With three decades of experience across almost every side of recruitment and resourcing, Sam brings a wealth of knowledge to Recruit UK’s new Executive Search function. We sat down with her to talk about what really goes into senior appointments, why the best candidates aren’t always looking for a new role, and why becoming a genuine extension of a client is at the heart of successful executive search.
When you’ve spent 30 years working in recruitment, you’ve probably seen just about every version of it there is.
For Sam, that experience has spanned agency recruitment, in-house HR, resourcing, RPO and running her own recruitment business. Over the course of her career, she’s worked with organisations of all shapes and sizes, recruited across different levels of seniority and even managed searches across international markets and time zones.
It’s that breadth of experience that has naturally led her towards Executive Search, an area she feels she has really found her niche in.
“I’ve done every kind of resourcing, I don’t think there’s a style or type that I haven’t done!”
Having started her career in Dublin, Sam has spent much of the last three decades building relationships with both candidates and clients, and she quickly discovered that the further she progressed into senior recruitment, the more important those relationships became.
When she was running her own business around 20 years ago, she found herself competing for senior appointments against some of the much larger recruitment agencies. It was an experience that taught her something she still believes strongly today: when it comes to senior appointments, people ultimately buy into people.
“You don’t necessarily need a big company behind you to build great relationships with clients. You need to be credible, understand what you’re talking about and, most importantly, build trust.”
More than a recruitment brief
That trust is particularly important when you’re working at executive level. For Sam, Executive Search isn’t about receiving a job description and sending over a shortlist. It requires a much deeper understanding of the organisation, its culture, its ambitions and the type of person who will genuinely succeed within it.
“You have to position yourself into their company. You’re almost working in-house, so you have to wear the hat of the client.”
That means becoming a genuine extension of the hiring manager and, in many cases, a trusted confidante throughout what can be a highly sensitive process.
Senior appointments are often confidential, particularly when they’re replacing an existing leader or forming part of a wider strategic change. The candidates themselves may not be actively looking for a new opportunity either, which means the relationship between recruiter and candidate becomes just as important as the relationship with the client.
“A lot of the people you speak to aren’t actively looking for a new opportunity, so it’s about understanding what’s important to them, what might make them consider a move and then really looking after them throughout the process.”
It’s a very different approach to recruitment and one that Sam clearly enjoys. She likes the conversations that come with working at this level, particularly when they involve senior people who are comfortable challenging ideas, asking difficult questions and being honest about what they want from their next move.
“I really enjoy speaking to senior people. I’m happy having difficult conversations, and I like understanding behaviours and personalities and seeing how people fit into different environments.”
Finding people who aren’t looking
Perhaps one of the biggest misconceptions about senior recruitment is that the right candidate is simply waiting to be found. Often, they aren’t.
The most suitable person for a senior appointment may already be successful in their current position, with no immediate intention of moving. Executive Search is therefore about identifying those individuals, understanding what would motivate them to consider a move and building enough trust to have a meaningful conversation.
Sam has worked with candidates who have had notice periods of up to 12 months, meaning the relationship doesn’t end when the initial conversation does. Staying connected, understanding what is happening in their career and keeping them engaged throughout the process are all part of delivering the right outcome.
“I genuinely enjoy providing a really good, quality service. If someone has a long notice period, you have to keep them warm and maintain that relationship. I actually really like that approach.”
It’s this level of personal involvement that Sam believes makes Executive Search so effective. Rather than simply introducing candidates, the consultant becomes closely involved in understanding what both sides need and ensuring there is a genuine fit.
A global approach, with a personal one
Sam’s experience also extends well beyond the UK. Having lived in the States and worked on international searches, she’s comfortable working across different time zones and building relationships with candidates and clients overseas.
“I’ve worked globally, so I’ve had to work across different time zones. I’ve built a really good network in America and I’m quite happy working the hours that suit my clients.”
That might mean being available early in the morning or late at night, but for Sam, it’s simply part of providing the level of service that senior appointments require.
A candidate Sam placed joined the organisation as a Head of function and has since progressed all the way to CEO.
One of the standout appointments from her career demonstrates exactly why that approach matters. Sam was tasked with identifying a senior female leader for a retail bank as part of a wider Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiative. The candidate she placed joined the organisation as a Head of function and has since progressed all the way to CEO.
For Sam, that’s the kind of long-term impact that makes the work so rewarding.
“I love seeing where people end up. You can place someone into a role and then watch their career develop from there.”
Why Executive Search, and why now?
Sam’s arrival at Recruit UK comes at an exciting time as the business expands its offering into Executive Search, bringing together Recruit UK’s existing Financial Services expertise with a dedicated approach to senior and confidential appointments.
For clients, that means having someone who can become genuinely immersed in their business rather than simply working from the outside. For candidates, it means having an experienced consultant who understands the market, the organisations within it and the nuances of making a move at a senior level.
And for Sam, it feels like a natural progression of a career that has spent three decades moving closer and closer to the people at the top of organisations.
“I found my true professional calling in Executive Search. I particularly enjoy meaningful conversations with senior professionals, taking the time to understand their experiences and motivations, and determining how their skills and values can contribute to the success of an organisation. Building long-lasting professional relationships is important and I value those connections.”
That combination of experience, curiosity and relationship-building is ultimately what Sam believes makes Executive Search work.
The job may be to find the right person, but the real work lies in understanding why they’re the right person, why the organisation is right for them and, importantly, whether both sides are making the right decision for the future.
That’s the approach Sam is bringing to Recruit UK as we develop our Executive Search offering a service built around discretion, market knowledge and, above all, relationships that go far beyond the initial appointment.
Want to work with Sam and learn more about our Executive Search function? Click here
