Understanding the opportunity and challenges saved the lead Partner valuable time and energy.
The situation
When a Specialist Tax Partner at a leading accountancy firm needed to recruit a Specialist Tax Director to take the lead in a new geography, the challenge wasn’t simply finding someone with the right technical experience.
The hire needed to work on several levels: seniority, capability, cultural fit and alignment with the firm’s wider strategic direction.
They wanted a more considered approach; one where every introduction was relevant and worth their time.
Gemma was already known within the firm through her track record recruiting Tax Directors and Partners for other teams, so when the requirement arose, she was described as ‘the obvious person to go to’.
The task
The brief was to identify a Specialist Tax Director who could build and grow a greenfield specialist tax practice. They needed to add strategic value, rather than simply someone who matched a job description.
That meant understanding:
- The level of experience required.
- The culture of the firm and the kind of person who would thrive within it.
- The needs of the existing team.
- The strategic direction leadership team was building towards.
From the outset, the hiring lead felt Gemma not only understood the brief but helped define the role, opportunity and challenges.
The action
Rather than approaching the search as a numbers exercise, Gemma focused on careful assessment and nuanced conversations designed to attract individuals who weren’t actively on the market.
Potential hires were considered against the wider brief before being introduced, with much of the vetting happening upfront.
Candidates arrived well prepared, allowing interviews to become meaningful conversations quickly rather than an initial fact-finding exercise.
Just as importantly, the advice was candid. Gemma didn’t position every person as perfect simply to move the process forward. The emphasis was on giving the hiring team an honest view of strengths, suitability and fit, so they could make an informed decision.
The results
The search resulted in the successful appointment of a new Specialist Tax Director, with the Partner saying Gemma had ‘absolutely nailed‘ the brief.
The experience also delivered:
- Fewer CVs to review.
- Properly vetted and prepared candidates.
- Honest advice about strengths and fit.
- A recruitment relationship described as collaborative rather than transactional.
For the Partner, that combination of market understanding, preparation and candour is what made the relationship particularly valuable.
“You really understood what our ask was… their level of experience, but also culturally, the fit of the type of person that we were after. You really understood the brief and absolutely nailed it.”