Situation

FJ appointed a Senior Manager (Enterprise Risk Services) with one of our priority clients in the CA sector, a Big 4 firm. The candidate we appointed approached us for advice on his next career move. He was in a similar role with another Big 4 firm and was at cross roads as to whether he should continue his career in CA or move to the commercial sector. It is worth mentioning that at this senior level unfortunately most professionals in CA tend to opt for commercial roles, mainly because the commercial sector is seen as a natural next step for senior managers within CA offering better opportunities for career progression and higher earning potential. On this occasion however our candidate turned down an exceptional offer from one of the largest commercial organizations in New Zealand and accepted the role offered by our client.

Strategy

We believe this is an excellent example how CA firms can attract and retain top talent and successfully compete against commercial organizations. Here is why we think our CA client was successful in securing this top-notch managerial professional:

After discussing in detail with our candidate his career aspirations and expectations in terms of further professional development we approached our CA client and gave them a detailed overview of his reasons to want to move out of CA. We also outlined the key points he liked about CA and what his ideal role would involve if he decided to stay in the professional services sector. Following our discussions with the CA firm the divisional partners had a meeting and came up with a plan outlining how they would be able to accommodate our candidate's expectations. They demonstrated total commitment throughout the process staying in touch with us on a daily basis and ensuring our candidate had all the necessary information about the role, the team and the prospects the firm would offer. They designated 'ambassadors' (team members at various levels from the team) to meet with our candidate in an informal situation (over lunch) and give him their perspective on the firm, their clients and the people that work there. 

Outcome

In summary the key reason for the successful completion of this difficult assignment was the flawless interaction between our client (including divisional Partners, HR Managers and other team members) and the team at FJ - from the first interview, through to reference checking and salary negotiation to the actual acceptance and signing of employment contract.