People Tower

Milton Keynes/ Northamptonshire

HR Consultancy Services - All the Benefits of an HR Department at a Fraction of the Cost

Case Studies

Case Study – Programme Manager Appointment (York)

The Brief

After five years of steady growth, this fantastic York-based charity had created a brand-new, pivotal role.

The CEO was increasingly pulled into operational delivery, leaving less time for strategic growth. What was needed was a Programme Manager — someone capable of taking ownership of key responsibilities and helping the organisation scale.

My Approach

I always say this (and mean it):
I don’t recruit like an agency — I step in as your internal HR partner.

So, rather than simply advertising and waiting for CVs, we approached this thoughtfully and strategically.

1. Reframing the role

The original job description was clear but quite factual.

I rewrote it to truly reflect the opportunity:

A fun, purpose‑driven role
A charity bringing music into children’s lives across the North
A chance to make a genuine difference

The result? A job advert that people wanted to apply for.

(The successful candidate later told us they “simply couldn’t resist applying” after reading it.)

2. Smarter attraction, not volume overload

Working with Hireful, we advertised via CharityJob and Indeed.

We also included two carefully designed “killer questions”, which meant:

Application numbers stayed manageable (under 50)
Candidate quality remained high

3. Efficient shortlisting

I carried out a full first-stage shortlist and presented a refined list to the CEO.

Instead of spending half a day wading through CVs:

The CEO reviewed only the strongest candidates
Shortlisting was quick and focused
Candidates were contacted promptly

4. A robust and engaging interview process

We designed a process that genuinely assessed capability:

Practical, well‑structured interview questions (tailored to the role)
A purposeful presentation task that allowed candidates to show their thinking and personality
A collaborative final stage involving the CEO, a Trustee, and me on site in York

The feedback? The charity loved how practical and revealing the process was.

The Outcome

Role successfully filled with an outstanding candidate
Offer accepted within 44 days of going live
Strong cultural and values fit

The Impact

CEO time required: just 2 days (in manageable chunks)
Total cost (including advertising and my time): £1,773
Typical recruitment agency cost: ~£9,800

Saving: over £8,000

And just as importantly:

No constant interruptions
No inbox flooded with CVs
No drawn‑out process

Final thought

This is what recruitment looks like when:

It’s strategic
It’s thoughtful
And it’s done properly

I always tell clients:

I can do as little or as much as you need — but you’ll always know the costs upfront, and you’ll always get a process that works.

Can I help you with your next hire?

A great example of doing recruitment differently…

I’ve just finished supporting a York‑based charity to hire a Programme Manager — and it’s a brilliant reminder that recruitment doesn’t have to be expensive, painful, or take over your life.

Here’s what we did

This was a brand new role, created after 5 years of growth. The CEO was being pulled away from strategy into day‑to‑day delivery, so needed someone who could step in, take ownership, and help the charity grow.

First things first — we ditched the dull job description.

Instead, we rewrote it so it actually reflected the role:

A fun, purpose‑driven job
A charity bringing music into children’s lives across the North
A role you’d feel excited to apply for

(The successful candidate later told us the advert was the reason they couldn’t resist applying… always a good sign.)

We then advertised (via Hireful, CharityJob and Indeed) — but crucially added two “killer” questions.

Result?

Less than 50 applications
Strong, relevant candidates
No drowning in CVs

I did the initial shortlist and sent a refined list to the CEO — meaning she didn’t spend half a day wading through applications.

We designed a really practical interview process:

Thoughtful questions aligned to the role
A presentation that actually tested capability (not just confidence)

And I headed up to York to support the final interviews alongside the CEO and a Trustee.

The result? The role was offered today to an amazing candidate — a brilliant fit, who was genuinely drawn in by the advert.

The bit people always care about…

CEO time: just 2 days (in manageable chunks)
Total cost (including advertising and my time): £1,773
Typical agency cost: ~£9,800

Saving over £8k

But more importantly:

No constant interruptions
No drip‑feeding of CVs
No drawn‑out process

Just a structured, thoughtful approach — from advert to offer in 44 days

Case Study – Operations Manager Recruitment (Charity Transport Organisation)

The Brief

I was engaged by a charity transport organisation following a particularly challenging recruitment situation.

They initially recruited for the role themselves, but later needed support in exiting the individual. To maintain continuity, they brought the previous postholder back on a temporary basis to help stabilise operations and support a re‑recruitment process.

However, as she was only available part‑time, they brought me in to design and manage the recruitment effectively.

Our Approach

Rather than simply re-running a traditional recruitment process, we took a more thoughtful and structured approach.

1. Reframing the role

The original job advert was functional but lacked energy and appeal.

I rewrote it to:

better reflect the purpose and impact of the role
capture the organisation’s values
make the opportunity more engaging for the right candidates

2. Targeted attraction

Using my partnership with Hireful, we advertised via:

Reed
CharityJob

Both platforms have consistently delivered strong results for charity-sector roles.

3. Efficient shortlisting

I completed the initial shortlist, presenting a refined selection of candidates to the previous Operations Manager.

She then conducted informal telephone conversations, which allowed us to quickly identify the strongest applicants and narrow the shortlist down to four candidates.

4. Addressing a key internal challenge

A critical issue emerged during the process:

The previous management approach had eroded team confidence, leading staff to be understandably cautious about another new manager joining the organisation.

5. A different assessment approach

To address this, I recommended moving away from a traditional interview process and instead designed a full assessment centre day to actively involve the team.

The process included:

A group task to assess collaboration and leadership style
An individual written exercise
Two structured site tours
A shared lunch involving candidates, trustees, and team members

At the end of the day:

The team, trustees, and leadership all contributed to the candidate scoring
The team were given time to reflect overnight
A follow-up discussion was held with the team alone to ensure they were confident and aligned in the final decision

The Outcome

The approach worked exceptionally well:

The successful candidate was widely supported
The team felt heard, involved, and reassured
The organisation gained confidence in both the process and outcome
The successful candidate commented positively on the experience

The Impact

Total cost: under £1,500
Typical agency cost: £9,000+ Saving: over £8,500

Just as importantly:

No disruption from agency processes
No volume CV sifting
A structured, inclusive, and effective recruitment experience

Final Thought

This project demonstrates how a tailored recruitment approach — particularly in sensitive organisational contexts — can deliver not just a successful hire, but restore confidence and stability within a team.

HR Consultancy Services - All the Benefits of an HR Department at a Fraction of the Cost

Case Studies

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