Norman Broadbent is probably best known for executive and Board-level search. This is hardly surprising having successfully advised clients for over 40 years in this space. Over recent years however an increasing number of clients are asking for our help elsewhere in their organisation. It could be to provide useful and impactful market intelligence via our Research & Insight Practice; or to provide immediate assistance through the provision of a high-level Interim Executive; or maybe it’s to psychologically assess a potential key hire or understand an effective team dynamic. Interestingly, one of the fastest growing parts of the Norman Broadbent Group is our Solutions business. As Senior Leadership Teams place focus more attention on securing and retaining the very best talent, they are increasingly thinking ahead and looking at future talent as they skip generations or succession plan to make their organisations fit for the future. This is where Norman Broadbent Solutions come to the fore …
It is unusual for a major international search firm to deploy their “A-team” on mid-senior management searches. Yet in our opinion these positions are highly critical, requiring just as much care and consideration as the appointment of a more senior employee. The successful appointment of a strong Project Director, Asset/Operations Manager, BD/Commercial leader, Head of a technical department, or equivalent, can be a “make or break” appointment for many of clients. Although they can sometimes sit 2-3 below the ExCo and may not set overall strategy, they are central to delivering it! Getting that kind of hire wrong can impact the business and budget significantly.
The development of our Solutions service line was driven by our clients’ consistent requests for support on these types of roles. This becomes particularly apparent at the £80-150k level, where we offer a unique blend of established search firm experience and process, with a boutique level of quality and our “client-first” mentality. Sometimes a search at this level may require a non-traditional process. Sometimes the pricing or commercial structures of these projects need to be adjusted to ensure we can align with our clients’ expectations; or sometimes we are engaged on the basis that these positions suck a huge amount of resource and capacity from in-house resourcing/talent departments who are dealing with a high volume of projects due to spikes in recruitment activity.
When comparing Norman Broadbent with the much larger international executive search machines it is apparent that we are far better placed to offer an agile, more commercially sensitive client-driven approach when taking on these high-impact middle management searches. So whether you’re looking to undertake market insight via Pre-Search Due Diligence, or embark quickly on a time and commercially sensitive search in this stratum of the market, it’s likely we can bespoke a solution to support you and ensure a successful outcome.
If you would like to confidentially discuss how Norman Broadbent Group could help you overcome your business or people challenges, please contact, Chris Smith, on 07590 245 172 or via chris.smith@normanbroadbentsolutions.com