Taylor Higson’s Matthew Hanley knows his market, so after seeing this position do the rounds through the run of the mill routes (industry news, LinkedIn status, etc) for a couple of weeks, he knew it was a tough assignment to complete.
Matthew says “I was aware the business was going through a period of change. I had seen this position become vacant. It was a senior role and I knew they had a set recruitment process they had to follow. When I saw the vacancy again a couple of weeks later, I knew there was an opportunity to help”.
Seizing the initiative, he made contact through the correct channels. He was told to call back a couple of weeks later. Good to his word, he respected the company’s wishes and waited two weeks before calling back.
His polite persistence paid off. The company decided to give him the chance to work on the brief. “This was it. It was my time to shine! An opportunity to work on a strategic hire for one of the biggest names in my industry.” Matthew said.
Matthew’s first conversation with the client was unorthodox. Matthew explained to the hiring manager why he felt the clients chosen candidate attraction route had failed initially. Tackling the points head on, advising and consulting on where he thought the right candidate could add value, he gained the trust of the client by his open and frank assessment, not the usual sales spiel they encountered from other recruiters.
“The client was a little taken aback, I think. They quickly realised that I wasn’t afraid to point out the challenges to them or my candidates. I think they quickly realised my approach is to listen of course, but to fully consult and advise.”
But, as Matthew says, finding the successful hire didn’t come from purely following recruitment processes. “They needed someone willing to listen to the challenging parts of the brief, someone brave enough to change the culture of a business, a culture that had been ingrained for 30 years.”