Division: Human Resources
Role/Assignment: HR Advisor – 9-month FTC
The Challenge
A Higher Education client approached Bond Williams to recruit a HR Advisor on a 9-month fixed-term contract. While the role was business-critical, several factors made it particularly challenging to fill.
Firstly, the fixed-term nature of the position reduced candidate interest compared to permanent opportunities. The role itself also required a unique blend of responsibilities, combining both HR Advisor and HR Administrator duties.
In addition to providing day-to-day HR support, the successful candidate needed to be confident managing employee relations cases independently, requiring a level of experience and capability that exceeded what many candidates would typically expect for a contract position.
Further challenges included:
- A salary package slightly below current market expectations for the required skill set.
- A location that limited the available candidate pool.
- The need to find an individual who could quickly integrate into the team with minimal supervision.
These combined factors resulted in a smaller talent pool and a longer search process than would typically be expected for a HR Advisor vacancy.
Our Approach
Working closely with the client, we developed a targeted recruitment strategy focused on identifying candidates who were motivated by the opportunity itself, rather than solely by contract length or salary considerations.
Our consultants:
- Conducted a detailed market mapping exercise.
- Engaged passive candidates with relevant HR and employee relations experience.
- Promoted the wider benefits of working within the Higher Education sector.
- Maintained regular communication with the client to provide market feedback and candidate insights.
- Carefully assessed candidates’ ability to manage employee relations matters independently while also supporting administrative HR functions.
By taking a consultative and proactive approach, we were able to identify and engage candidates who may not have been actively searching for a new role.
The Outcome
Despite the challenges presented by the contract length, salary level, and niche skill requirements, Bond Williams successfully sourced and secured a candidate who met the client’s criteria.
The successful individual brought the right balance of HR advisory experience, employee relations expertise, and operational HR knowledge, enabling them to make an immediate impact within the team.
The appointment ensured continuity of HR support for the organisation and demonstrated the value of a targeted recruitment strategy when filling complex and hard-to-fill positions.
Key Results
✔ Successfully filled a difficult 9-month fixed-term HR Advisor vacancy
✔ Secured a candidate with both HR Advisory and HR Administration expertise
✔ Identified an individual capable of independently managing employee relations cases
✔ Provided ongoing market insight and recruitment consultancy throughout the process
✔ Delivered a successful outcome despite a highly competitive and restricted candidate market
