Background
“I was in the process of scoping a very niche, specialist role and conducting market research. I had heard about Ernest Hunter Green through a consultant in the team who recommended them. What stood out about Ernest Hunter Green was their branding – They applied the right balance of information without it being too little or too much.
Rebecca Lumsdon | Head of Business Development, Farrer & Co
Objective
Farrer & Co were looking to build and drive a new pitch function, and needed a dedicated pitch specialist to engage with the Partnership and BD community, and bring rigorous best practice and processes to enhance the firm’s pitch capabilities.
The successful candidate needed to come from a Professional Services environment, with a proven track record in pitch strategy, process and delivery.
A key requirement was for someone who could engage with the Partnership and peer group teams, and build trust, confidence and support for the new pitch function.
Requirement
What Farrer & Co had to say
“We needed confidence that we were going to bring in the right person. It is a very specialised and very strategic role, and the team were very focused and clear in their articulation and understanding of what we needed. We found them to be so easy to work with, helpful and accessible.
This was our first time using a search methodology, and we have had a really positive experience.
The Solution
The London pitch market is highly competitive to hire into, and candidates are rarely on the open market. A headhunting process, delivered at pace, was the best way to unearth and ensure access to the best candidates.
Pitch roles are relationship-driven roles, so the emphasis was on the personality and cultural fit for this search. In-depth competency interviews and tailored questioning was required to quickly establish who would gel with the firm in the best way.
Our comments
“Working with the hiring leaders at Farrer & Co on how to articulate the ‘why’ and ‘why now’ for hiring this role was key to telling their story in a way that created impact and excitement in the target market.
This was critical in a situation where the need was to hire a specialist with a niche set of skills from a small and well-networked community of potential candidates. Being able to stand out from the crowd with a clear proposition and call to action was essential.”
Farrer & Co are well known in the legal sector, with a great brand reputation. The challenge with this search was to find a shortlist of candidates who not only had the technical skills and experience, but who could also align to and represent that brand.
Working closely with the hiring leaders was integral for me to gain a deep understanding of the business in a way that went beyond just the job description. Farrer & Co understood this and gave me every opportunity to ask all the questions I needed to in order to deliver on this search.”
