Division: Human Resources
Role/Assignment: HR Business Partner Hybrid
The Challenge
The client needed to recruit an experienced HR Business Partner for a hybrid position after already searching independently for some time.
Other recruitment agencies were also involved, but the business had yet to secure the right person.
The role required a broad combination of HR Business Partner capabilities. The successful candidate needed experience of complex HR policies, stakeholder coaching, HR projects and delivering agile HR solutions.
Experience within Higher Education was also considered desirable.
This combination of requirements, together with the need to find someone who would fit successfully into the organisation and its hybrid working model, made the search more challenging.
Our Approach
We worked closely with the client to understand which elements of the HR Business Partner brief were essential and where there could be flexibility.
Our search focused on candidates who could demonstrate the breadth of experience required rather than simply matching the HR Business Partner job title.
We assessed candidates for their ability to:
- Work with and interpret complex HR policies
- Coach and influence stakeholders
- Contribute to HR projects
- Develop practical and agile HR solutions
- Operate effectively within a hybrid environment
- Build strong relationships across the organisation
Where relevant, Higher Education experience was also considered as part of the overall assessment.
Using our specialist HR network and targeted search, we identified candidates who could offer the required combination of technical HR capability, stakeholder skills and organisational fit.
The Outcome
Bond Williams presented a focused shortlist, and three candidates were interviewed by the client.
Following the interview process, one of our candidates was successfully selected and appointed as the organisation’s HR Business Partner.
The appointment concluded an extended recruitment search and provided the client with the HR Business Partner capability it had been seeking.
Key Results
✔ HR Business Partner successfully appointed
✔ Successful outcome following an extended independent search
✔ Delivered while other recruitment agencies were also involved
✔ Three candidates interviewed
✔ Complex HR policy and stakeholder-coaching experience assessed
✔ HR project and agile HR capability incorporated into the search
✔ Hybrid-working suitability considered alongside technical HR expertise
