Recruiting Excellence allen-associates.co.uk

OPPRecruiting for Head of HROPP Ltd is the European distributor of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator and other leading psychometric tools. OPP and its partners help organisations unlock potential within individuals and teams by providing world class personality assessments and resources to trained practitioners and through the consultancy it provides to organisations. The company employs 135 people worldwide, including 100 at its headquarters in Oxford.

Recruiting Excellence allen-associates.co.uk

The client’s perspective

Tracey Reid, Head of HR, OPP

“There are very few recruitment agencies that I have remained loyal to over the last seven years but Allen Associates is one of them. What sets them apart is the consistent high quality of their service and their ability to deliver the right people for specific roles.”

The candidate’s perspective

Laura Gibbens, Head of HR, OPP

“Allen Associates gives you the impression that they really know you and understand what makes you tick. I like the way they manage to deliver a bespoke, personal service while also being thoroughly efficient and professional.”

The briefI was retiring and one of my last – and most significant – tasks before I left was to recruit my replacement. The Head of HR role is an important one for the business and we wanted to allow ourselves plenty of time to find the right person and ensure a decent handover period. We reviewed the structure of the HR team and confirmed that we were happy with the focus of the role and decided to replace like for like.

Working with Allen AssociatesInitially, we used online job boards to advertise the position. These attracted a lot of candidates, many of whom were very good but, for various reasons, not quite right for the role or the business. Because of my long-standing relationship with Allen Associates, I approached them for help. I know the team well and trust them to do an excellent job. They are very well-networked in the local area and I’ve always felt that they add value to the recruitment process. We sent them a brief and had a productive, detailed meeting with one of their HR recruitment consultants. She met us at our offices, asked lots of questions and took extensive notes. She had a tour of our offices and got a feel for our working environment; she seemed to have an excellent grasp of the sort of person we were looking for. Allen Associates came back to us with a short-list and we interviewed every one of the candidates they put forward, which says something about how much we respect their judgement. We invited three of the strongest candidates back for second interviews, which included presentations to our Executive Management Team. Quality and capability are key for this role and we wanted to ensure candidates could hold their own under pressure and in dealing with a senior team.

OutcomesAllen Associates provided us with an outstanding service. The candidates they put forward for this senior role were excellent and we were very pleased to offer the Head of HR role to Laura Gibbens. We were looking for someone who wanted to join us for the right reasons and would approach the role energetically and intelligently. Laura is bright and highly motivated and her aspirations match what the business is offering.

The briefI approached Allen Associates after I saw the role advertised in the HR press. They provided me with a detailed job description and, on talking it through, it seemed to be exactly the sort of position I was looking for. Having worked for a large employer, I wanted to return to an SME environment where I could take on a leadership role and feel like I was making a real difference. Allen Associates asked me to provide written answers to questions about the role, including why I was attracted to it and what I thought I could offer, which I found very useful. This information was then passed on to OPP to support my short-listing.

Working with Allen AssociatesThings happened quickly after that and I was invited for interview. Allen Associates answered all my questions and helped to manage my expectations. They also provided me with a lot of information about OPP’s approach, which naturally includes rigorous psychometric testing.

Fortunately, I received really good feedback following my first interview and, a few days later, was invited back for a second interview, which led to the job offer and my appointment. The whole process was very smooth and I felt extremely well supported at every stage.

OutcomesI am looking forward to getting to know the people at OPP as well as the business. Having come from an organisation with over 30,000 employees, it’ll be rewarding to work more closely with individuals and teams and help to deliver a more personal service.

I have worked with Allen Associates for the last six years, as a client and a candidate, and I can’t recommend them highly enough. We have a good HR network in Oxfordshire and Allen Associate’s reputation is up there, among the best of them.

For more details about how Allen Associates could help your organisation recruit specialist Human Resources staff, please contact our Human Resources consultants on 01865 335600 or visit www.allen-associates.co.uk