Volume HR recruitment at a newly-established Combined Authority

About the client

Sellick Partnership was exclusively appointed by a newly established combined authority to recruit six HR professionals across leadership, recruitment, employee engagement and people operations. Established through a devolution deal, the organisation is a new mayoral combined authority rather than a product of local government reorganisation. The organisation provides regional leadership and devolved funding for priorities including transport, skills, housing, regeneration and economic growth. This was our first opportunity to support the authority with HR recruitment, as it brought its people function in-house. The campaign provided an opportunity to demonstrate the strength of our specialist HR network, market insight and ability to deliver across multiple vacancies.

Specialist HR recruitment partner

Charlotte Broomfield, Senior Consultant, specialises in HR recruitment and has an established network across the regional public sector market. Charlotte combines long-term candidate relationships with targeted search, providing honest advice and close support throughout the recruitment process.

About the opportunity

The authority needed to establish its new in-house people function quickly. Working exclusively with the organisation, we recruited six HR professionals across interim and 12-month fixed-term appointments:

• Interim HR Lead - initially three months subsequently extended
• Recruitment and Employee Engagement Manager - 12-month fixed-term contract, £55,000 to £60,000
• Recruitment Project Manager - an additional role created from the strength of the original shortlist
• Senior People and Culture Coordinator - 12-month fixed-term contract, £47,181
• 2 x People and Culture Coordinators - 12-month fixed-term contracts, £34,434

The campaign required a broad range of HR expertise, including senior leadership, organisational change, complex employee relations, talent acquisition, workforce planning, employee engagement, EDI, HR advisory, policy development and onboarding. The requirement for three to four office-based days each week narrowed the available talent pool, while recruiting for six linked vacancies required careful consideration of where each candidate's experience and skills would add the most value.

Our approach and HR market insight

Charlotte held detailed briefing calls to understand the requirements of each position and assess them against local candidate availability, salary expectations, working patterns and recruitment timescales. She combined Sellick Partnership's established HR network with wider market searches, database sourcing, advertising and targeted headhunting to identify suitable candidates across the different levels of seniority and specialisms. Rather than considering candidates for individual vacancies in isolation, Charlotte assessed their experience against the wider campaign. This helped the authority identify where candidates' skills could add the most value across the developing HR function. Charlotte also maintained regular communication with candidates throughout the recruitment process, particularly when client timescales changed. Her knowledge of individual candidate motivations helped manage expectations, maintain engagement and provide the authority with informed, relevant shortlists.

Outcomes

• Interim HR Lead: five CVs submitted, with four candidates progressing to interview. The successful candidate was identified through Charlotte's established HR network, appointed within two weeks and subsequently had their initial assignment extended.
• Recruitment and Employee Engagement Manager: a shortlist of five candidates was submitted within five days, with all five progressing to interview. Two offers were made, with the strength of the shortlist enabling the authority to create and appoint an additional Recruitment Project Manager. Candidates were identified through established relationships, targeted headhunting and proactive search.
• Senior People and Culture Coordinator: a targeted shortlist was delivered within three days of the briefing. One candidate was submitted, interviewed and successfully offered the role following an application generated through advertising.
• People and Culture Coordinators: an initial shortlist of three candidates was delivered within three days of the briefing. All three were interviewed, resulting in two successful appointments across the vacancies, with candidates identified through advertising and proactive search.

Through this exclusive campaign, Sellick Partnership successfully recruited six HR professionals, helping the authority establish its in-house people function with the leadership, recruitment expertise and operational support required. The additional Recruitment Project Manager appointment also demonstrated the value of assessing candidates across the wider campaign, enabling the authority to identify and secure skills beyond its original recruitment requirements.

Client feedback

"Charlotte has been a pleasure to work with throughout our recruitment campaigns. She is approachable, responsive, and genuinely takes the time to understand both the role and the wider needs of the organisation. Her professionalism, attention to detail, and ability to identify suitable HR talent have helped us secure excellent candidates and achieve successful hiring outcomes. Her communication is excellent, and she remains engaged throughout the entire process, ensuring a positive experience for both hiring managers and candidates."

HR Lead, Public Sector Combined Authority

Candidate feedback

"Charlotte stayed in regular contact after I was made redundant, took time to understand what I wanted next and supported me through a difficult period. She focused on finding the right opportunity, which led to my role with the authority. She is personable, honest and responsive, genuinely cares about the people she works with and represents what a good recruitment partnership should be."

Successfully appointed HR professional