By now, you’ve heard that HS2 Chief Executive Mark Thurston is stepping down from his role at the end of September. This development begs a crucial question: who will succeed him?

All eyes are looking to HS2 to see what their next move is going to be.

Here are the pros and cons of the possible options for the next leader of Europe’s largest infrastructure project:

1. Recruiting Internally

Advantage: If you have the talent with the potential to step up then making a promotion is an extremely positive message to send to the whole organisation. It can be a good move if you want continuity of direction and provides a successor with familiarity with the project.

Disadvantage: Looking internally is a normally a smallish pool of potential candidates and will most likely be someone taking a large step up or across into the role.

2. Recruiting from Within the Supply Chain

Advantage: Familiarity with the project.

Disadvantage: You risk harming your suppliers capability to deliver and it could cause friction with some of the supply chain.

3. Recruiting from Other UK Rail Clients

Advantage: They will understand the market and the political environment of how this type of programme operates.

Disadvantage: It’s a tight pool of candidates and extremely few will have the experience to deal with this scale of programme.

4. Recruiting from Other Major Programme Sectors within the UK

Advantage: Opens up different talent options and skillsets.

Disadvantage: Learning curve on rail experience.

5. Recruiting from Major Rail Projects from Overseas

Advantage: Could get a highly experienced candidate that’s been there and done this before.

Disadvantage: Could be expensive and there is a potential learning curve for an overseas candidate on how the UK construction market operates.

It’s a big job to fill. It’ll be interesting to see who steps into the hot seat!

Got a tricky senior role to fill and need help finding great people? Drop me an email and let’s brainstorm.

Want to keep up with all the latest industry news?

Check out our roundup of movers and shakers across Transport & Infrastructure from July…

Have you got any team moves you want to share? I’d love to hear them, email me to discuss.

Do you agree with Elon Musk that working from home is morally dubious?

A lot of big companies are focused on getting employees back into the office because productivity is lower at home.

Dr Libby Sander – an acknowledged expert on the future of work – suggests that instead of focusing solely on the workplace we instead need to shift our attention to creating the work states that will enable us to be at our best.

These three psychological responses to the physical workplace are interesting…

1. Focus – a cognitive response allowing us to think and concentrate to complete our work.
2. A sense of beauty – an emotional response.
3. Connectedness – a relational response, creating a sense of community and a feeling of belonging to the organisation.

A study by Prodscore – an employee productivity monitoring solution – found that if an employee slacked off at the office, they’ll do the same a home.

So, the question should be “how can we create a workspace that will encourage productivity?”

LinkedIn have redesigned their San Francisco office with 75 different types of work settings. There are work areas for quiet focus without interruptions, outdoor workplaces, cafe areas, meeting rooms with or without tables to alter the power dynamics and a range of others in between.

People want to want to work in different environments throughout the week in order to fulfil different requirements.

So, whether you offer 100% remote working, 100% office working or something in between. It is important to make sure that employees have access to different types of workspaces in order to achieve maximum productivity.

Are your companies taking a similar approach? It would be great to hear your experiences and share ideas between organisations. Drop me an email to discuss.

Wimbledon is on so it must be summer.

June has been a busy month for movers and shakers across Transport & Infrastructure. Check out the headlines below…

With summer holidays around the corner, now is a great time to get the wheels in motion for your next executive search.

Give me a call to discuss your plans.

Having diversity on your Executive teams is better for business.

A recent study found that FTSE350 companies with more than 25% female Executives had a profit margin 11.4 times higher than those with no female Executives.

You know that diversity – in all its forms – is key. How to achieve it at board level is the real challenge.

We partner with SWiFT, a Women in Rail initiative, that champions senior female leaders in transport. They offer networking, advice and support to women across the sector.

This week they are hosting their first ever Non-Executive Director workshop. The event features three amazing female leaders who will share their experience about becoming Non-Executives and how it can benefit your career.

More details on the event can be found here.

Encouraging employees to seek out Non-Executive positions in allied businesses (not in competition or conflict) is so beneficial to your business and to the individuals.

The 3 main benefits to your business and to individuals taking these positions are:

1. Breadth of Experience

Your employee will gain a scope of experience and knowledge from another sector or type of business to your own, without losing that individual.

2. Exposure to a Board Environment

Stepping up to a Board level position is a huge step. Having that NED experience under the belt allows someone to become familiar with what is expected of them. They can gain invaluable experience around:

• Corporate governance
• Business planning and strategy
• Contributing to the wider business beyond their own function – this is something a lot of people stepping up to an exec leadership role for the first time struggle with the most.
• Influencing and challenging around a Board table – an intimidating prospect, particularly if you are joining an established board.

3. Helps to Retain Great Staff

If someone is looking for a new challenge. To take that next step in their career, but you aren’t in a position to promote them yet. Or they aren’t quite ready for that step. A Non-Executive position could fulfil that need without you losing a valuable member of the business.

What’s also great is that all of these benefits are risk free to the business. Your amazing pipeline of diverse candidates are gaining all of this great experience at another company!

If you would like to explore Non-Executive options then check out the SWiFT NED workshop on Friday 30^th June: https://swift.womeninrail.org/events/non-executive-directors-ned-workshop/

Alternatively drop me a message to discuss the options available to you.

In the six months since you last read our update, there has been a lot of movement in the UK major projects pipeline.

Check out the latest roundup…

Rail

HS2

Work on the Euston section and Euston Station – was paused in April. Despite this there is still plenty of activity on the mega project.

• HS2’s main works contractor Align JV have completed the first set of V-shaped bridge piers for what will be the UK’s longest railway bridge on the Colne Valley Viaduct.

• They have launched an innovation competition to bring new thinking to the installation of key rail systems infrastructure including track and signalling on the new line.

• The fourth twin boring machine ‘Mary-Ann’ is set to start its journey digging the Bromford Tunnel, between Water Orton in North Warwickshire and Washwood Heath in Birmingham.

Transpennine Route Upgrade

The upgrade, broken down into eight core projects, four west of Leeds and four to the east is progressing.

Construction has begun on three of the eight projects. Work already carried out includes the installation of 60km of overhead electric cable between Church Fenton and Colton Junction near York.

It also includes track upgrades through Leeds, Batley, Morley and Wakefield Kirkgate, signalling upgrades and a new footbridge at Castleford station.

In March there was a line closure at Stalybridge where 2km of track was remodelled on the approach to the station, 23 signals installed, 13 crossovers upgraded and overhead line equipment was installed.

The programme is expected to be complete between 2036 and 2041 at a cost of between £9bn and £11.5bn.

A key appointment was made earlier this year with Jim Crawford joining as Programme Director.

Crossrail 1

In May, the full timetable was introduced. The introduction marked the final milestone of the Crossrail project.

East West Rail

The first stage of the £5bn East West Rail project connecting Bletchley to Bicester with a 21-mile stretch along the old Varsity line, is nearing completion. The earthworks and the bridges are all finished.

In May, East West Rail and the Department for Transport confirmed their preferred route for a new stretch of track connecting Bedford and Cambridge, including a station at Tempsford.

Network Rail CP7

In May Network Rail published its Strategic Business Plan setting out how it intends to spend £44bn on operating, maintaining and renewing the rail network in England and Wales during Control Period 7, which runs for five years from April 1 2024.

The SBP follows on from the Department for Transport’s publication in December of its High Level Output Statement setting out what the government wants the railway to deliver in CP7, and the Statement of Funds Available.

Capital projects to enhance the network are funded separately on a case-by-case basis and no longer form part of Network Rail’s five-year settlement.

There have also been bundles of contracts awarded across the regions, which we detailed here.

Water

Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme (HARP)

United Utilities have submitted plans for the Haweswater Aqueduct Resilience Programme, also known as HARP, to Ribble Valley Council. Elsewhere, six other local authorities along the route have approved plans for their areas.

Construction is expected to begin later this year.

Thames Tideway

The project is 83% complete in line with the 2022/23 business plan. All tunnel primary lining is complete (30.7km); 66% (20.2km) of tunnel secondary lining works is complete and 83% of shaft secondary lining is complete, with 18 of 21 shafts completed.

Highways

Lower Thames Crossing

The project was delayed by two years in March by transport secretary Mark Harper, who said that although the government “remain[s] committed” to the Lower Thames Crossing, the process to get development consent was an opportunity to “consult further to ensure there is an effective and deliverable plan”.

Despite this a review of plans is set to start this month unless a request for a delay from an opposing council is approved.

A303 Stonehenge Tunnel

Following on from the July 2021, High Court judgement that ruled that the decision to grant the DCO was “unlawful”, the current Secretary of State for Transport Mark Harper continues to look again at the project’s DCO in what’s known as a “re-determination” process, following a judicial review.

Unlike a standard DCO planning process which has fixed timescales, a re-determination doesn’t, meaning there is no timeframe for a decision.

If the scheme is approved, National Highways are not expecting any preliminary works to start before 2024.

Energy

Hinkley Point C

Significant milestones have been achieved on the Hinkley Point C project over the past six months:

• The first new nuclear reactor vessel for a UK power station for more than 30 years arrived in February.
• The first reactor building is progressing at pace, after the final 304t steel liner ring was lifted into place in December.
• In March the 768t pool for Unit 1 was installed.
• Work on the first Turbine Hall is progressing. It will be handed over to turbine manufacturer General Electric later this year for the installation of the world’s largest turbine.
• In April, offshore work for the project entered its final stages when two jack-up vessels arrived off the Somerset coast to install components for the power station’s cooling system.

Sizewell C

EDF has appointed a consortium of Jacobs UK, Setec, Tractebel and Egis as its design team for the £20bn Sizewell C nuclear plant in Suffolk.

The companies, known as the ICOSH consortium, previously worked on Sizewell’s precursor at Hinkley Point C in Somerset and will transfer their expertise to the new megaproject.

Meanwhile campaigners have launched a legal challenge against the development consent granted by Kwasi Kwarteng and calls for the government’s £700M investment into Sizewell C announced in Jeremy Hunt’s Autumn statement to be overturned.

National Grid

National Grid ESO announced a series of new reforms to help cut waiting times for connecting new power projects to the grid. There are currently more than £200bn worth of projects sitting in the connections queue.

Under the new rules, ESO has written to parties seeking to connect projects and asked for updates on their progress. They will be using this information to prioritise projects closer to completion and deprioritise those that still have a way to go before they’re ready to connect.

National Grid have also announced that they are seeking key supply chain partners to deliver “The Great Grid Upgrade” the largest overhaul of the grid in generations. The programme will initially centre on nine onshore projects across England and Wales.

Offshore Wind

The UK’s pipeline of offshore wind projects has reached 97,944 MW, up from 91,287 MW a year ago. The pipeline includes projects at every stage of development, including operational, under construction, consented, or planned.

The UK total pipeline was second globally to China with 157 GW.

Coire Glas

SSE is to invest £100m to further develop plans for the major hydroelectric project in Scotland, although the final investment decision on the scheme is not expected until next year.

The £100m investment will fund the next phase of detailed project design and refinement, construction planning and procurement will progress through 2023 and into early 2024. Around half of the £100m development investment will now be allocated to the pre-construction refinement phase of the Coire Glas project, including a comprehensive package of site investigation works which have now commenced and will complete later this year.

Carbon Capture        

BP has acquired a 40% stake in the UK’s Viking CCS project from Harbour Energy as the government looks to accelerate plans to develop carbon capture and storage. The Viking project aims to meet up to a third of the UK’s annual target of capturing 30mn tonnes of carbon dioxide by 2030, by repurposing old depleted gasfields off the Humber region coast.

RWE is also planning to progress three new carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects across the UK, which could secure up to 4.7 GW of generation and capture 11 million tonnes of CO2 per year.

Small Modular Nuclear Reactors

Government have launched an international competition to find the leading designs for small modular reactors with the aim of co-funding the development of the technology.

Jeremy Hunt also confirmed plans to set up Great British Nuclear, a new body to oversee the revival of atomic energy and smooth the development of a new pipeline of power stations.

Aviation

Luton Airport

London Luton Airport has submitted revived plans for a major airport expansion to raise capacity from 18m to 32m passengers per year. Consent is being sought to build a new terminal, a major programme of earthworks to create an extension to the current airfield platform and new airside and landside facilities.

Building

New Hospitals Programme

The government has unveiled a £20bn programme to save England’s NHS estate.

Five more hospitals will be added to the list of 40 to be built announced in 2019, and many will be completed in 25% less time than initially predicted using modern methods of construction.

However, the £20bn is significantly less than the £35bn the government estimated the programme would cost and the main building works have yet to start at 33 facilities.

More details on the scheme can be found here.

I’d love to hear about your businesses upcoming plans. Let me know what times work for a 15 minute phone call or alternatively you can access my diary here.

The King and Queen were crowned, and the UK’s Eurovision bubble was popped. May has also brought us three bank holidays and the BBQ has been officially dusted off.

As we celebrate the sun finally making an appearance, check out the latest movers and shakers across Transport & Infrastructure…

To delve deeper into how executive search services can specifically address your needs and drive tangible results, please do book in a meeting with me to discuss your needs and plans.

Keep up to date with all the latest developments across Transport & Infrastructure. Check out our latest roundup of major contracts that have been awarded in the past 3 months…

Water

Yorkshire Water

Contractors have been alerted to £2.8bn of work for Yorkshire Water. The work, covering April 2025 to May 2030, is divided into two frameworks valued at £1.3bn and £1.5bn.

The £1.5bn framework will cover non-infrastructure works across Yorkshire, including construction, design, civil engineering and process works. The £1.3bn framework will cover design and civil engineering works and could also be extended to cover AMP9.

Southern Water

Have selected five contractors for its AMP8 framework for medium non-infrastructure works. The contractors that have won a place on the £600m framework are;

• Galliford Try
• Barhale
• Binnies UK/WGM Engineering Joint Venture
• Bridges Electrical Engineers
• Ward & Burke Construction

Thames Water

Thames Water has appointed six contractors on the first lot of winners made public under its Waste Network Services framework.

The £139m Lot 5 deal covers high value proactive and reactive emergency repairs on both the gravity and pressurised wastewater network across the Thames Water Utilities operations area. The six winners are;

• Barhale
• Cappagh Contractors
• Clancy Docwra
• J Browne
• McAllister Bros
• Morrison Water Services

The deal runs for a minimum of five years with an option to extend for a further three years.

Northumbrian Water

Have named five partners on new frameworks to help improve delivery of capital investment projects.

Stantec and Jacobs were named as NWG’s new strategic technical partners, as well as lead commercial consultants Turner & Townsend, with support from Aqua Consultants and Long O’Donnell Associates.

Portsmouth Water

Have awarded £208m worth of contracts to two companies for the creation of a flagship reservoir in South Hampshire, which will hold 8.7 billion litres of water once completed in 2029.

The £167m contract to build the Havant Thicket Reservoir was awarded to to Future Water MJJV Limited and a further £41m was awarded to Ward & Burke Construction Limited, who will create a tunnelled pipeline.

Rail

Network Rail – Southern Integrated Delivery (SID)

Four partners have been selected to join Network Rail’s Works Delivery team in forming an innovative, performance-based enterprise model to deliver the Southern Region’s up-to £9 billion estimated renewals portfolio over the next ten years. These four partners will include;

• VolkerFitzpatrick for Buildings and Civils
• Octavius for Electrification and Plant
• VolkerRail for Track
• Atkins for Signalling

These partners will cover for the period of Control Period 7 (2024-2029) and Control Period 8 (2029-34).

The Southern Region is also in the process of tendering for 16 contractors for a new minor works framework. The deadline has passed for requests to participate, with invitations to tender expected to go out in the summer.

Network Rail – North West & Central

The North West and Central region has divided its capital delivery works into categories A to D. Category A is a £490M framework for large works, B is a £695M framework for medium projects, C is £358M and for small to medium projects and D is a £229M framework for minor works and reactive response service. Categories B to D are currently in live procurement, with contract awards expected in the autumn. Category A has only had a PIN issued, but the opportunity is expected to be opened very shortly, with a contract award expected in early 2024.

Network Rail – Eastern

The Eastern region had a false start in its procurement for CP7, having started the process of establishing a £4bn renewals and minor enhancements framework last April, only to then cancel it. It has in the last few weeks launched the tender process for its Eastern Routes Partnership framework, worth £3.5bn. Network Rail is currently engaging in briefings for interested contractors and the deadline for expressions of interest is 2 June. It is expected that invitations to tender will be sent at the end of July.

HS2

Despite the pause on work on parts of HS2 announced last month, HS2 has said it will be holding market engagement events this summer as it will be releasing contracts including some related to highway works and associated ancillary packages, such as surfacing, kerbing and paving.

There will also be new contract opportunities for earthworks, minor civils and road works within the urban realm.

The Phase 1 rail systems contracts, which are currently in evaluation, are predicted to be announced early next year, although the HS2 website is still showing an award date of Q2 2023.

Dublin MetroLink

Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII) appointed Atkins, supported by sub consultants RPS, to deliver the detailed design for the advance works programme for Dublin MetroLink project.

Tenders are also in for the Client Partner contract which is currently being evaluated and expected to be let later this year.

GB Railfreight

Following the order secured last year to build and supply 30 Class 99 bi-mode Co’Co locomotives, Stadler has signed a contract with GB Railfreight to provide full service for this rolling stock. Stadler will be responsible for all aspects of service and maintenance of the 30 Class 99 bi-mode locomotives.

Great Western Railway

Great Western Railway (GWR), Eversholt Rail, and Hitachi Rail have announced an extension of their maintenance partnership. Worth over £300 million, the contract extension is to maintain the GWR West of England fleet of 36 Class 802 Intercity Express Trains until 2028.

Energy

Keltbray

Have won a number of packages to deliver critical energy infrastructure for key energy Distribution Network Operators and renewable energy companies. The contracts successfully secured include:

• UK Power Networks multi-year distribution framework contract for the refurbishment and replacement of the distribution infrastructure from low voltage to 33kV networks in the Eastern region.
• Northern Ireland Electricity Networks multi-year framework for the maintenance refurbishment and replacement of the distribution overhead line network from low voltage to 33kV.
• Scottish Power Energy Networks multi-year framework for low voltage services modernisation, including the replacement of looped services that will enable the network to be able to respond to the additional requirements that will be driven by the sustainability and carbon reduction agenda.
• SSEN Distribution multi-year framework for the maintenance, refurbishment and replacement of the distribution overhead line network from low voltage to 33kV in the north of Scotland.
• Harmony Energy for the design and construction of two Battery Energy Storage Sites to be built in Yorkshire and Teesside in 2023. The two sites combined will have the capacity to store over 90MW of electricity.
• Lostock Sustainable Energy Plant structural steel package for the main boiler house, as part of a new-build Energy from Waste facility near Northwich in Cheshire that will, when fully operational, export 70MW of electricity to the grid using residual waste, meeting the energy needs of 148,000 homes.
• Northern Powergrid upgrade overhead lines; building new infrastructure as well as refurbishing and replacing existing assets across Yorkshire, north Lincolnshire and the Humber Estuary.

National Gas Transmission

Five firms have won a place on the asset health framework potentially worth hundreds of millions of pounds over the RIIO T2 and T3 investment programmes. The five firms selected for the long-term deal are:

• United Living
• Morrison Energy Services
• Murphy
• Mott MacDonald Bentley
• Bilfinger

National Grid – Electricity Transmission

Following a market engagement exercise earlier this year, NGET is preparing and finalising procurement documents for the New Infrastructure Onshore Delivery Programme (NIODP), with the expected launch of the qualification process being late May/early June 2023.

Sellafield

Have begun the race to find four key infrastructure partners as part of the ongoing procurement shake-up at the nuclear decommissioning site.

The new model will replace the present Infrastructure Services Alliance with Morgan Sindall and Arup with a new overseeing team. The organisational shake-up will see a new overall strategic partner appointed, who will be supported by three key delivery partners covering specific electrical distribution, utilities, and civils disciplines.

Firms selected for the new Infrastructure Delivery Partnership will oversee a £2bn-3bn programme of projects at the nuclear site over 15 years.

Coire Glas

SSE Renewables has awarded Fugro a ground investigation contract for its Coire Glas hydro pumped storage scheme located in the Great Glen, Scotland.

The selection of the preferred civils tenderer, who will work with the chosen mechanical and electrical tenderer to construct Coire Glas on a turnkey basis, is scheduled for autumn 2023.

Scottish Power

Have formalised a £1.3billion contract with Siemens Gamesa for 95 wind turbines for the East Anglia Three offshore windfarm. The 95 flagship 14.7MW turbines will have a combined capacity of 1,400MW, generating enough green energy to meet the annual demand of 1.3million homes.

Highways

Suffolk Highways

Milestone Infrastructure has been awarded Suffolk County Council’s new highways services contract worth up to £1bn. The contract will last up to 20 years and Milestone will replace current incumbent Kier in October.

London Borough of Camden

Marlborough Highways and FM Conway have each obtained £53.6m multi-year contracts from the London Borough of Camden for road maintenance and improvements. Marlborough Highways will cover the north of the borough and FM Conway the south. The five-year contract will begin on 1 April with an option to extend it for another three years.

Leicestershire County Council

Galliford Try has been appointed to an £85m contract with Leicestershire County Council to build the new North East Melton Mowbray Distributor Road.

Buckinghamshire Council

Have announced the 12 approved contractors who will be working on highways, maintenance and infrastructure projects within the county from 1 April 2023.

Last year Balfour Beatty Living Places (BBLP) were awarded the council’s Term Maintenance Contract and the Term Consultancy Contract was awarded to Atkins. The 12 newly-appointed contractors will work alongside BBLP and Atkins to carry out the works needed, under new Framework 1 and Framework 2 contracts which will run for a period of four years. The full list can be found here.

Building

Ministry of Defence

A landmark contract for the defence estate has been signed, signalling the start of a new delivery alliance for the Ministry of Defence and seven major contractors. The selected partners will deliver the £5.1bn defence estate optimisation programme. They are: Galliford Try, ISG, Graham, Kier, Laing O’Rourke, Lendlease Construction and Morgan Sindall.

Southern Construction Framework (SCF Construct)

Kier, Tilbury Douglas and Morgan Sindall have each scooped four spots on the Southern Construction Framework (SCF Construct) for the South West, the South East and London, which cover work worth more than £4m each. The trio also took spots on a £1m-£5m job lot covering the south-west of England. The framework replaces a £5.25bn four-year iteration that ends this year. The full list can be found here.

The framework is a joint initiative between Hampshire County Council and Devon County Council and can be used by all public bodies across the South of England.

Ready to Secure Top Talent? Reach out by emailing [email protected] or calling 0203 026 3871 to discuss your needs.

You need to make a change to your senior team.

That’s a big deal. Finding time to commit to thoroughly searching the market, screening candidates, and uncovering that unicorn that will enhance your business is tough.

So maybe you’re considering working with an Executive Search partner?

That’s also a big step. Especially if you haven’t worked with one before. You really need to be sure that you’re working with someone that really gets what you are looking for.

In early conversations with prospective clients, there are 5 questions we are often asked:

1. How would you find a diverse shortlist?

Not an easy task in our sectors, but one that we pride ourselves on working really hard to achieve. We will always review your brief to highlight areas that will need flexing to attract a more diverse talent pool.

• Can you look to allied sectors?
• Can we look at up and coming candidates?
• Can this role accommodate someone working on a 4-day work week?

There are lots of options and we can work together to find an answer that suits your role.

2. What salary do you think we need to pay?

If you haven’t had to recruit for this role in a while (or ever) then knowing what salary is going to attract the right calibre of candidate can be a big ask.

Chances are, we have spoken before with a lot of candidates that fit your brief and will be able to provide you an accurate salary benchmark.

If we think what you are asking is unrealistic, then we can work on the brief to find candidates that fit your budget.

3. What does the market look like at the moment?

Are your competitors looking for similar roles? How big is the talent pool?

4. Have you done many searches like this before?

We have successfully completed over 600 executive search assignments. So, there is a good chance that we have a decent amount of experience finding candidates just like the one you need.

5. How well do you know us as a business?

This question is crucial.

If you are going to work with an Executive Search partner, they need to understand your business. They need to know the good and the not so good.

This is for two reasons:

• So that we can sell your business to passive candidates – persuading them that this is the best move for them.
• So that we know what type of candidate will fit with your culture – just because their CV is spot on, doesn’t mean their personality is right.

Give me a ring and ask me these questions about your senior roles. I look forward to answering them for you!

45 world records were set in the London marathon earlier this month, including fastest marathon dressed in pyjamas, fastest marathon dressed as a savoury food, and fastest marathon dressed as a Christmas cracker.

In Transport & infrastructure, HS2 paused works around Euston and Smart Motorways were called off, but it’s still a hive of activity for this months’ movers and shakers…

Get in touch below, I’d love to hear about your hiring plans for the coming year.

You need to make a change to your senior team.

That’s a big deal. Finding time to commit to thoroughly searching the market, screening candidates, and uncovering that unicorn that will enhance your business is tough.

So maybe you’re considering working with an Executive Search partner?

That’s also a big step. Especially if you haven’t worked with one before. You really need to be sure that you’re working with someone that really gets what you are looking for.

In early conversations with prospective clients, there are 5 questions we are often asked:

1. How would you find a diverse shortlist?

Not an easy task in our sectors, but one that we pride ourselves on working really hard to achieve. We will always review your brief to highlight areas that will need flexing to attract a more diverse talent pool.

• Can you look to allied sectors?
• Can we look at up and coming candidates?
• Can this role accommodate someone working on a 4-day work week?

There are lots of options and we can work together to find an answer that suits your role.

2. What salary do you think we need to pay?

If you haven’t had to recruit for this role in a while (or ever) then knowing what salary is going to attract the right calibre of candidate can be a big ask.

Chances are, we have spoken before with a lot of candidates that fit your brief and will be able to provide you an accurate salary benchmark.

If we think what you are asking is unrealistic, then we can work on the brief to find candidates that fit your budget.

3. What does the market look like at the moment?

Are your competitors looking for similar roles? How big is the talent pool?

4. Have you done many searches like this before?

We have successfully completed over 600 executive search assignments. So, there is a good chance that we have a decent amount of experience finding candidates just like the one you need.

5. How well do you know us as a business?

This question is crucial.

If you are going to work with an Executive Search partner, they need to understand your business. They need to know the good and the not so good.

This is for two reasons:

• So that we can sell your business to passive candidates – persuading them that this is the best move for them.
• So that we know what type of candidate will fit with your culture – just because their CV is spot on, doesn’t mean their personality is right.

Give me a ring and ask me these questions about your senior roles. I look forward to answering them for you!

March has seen Derby win the vote to become the home of Great British Rail, people around the globe embrace equality for International Women’s Day, a new First Minister in Scotland and Rishi Sunak personally contribute to energy infrastructure with his mega swimming pool.

Let’s check out the movers and shakers across Transport & Infrastructure from March…

Making changes to your senior teams is a business critical task that takes a lot of time, careful market mapping and a huge network of contacts. If you are looking to make any changes, get in touch to see how Executive Search could be the best route for you and your business.