage selection process. All candidates were considered appointable, and the first-choice candidate was secured within budget.