RM6002 | Permanent Recruitment Solutions - Allen Lane
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RM6002 | Permanent Recruitment Solutions
Contents Allen Lane - the story so far Lot 6 | Further examples Allen Lane in Central Government Lot 3 | NHS England Allen Lane’s approach Lot 3 | UCLan, WCC Embracing innovation Lot 4 | DIT Diversity and inclusion Lot 4 / Lot 7 | Government Finance Lot 2 | Redbridge Lot 7 | UKRI Lot 6 | Redbridge Lot 7 | Home Office Lot 6 | Essex County Council Key contacts / bios
Allen Lane - the story so far
Since our foundation in 2004, we have recruited exclusively into
the public and not for profit sectors, and in 2018 won a place on
the CCS permanent framework (RM6002). Allen Lane are one of
the UK’s leading suppliers of permanent resourcing solutions to Since Allen Lane’s inception, we have
the public sector. operated with a down to earth approach
based on honest relationships, outstanding
Since Allen Lane’s inception, we have operated with a down to earth customer service and sound judgement.
approach based on honest relationships, outstanding customer service
and sound judgement. Despite our far-reaching influence and presence
within the market, we continue to pride ourselves in offering a service
more akin to a smaller ‘owner run’ business.
Having set up in London originally, we now operate across the UK from Allen Lane has a long history of recruiting interim and permanent
multiple offices (London and Manchester), meaning we are as well professionals into the Civil Service, where we have established and
suited to appointing exceptional talent in East Kilbride as we are in nurtured key contacts across Central Government, hosted networking
Whitehall. Our experienced teams are dedicated to providing interim events and consistently delivered outstanding recruitment processes.
and permanent professionals across the following sectors: This is demonstrated by our enviable track record and key relationships
with some of the most influential figured within the civil service, many
of whom Allen Lane has recruited or recruited for. In this document we
• Finance have provided information and recent case studies on our delivery
• IT / DDAT against Lots 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7.
• Procurement
• HR Our experience varies from single role campaigns; to complex, multi-
• Project / Change Management role, multi-organisation, multi-level, multi-discipline, award winning
• Executive / Board Level Appointments permanent recruitment and search campaigns.
Allen Lane - the story so far continued
Our approach is underpinned by consistency, both in delivering Allen Lane have partnered with the Government Finance Function since
what we say we well, when we will and in our experienced staff 2013, allowing Lester and Maurice to work closely with HM Treasury.
focusing entirely on the Central Government sector. Maurice We were challenged with introducing a number of non-sector potential
Goldstone (CEO) and Lester Fernando (Business Director) are long senior civil servants (and at no cost to HMT) to David Allen, Julian Kelly
standing members (10 and 15 years respectively) of the Allen Lane and other Directors and Director Generals, many of the individuals
family. introduced are now occupy influential roles in core departments. The
campaign helped us both gain a unique understanding to government
Maurice joined Allen Lane in 2009 and has since fronted an award finance and also helped us deliver a successful, inaugural Deputy
winning (both for Recruitment International and internal to HMRC) Director campaign.
SCS1 campaign and G6 / 7 cross government campaign, and has led a
number of multiple vacancy and single campaigns up to SCS2 level, Beyond Allen Lane’s senior leadership team, we currently have 35
including the CFO appointment at UKRI and three Finance Director employees with over 150 years aggregated public sector recruitment
positions at the Home Office in 2020. Lester was the 1st person Allen experience. On average, our staff have been with us for over 5 years
Lane hired in 2005, currently manages over 100 contractors in Central and we believe that our ability to attract and retain the top talent
Government (we would be surprised if any other individual recruitment ensures consistent delivery of the highest standards and customer
consultant had a comparable number of interims they’re managing), service. Our consultants work with responsibility, work ethic,
and has placed project teams at the likes of BEIS and MOJ. enjoyment, pride, respect – our values.
Our aim? To be a trusted, strategic partner to the sector and not simply
a business that organisations look to when staff of a certain level and
Beyond Allen Lane’s senior leadership team, quality are required. We can work with you in a number of different
we currently have 35 employees with over ways including helping you retain staff, sharing market knowledge,
attracting staff from alternative sectors, looking after exceptional
150 years aggregated public sector
talent, hiring remotely, helping you smash diversity and inclusion
recruitment experience targets etc. – this document will now outline the tangible ways in which
we can work with you.
Allen Lane in Central Government
We are proud of our market leading status in Central Government, Our success is demonstrated in
which has stood us in good stead across our core functions our status as one of the top 3
reflected in Lots 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7. nationwide suppliers on the CCS
RM971 framework which has
For example, having partnered the Government Finance Function since been used by Central
2013 in attracting top talent from within and outside the sector, Allen Government (and Health)
Lane has established a network of outstanding and diverse organisations since 2015. This
professionals. This includes working closely with the Head of Profession framework has been transitioned
since the position was created. Since our establishment in 2004 we to the RM6160 (Non Clinical
have been responsible for over 2,000 finance appointments in the Staffing) framework since August
Central Government and ALB sector including over 600 appointments 2019 and we have continued to
since 2017. be a top tier provider on this
framework.
We led the inaugural cross-Government recruitment campaign to bring
in 10+ Deputy Directors, which was awarded REC recruitment As proven partners to the sector over 16 years, we have experienced
campaign of the year and led to an internal (HMRC) award for the Civil times of challenge including austerity, several Government and MOG
Service resourcing team. This campaign was endorsed and worked in changes, large scale change and reform programmes, setting up and
partnership with the Government Finance Function and the then Head closing down entities, Brexit related change and now, the societal shift
of Profession, Julian Kelly. caused by Covid-19. Throughout our history, our business has remained
steadfast in partnering, advising and delivering innovative solutions to
In 2018, Allen Lane was engaged by HM Government to host an event our Government clients. Amongst our dedicated team, there is vast
attended by several SCS2/3s in Central Government to attract experience of longevity, commitment and proven delivery.
CFO/Finance Directors from across the wider Public Sector. The event,
which attracted over 20 highly regarded Finance leaders from Local As the sector starts to respond to the hiatus placed by Covid-19,
Government, NHS, Education, Housing and Charity sectors, was through experience of change in both a contraction and expansion
regarded as a success and even though there were no ‘live vacancies’ manner, we understand the challenges ahead and the shift in working
at the time of the event, led to a (BAME) Departmental Finance and habits. There is a growing desire from candidates to join the
Business Services Director appointment in 2019 (DIT) and a (female) Government’s response in tackling this challenge and through our track
Deputy Director placement. Pre-Covid-19, talks were advancing about a record of enticing top talent to join Government, we are well
similar event in 2020. positioned to strengthen the fight back.
Allen Lane in Central Government continued
Retained to recruit 18 key finance roles
within the Business Planning & Strategy
team ranging from Band B1 (EO) to Band A
(7).
20 candidates accepted positions, including
for 4 Finance Business Partners for which
we had 9 appointable candidates and 13
non-sector appointments (out of 20)
We were appointed to recruit a
nationwide campaign; as the
Department seeks to cement its
presence across the country, 7 hires
were made at the SEO grade, 5 of which
being outside of London having also
We have done a number of multi-vacancy recruited their (SCS2) Director of
permanent and interim campaigns across Strategic Finance.
corporate service functions within BEIS.
Allen Lane’s approach
We don’t believe that any recruitment
We stress the importance of the customer experience to all who company can match our track record or
work here. From a client perspective, we endeavour to build the demonstrate the volume of campaigns that
closest possible relationships we can in a number of different we have delivered across our sectors over
ways.
the past 5 years.
1. 1-2-1 meetings – in person, via zoom, teams, skype,
telephone….
Our focused expertise covers the Central Government, NHS, Local
2. Sponsoring and/or creating topical network events – Government, Housing, Education and Charity (including the Arts) sectors.
including diversity in the workplace events However, this does not prevent us from attracting talent from outside of
the public and not for profit sector – indeed, we challenge our public and
3. Helping sectors and organisations build pools of talent to not for profit sector clients to be as diverse, open and brave as possible
aid future recruitment when it comes to hiring, after all – the time spent searching, sifting and
shortlisting is ours. We operate with pace, integrity and a laser focus on the
4. Market knowledge and research requirements of our clients, whether this be on a multi-vacancy campaign
or on individual vacancies. We don’t believe that any recruitment company
5. Providing testing, interview facilities, questions, can match our track record or demonstrate the volume of campaigns that
we have delivered across our sectors over the past 5 years.
presentation topics, professional assessor, panel presence
etc. The candidate experience is market leading – we understand that we act as
an extension of the organisations with whom we partner and it is important
6. Act as sounding boards and offer expert advisory services for all candidates to feel valued and appreciated, whether they are
successfully appointed or not. For all candidates we work with, our aim is to
leave them with a better perception of recruitment and of the Civil Service.
Allen Lane’s approach continued
Allen Lane’s ability to deliver on multi-vacancy requirements at pace in
Government is something we are very proud of. In June 2020, Allen
Lane was approached by DHSC to recruit up to 20 interim qualified
finance professionals to help establish a new Arm’s-Length Body (Track
& Trace). The brief was across three areas; financial management,
business partnering and strategic finance and across three levels; Grade
6, 7 and SEO. At the same time, three other firms were also invited to
provide options for review.
Rather than email every potential candidate on our database to secure
representation, our experienced team sought to phone or video brief
prospective candidates, listening carefully to the client requirements of
what was essential and important and effectively assessing the
suitability of the candidates. This approach gained a far more in-depth
appraisal of their candidacy and motivations which we were able to
share with the review panel.
We have been informed that other firms
From 23 submissions, we secured 16 interviews and 13 offers, all of submitted in excess of 50 CVs but no other
whom (as of 30th June 2020) are progressing through the placement firm had more than a 10% success rate.
process. 11 of the 13 appointments are from a BAME background. We
have been informed that other firms submitted in excess of 50 CVs but
no other firm had more than a 10% success rate. Allen Lane’s success
rate was over 50% demonstrating a strong understanding of the client’s
requirements and working effectively to very tight timeframes.
Embracing innovation Allen Lane is constantly looking at new approaches and technologies that can enhance the recruitment process and challenge the status quo. Where possible, we attempt to operate ahead of the curve, and in the case of Covid-19, react quickly to change tact. We embrace innovation and seek to operate in an agile manner so we can adapt to the wants and needs of each Microsite & Candidate Packs Allen Lane’s outstanding Operations Team continue to pioneer and lead the way on creating impactful, inviting and informative microsites and candidate packs. These are entirely bespoke to the organisation and vacancies, acting as the landing page for all potential applicants. Our microsites and candidate packs are hugely impactful in helping your vacancies stand out to existing Civil Servants while also appealing to prospective applicants from the commercial world. Housed in one, easy to navigate area applicants will find: • Detailed information about your organisation • All role profiles • Details on your mission and values • Information on team structures and the department • Job description and personal specifications • Salary and benefits details • Clear guidelines on the application process and deadlines • Access to any associated documents (i.e. Diversity Monitoring Form)
Embracing innovation continued
Candidate attraction
Allen Lane’s reach across the Public Sector sets us apart from our
competitors. Our track record across the NHS, Local Government,
Charities (and the Arts) and Education means that we are in constant
contact at all levels and disciplines.
Our consultants have contact with prospective clients from the Private
Sector on a continuous basis, whether there are open vacancies at that
particular time or not. In many instances, a career move from the
commercial world into the Public Sector takes time and requires advice.
We work hard to identify the strongest future applicants, tracking their Our track record across the NHS, Local
career moves over time and providing honest advice. Once they are Government, Charities (and the Arts) and
ready to make the move into a Public Sector role, we have already built Education means that we are in constant
up a relationship and level of trust that allows us to help shape the next contact at all levels and disciplines.
stage of their career.
The team at Allen Lane are hugely passionate about the Public Sector
and are well placed to challenge and change perceptions. We help
create positivity and excitement about a career in the Civil Service,
Paperless longlist & shortlist
where we encourage potential candidates to consider what their skills
and experience can do to affect the direction of travel and prosperity of We are committed to recruiting with social conscience in mind, and
the UK. have recently taken the step to moving to paperless longlist and
shortlist presentation. Using slick and user-friendly software, we are
Our social media presence is excellent, with campaigns and job able to present our longlists and shortlists on iPads – removing the
opportunities shared across LinkedIn, as well as leading and taking part inevitable waste of reams of paper. This approach also allows us to
in discussions affecting the sectors we operate in. provide electronic copies of CVs and supporting statements in advance
of longlist or shortlist meetings if required.
Allen Lane have access to all of the leading job boards and online
advertising platforms to ensure maximum impact when sourcing and
attracting talent (PF Jobs, Reed, Exec Appointments, Jobserve).Embracing innovation continued
Video interviewing UK-wide presence
In addition to the now-expected use of platforms such as Zoom, As previously mentioned, Allen Lane have offices in London and in
Teams and Skype, Allen Lane have invested in the use of further Manchester. We have successfully recruited to all corners of the UK,
video interviewing technology aimed at innovating the recruitment and will work with you to establish an approach which removes any
process. challenges created by geography. Allen Lane understands the Civil
Service’s ambition to move more of their services away from Whitehall,
such as with the Department for Education, and our UK-wide presence
Our technology allows hiring managers to view interviews between
will support that.
the candidate and an Allen Lane consultant. Each video will be
bookmarked, so the viewer can skip to different points in the
Remote hiring & on-boarding
interview to view different questions/answers. Attachments (CVs,
appraisal notes) can be viewed alongside the video, as well as Allen Lane has put together a guide to support our clients through the
candidate details such as salary or notice period. We also have the unprecedented challenge created by Covid-19, which has undoubtedly
option to anonymise the video and attachments if desired. This impacted hiring plans both in the immediate and long term.
approach is particularly useful when recruiting to different locations Organisations are now having to rewrite their hiring and on-boarding
across the UK, where applicants may not be able to visit our London processes and procedures, but we believe you shouldn’t be alone in
or Manchester offices. This technology has allowed us to continuing this. As we can evidence with our extensive support given to
to deliver resourcing solutions during Covid-19, without Westminster City Council, we have devised a unique support
mechanism which will allow you to navigate the complexities of:
compromising on the knowledge and information available to hiring
panels.
• Remote hiring
• Remote interviewing
We have successfully completed remote and nationwide • Remote on-boarding
recruitment processes using video technology, notably throughout • Identifying business critical roles
our campaign with the Ministry of Defence. All of our consultants
are trained to ensure we are adhering to the recruitment principles
of the Civil Service commission ensuring a fair & thorough
recruitment process.Diversity and inclusion
At Allen Lane, we are not just aware of and empathetic to our Throughout our campaigns, whether single or multi-vacancy, Allen Lane
clients’ commitment to equal opportunities; we aspire to being will take proactive steps to ensure a diverse pool of candidates are
pioneering, influencing your own commitment to equality, presented at all stages of the process. Our external marketing of your
diversity and inclusivity. We understand that the Civil Service is at Civil Service vacancies are designed to have maximum reach, to
its best when it reflects the diversity of the country as a whole and individuals from all backgrounds, particularly targeting under-
is able to understand what the public needs. We are committed to represented groups and also those new to government who we know
supporting the Civil Service in ensuring they reflect the country could add value.
they serve. We will work with you to embrace diversity and
Allen Lane’s commitments to diversity and inclusion within the
cultural difference, using it as a source of competitive advantage.
recruitment process include, but are not limited to:
We expect to be asked difficult questions and challenged on the topic
• Submission of anonymised CVs, showcasing candidate experience
of diversity and inclusion. We also understand that this topic demands
but removing anything highlighting protected characteristics
constant scrutiny, as there is more to be done to ensure that diversity
• Challenge unnecessary requirements on job descriptions that may
is reflected at all levels across all Government departments and
prevent sections of society from applying for your vacancies
professions. In turn, we also expect to be able to challenge our clients
• Ask you what your organisation and the role needs, and submit
and key stakeholders on their value proposition on diversity and
people who we know are capable of doing the job based on their
inclusion.
skills and experience, rather than background
• Work with the internal recruitment teams and interviewing panel to
At Allen Lane, all employees undertake a Level 2 qualification (GCSE
ensure unconscious bias is not present during a campaign
equivalent) in Equality & Diversity. This ensures a uniform and
• Ensure applicants to be considered under the Civil Service’s
minimum standard of knowledge and understanding throughout the
Guaranteed Interview Scheme are brought to your attention
business, from the Operations Team to the Directorship. Our aim is to
• Provision of diversity data and MI throughout and at the end of each
move the dial on diversity, internally at Allen Lane and externally across
campaign
the Civil Service and wider Public Sector.
• Commit to annual events on inclusion in the sector to ensure best
practice is shared, working with CCS and the wider Civil Service2019 PUBLIC SECTOR APPOINTMENTS
Diversity and inclusion continued
White BAME
46%
54%
By way of example, we hosted an event in conjunction with
Government Finance, introducing 23 aspiring Senior Civil Servants to
the concept of working in Government in an event supported by the
Head of the Profession and numerous DGs and existing FDs and DDs.
Without that event, through Allen Lane, the DIT may not have
appointed their current Director of Finance and Business Services
(BAME, new to Central Government) to that position. We are also the
only recruitment consultancy working on an initiative with leading NHS 2019 PUBLIC SECTOR APPOINTMENTS
Trusts, on a programme entitled ‘Going Beyond’, aimed at supporting
Trusts have a more diverse mix of senior talent. Male Female
We go about our work quietly but effectively, under the radar,
consulting with our clients on their current status and how to help
them best exceed their desired goals. Our aim is to drive diverse
appointments, educate ourselves and our clients, and constantly
improve. We are proud of our support of underrepresented groups is
when it comes to candidate sourcing and placing candidates in general, 48%
52%
but we need to be better when it comes to attracting candidates with
disabilities (only 1.8% of the candidates we registered in the past 12
months identified themselves as being disabled). We use diverse
methods, through specifically targeting websites, seminars, Minister
led discussions on diversity in appointments, direct approaches,
referrals, LinkedIn Groups (including BAME, Worldwide Women Public
Sector Leaders Network, Employing Disabled People) but still we must
do more – our learning will never end. In 2019, Allen Lane made 923 appointments across the Public Sector. Of
which, 54% were BAME candidates and 48% were female.Case Studies We will now take you through a series of case studies which demonstrate our approach, ability and track record in recruiting to vacancies across Lot 2, 3, 4, 6 and 7.
Lot 2 | Redbridge
Requirements vacancies and to ensure suitable hiring manager availability for interview and
Allen Lane DDaT provision is our fastest growing business area over the last 5 assessment throughout. During the process we provided regular updates to key
years. As we have continued to expand our team of specialist recruiters in this stakeholders, both on the current recruitment phase and the planning for future
sector so too have we delivered outstanding processes to our core markets phases.
across the Public Sector.
The phased approach also allowed for a thoughtful and gradual candidate
A campaign run in early 2020, with London Borough of Redbridge, encapsulates generation process, allowing time to build a suitable pipeline of applicants for
our ability to hire at volume and with pace: the more technical vacancies. Allen Lane’s delivery team worked with key
stakeholders at LB Redbridge to benchmark CVs according to other Council’s
Roles filled at LB Redbridge (36) hiring patterns, a useful exercise given the competitive nature of the London
DDaT market.
• IT Programme Services Manager • IT Problem Manager
• IT Strategy Manager • Senior Build Engineer Challenges faced
• IT Support Manager • Database Administrator (DBA) It became apparent early in the campaign that a number of the niche technical
• IT Strategy Programme Team Leader • Senior Applications Development roles were paid lower when compared to the private sector. Our delivery team’s
• IT Contracts Manager Specialist market knowledge allowed us to communicate this assessment to our client in
• Asset and Licensing Assistant • Senior Housing Systems Support order to manage expectations. We were also able to re-evaluate, re-spec and re-
• Senior IT Project Manager • Senior Application Support Analysts grade roles through our consultative approach in certain cases. Equally, there
• IT Business Analyst (x2) (x3) were instances where certain roles were initially graded too high, which
• Technical Architect • Application Support Analysts (x3) presented an opportunity to advice our client and recruit at a lower salary grade,
• Senior Infrastructure Analyst • Senior IT Support Analyst thus delivering a saving against the original staffing budget.
• Infrastructure Analyst • IT Support Analyst
• IT Business Partner (x3) • Assistant IT Support Analyst Outcome
• IT Information Officer • Senior Developers (x2) Allen Lane were able to recruit to all vacancies, ensuring a challenging campaign
• Test Analyst • Developers (x2) of significant scale was delivered on time. Our delivery team worked closely with
LB Redbridge’s HR department to ensure a smooth transition for the new hires,
Approach ensuring a positive candidate experience from start to finish.
The above roles were split into four phases, with each phase taking 8 weeks in
duration. This staged approach allowed us to prioritise the most importantLot 6 | Redbridge
Allen Lane’s DDaT track record (Lots 2 and 6) is in many ways best displayed Testimonials
through our extensive work in supporting LB Redbridge’s transformation of
their IT & Digital department. “Louis and his team led a massive transformational IT recruitment campaign
for us that included senior managers and a full range of technical staff. The
Approach end-to-end process has been exemplary. From understanding our brief,
Allen Lane worked with our client to create an attractive proposition for a promoting and selling our organisational aspirations via an advertising
range of roles across the IT & Digital function. Our in-depth knowledge of campaign, to accurate shortlisting and screening of quality candidates who
the DDaT sector has allowed us to advise on how best to advertise the matched the required competencies and organisational fit - all the way
opportunity, ensuring it reaches as wide an audience as possible. through to hiring. The process and Louis’ support helped us build our new IT
The depth and breadth of our search and up to date talent knowledge is workforce that would have otherwise been impossible. On a personal note,
market leading – we had 5 resources sourcing the country for top talent. We Louis has been highly professional, wasn’t afraid to be honest with us when
were committed to fresh research that looked as broadly as possible at the appropriate, but most importantly he was attentive, listened to us carefully
talent pool, encourages diversity and identifies developing talent. We and delivered exactly what we required”
identified the broadest field of names for each vacancy, using a combination - Head of IT Strategy.
of research, market knowledge and sourcing calls to relevant individuals
already known to us and a search process to establish lists of people with “Allen Lane have gone above and beyond my expectations with the
the following backgrounds: recruiting process for LB Redbridge. I have experienced both sides of the
process as I was recruited by Allen Lane for my current role. From a
• Substantive digital professionals who are at or are ready to progress to candidate perspective I was kept up to date and informed on all stages and
these levels within central government departments / ALBs; steps. From a hiring perspective I have been very impressed with Allen
• High calibre individuals at suitable levels within large, complex public / Lane’s understanding of the roles and getting the right candidates to
private sector organisations subject to your requirements and what interview. We have secured the very best candidates for the 20 to 30 roles
experience you’re seeking; we had available. Overall this has been a very smooth process and achieved
• Digital contractors concerned about the changes in market conditions a successful outcome for all.”
(such as IR35, NHS Improvement Price Caps) who have done this type of - IT Support Manager
work.Lot 6 | Essex County Council Requirements Essex County Council required a Director of Technology Services to cover a 12-month Maternity Leave period. The successful candidate would play a vital part in shaping the future strategy of ECC’s digital agenda, and spearhead technology to facilitate better public service heading into the Covid-19 pandemic. The appointee would be responsible for leading and improving very large IT and Digital teams of 120, leading change and innovation that will make a positive impact for Essex County Council’s residents and businesses – one of the largest County Councils in the country. Background As a non-metropolitan county council covering a population of circa 1.5 million, Essex County Council was looking to achieve more from its current technology services, to ensure it was able to focus more on delivering solutions that reflect best practice with quicker, faster capability. For this reason Essex County Council needed a respected and experienced leader to utilise and draw on their expertise to drive and deliver an improved service for ECC which exemplifies high standards of technology and reduces risks and costs. Approach Allen Lane worked with the client to create an attractive employee value proposition to ensure it reached as diverse an audience as possible scouring substantive technology leaders at or are ready to progress to this levels within the wider public sector as well as high calibre individuals at suitable levels within large, complex private sector organisations. The result was a successful appointment to the post and an additional candidate from the shortlist being asked to consult as a Head of IT Strategy.
Lot 6 | Further examples Our specialist DDaT team have built a robust network across the UK, working nationally with high profile Public Sector organisations including:
Lot 3 | NHS England
Requirements Challenges faced
NHS England, which leads the National Health Service in England, had to The challenges faced were multiple… When building a new team, there are
build a substantive commercial function from scratch in London and Leeds in teething problems with recruitment, on-boarding of candidates and
roles spanning a range of disciplines predominately within the Commercial induction of candidates. The multiplicity of location for vacancies meant that
and Procurement teams. video interviewing facilities were paramount, whilst it was essential that we
acted as an extension to their HR team to support with on-boarding, helping
Background the relatively embryonic function take shape. We learned that people may
Allen Lane was tasked with overseeing the recruitment of 40 appointments start without laptops etc. and again, our approach to candidate
in roles ranging from Senior Analyst to Contracts Manager, from Supplier management and proximity of relationship ensured a successful outcome.
Relationship Manager to Head of Commercial; turning a largely contractor
led function into a permanent team, with the aim of ensuring innovation Outcome
was at the core of decision making. Thanks to our nationwide reach, our ability to source procurement and
commercial talent from government, NHS and the wider public sector; and
Approach our knowledge in running multi-vacancy functions and helping organisations
As these roles spanned across different directorates including get off the ground; we were able to over-deliver against NHSE’s
Commissioning Strategy, Medical & Nursing, Corporate Services, Operations expectations.
and Information, Support and Assurance and Programmes, Systems and
Data; it was vital that we were well-organised and versatile in our search, We were one of 2 agencies appointed to deliver to this campaign. As the
there was certainly no ‘one size fits all’ approach possible. Indeed, for some campaign evolved, our effort and ability to source diverse individuals was
roles such as ‘negotiation principal’, we had to search from scratch targeting rewarded with exclusive recruitments.
the pharmaceutical industry. This search approach, in conjunction with
sourcing from our network, database, and procurement / supply chain Lessons learnt
specific sites such as supplychainrecruit.com helped us provide a successful Versatility, support and adaptability. What started as a team of 3 became 5
outcome. as the campaign gathered pace, and as we did with NHSE, where
organisations allow us to support, we can really help interview processes,
support on-boarding challenges and augment acculturalisation.Lot 3 | UCLan, WCC
Requirements Background
In 2020, we have been tasked with supporting these 2 high profile but Off the back of success with other Universities including Brunel, and other
contrasting organisations with the recruitment of their teams up to the Local Authorities including oneSource, this year (2020) we have been
equivalent of the Procurement Director post (called the Director of entrusted with a large number of multi-vacancy recruitment campaigns with
Commercial Partnerships at WCC). organisations seeking to diversify, ramp up their permanent headcount, and
attract the leading procurement professionals in the public sector in the UK.
Approach
With UCLan we were tasked with helping it develop a commercially focused,
high performing Procurement function – 6 roles in their campus near
Preston. Adverts alone would never be sufficient, our team created a
dedicated search plan based on the client’s openness in attracting talent and
our use of job boards, social media and geography helped create longlists
which we sourced, sifted and interviewed. We are still in early stages (at the
time of writing) for the near 30-role campaign at Westminster, in which we
are supporting a significant transformation in helping WCC achieve their
goals.
Challenges faced
For both campaigns, as with all multi-vacancy projects, our challenges have
been extreme and rewarding - balancing time management with process
perfection, MI creation with fresh sourcing, and giving appropriate care to
all vacancies at all times.Lot 3 | UCLan, WCC Outcome Whilst WCC is in its infancy and recruiting during Covid-19 has been a challenge within itself, as candidates in the early months focused on surviving, food shopping and caring for loved ones; our campaign with UCLan was completed earlier in the year and candidate management, given the variety of location, was one challenge; as was the fact that the roles were quite generic. Often the more specific the requirement, the easier the search. The UCLan Procurement Director who was appointed was a female new to the sector – and the outcome at WCC may well be similar. Lessons learnt: Challenge the client to think as broadly as possible. One can learn sector skills, learning interpersonal and engagement skills is often more challenging. We’re proud of the proportion of candidates that we have approached who would be new to the government and education sectors.
Lot 4 | DIT
Requirements Approach
To help build the finance function for this relatively new department who had The department had previously struggled to attract and retain talent inside and
previously relied on interim support within their finance and wider functions. outside of government. As such, we worked closely with all parties to create
There were a total of 44 vacancies from EO to SCS1 predominantly in finance. advertising materials to attract a diverse range of candidates for these positions.
Some of these roles had been created as part of a new structure due to growth This included a microsite with the full structure, staff profiles, job descriptions
in the department, with others previously covered with interim support. and benefits of working for the department.
Given there were 44 positions, each role had its own resourcing strategy
Background
ensuring there were strong applicants across all positions. We split the roles in
Allen Lane had previously worked with DIT to successfully recruit an SCS2
half, into two separate campaigns by grade given the time pressures for
Director of Corporate Services and SCS1 Deputy Director of Strategic Finance
interview panels. We had 3 dedicated consultants resourcing for all of the roles
(both of which showcased our diversity sourcing). We were then invited and
supporting the account manager and account director.
successfully won the bid to build out their finance function.
Our understanding of the roles enabled us to approach suitable candidate across
the public and private sectors, leading to over 500 applicants for the positions.
Throughout the process, the Civil Service’s commitment to Diversity and
Inclusion were factored in as Allen Lane became an extension of DIT, aligned to
their vision and values.
Challenges faced
The volume of roles was challenging for a number of reasons, specifically
candidates being concerned about the volume of roles being advertised, which
we were able to alleviate thanks to our understanding of why this recruitment
was being undertaken. Secondly, managing in excess of 500 applications and
over 120 interviews was something the department had not done before. We
worked closely with them to ensure it was a fair and thorough process. Our
dedicated account team were able to effectively organise the campaign from
start to finish, taking away the logistical burden from hiring managers within the
department, allowing them to focus on hiring the right talent.Lot 4 | DIT Outcome The volume of roles was challenging for a number of reasons, specifically candidates being concerned about the volume of roles being advertised, which we were able to alleviate thanks to our understanding of why this recruitment was being undertaken. Secondly, managing in excess of 500 applications and over 120 interviews was something the department had not done before. We worked closely with them to ensure it was a fair and thorough process. Our dedicated account team were able to effectively organise the campaign from start to finish, taking away the logistical burden from hiring managers within the department, allowing them to focus on hiring the right talent. Lessons learnt Given the amount of people joining DIT at one time the on-boarding was delayed in some instances. We learned this early on and were able to improve these processes which led to all candidates successfully starting in their roles. We also refined our candidate management approach to engage in more regular contact with appointees between offer and start date.
Lot 4 / Lot 7 | Government Finance
We have run 2 cross-government multi-department recruitment campaigns,
at SCS1 (>10 roles) and Grade 6/7 (c40 roles) levels after which we were Government Finance provided the following testimonial:
commended for our organisation and candidate engagement and which won “We enjoyed a highly successful collaboration with both the Allen Lane team
internal (to government) and external (Recruitment International) awards. and Civil Service Resourcing when recruiting Deputy Directors and Senior
Finance Managers over the past 12 months. All parties worked incredibly
After agreeing an overall project plan with Government Finance and Civil hard over a number of months and the results have been that a number of
Service Resourcing, we engaged with the line managers to fully understand highly talented individuals have come in and are already making a positive
both the broad requirements and their individual needs (including with impact.”
regards to diversity and inclusion). People applied to the “concept” of
working in strategic or operational positions with strong finance, leadership Since then, we have integrated further lessons learned and adjusted the
and communication skills; and change agents with experience developed in approach for new campaigns of scale, including “speed dating” to help
large, complex organisations. Rather than holding standard panel candidate and client buy in further.
interviews, we developed interactive leadership assessments and role plays
to assess behaviour, complementing the blended interviews.
Candidate feedback
“The initial exploratory interview was open yet probing, the assessment
centred on a well-structured and realistic scenario which was both
challenging and fun, and the ultimate panel interview was reassuring in its
balance between competency assessment and softer skills. Overall, it left a
good impression of a varied and thorough process designed to ensure the
right candidates were selected, whilst maintaining a respectful and personal
touch.”
Outcome
Despite the risks associated including line managers leaving CG mid-process,
offers were accepted for all initial positions, with other appointable
candidates remaining in a future talent pool.Lot 7 | UKRI
Requirements Approach
To appoint a CFO capable of working across an organisation of over 7,500 Allen Lane delivered an extensive and far-reaching marketing campaign to
employees to maximise the value from £7bn of the UK Government’s ensure the opportunity was accessible to applicants from all corners of the
investment in research and innovation. Working closely with the CEO, the Public Sector and from the commercial world. A headhunting strategy was
newly appointed CFO would be responsible for setting the strategic vision by implemented to target passive job seekers, particularly those based near the
providing sector-leading advice and judgements on a broad range of Swindon area.
complex matters. The appointee would predominantly work from the
Swindon headquarters, but be able to travel nationally to UKRI’s various Our well-cultivated database meant candidates already known to Allen Lane
other offices. were approached, particularly those with a background in academia, science
and research institutions; and from large, complex organisations. Using our
Background unique approach, we developed an interactive and engaging micro-site and
In October 2019 Allen Lane were awarded the CFO campaign for UKRI, an accompanying Candidate Pack which provided all prospective applicants
ALB of BEIS. UKRI was established in April 2018, having brought together the with the information required in one place.
previously separate Research Councils.
Throughout the process, the Civil Service’s commitment to Diversity and
Inclusion were factored in as Allen Lane became an extension of UKRI,
aligned to their vision and values.
Challenges faced
During the hiring process, location represented an ongoing challenge as a
number of applicants enquired about a greater share of time spent in
London; whilst the time between interviews and approval tested our
candidate management. The greatest obstacles, however, were presented
by the numerous developments across the political landscape with changing
Brexit deadlines, a General Election and Covid-19. This elongated the offer
process, but Allen Lane’s excellent candidate management ensured the
successful applicant started in April 2020.Lot 7 | UKRI Outcome The strength of our shortlist meant that two applicants (out of 4) from the recruitment campaign were deemed appointable by the interview panel with a third borderline. UKRI have now appointed a CFO of the highest calibre, able to operate in a complex and challenging setting. The unsuccessful applicants from the process were given an excellent service throughout, as Allen Lane established new connections and relationships with some of the UK’s most impressive Public Sector CFOs, which will only enhance our ability to recruit to roles of this seniority in the future. The successful candidate is a female from outside the central government arena with a broad skillset developed across diverse industries. We advised the panel at the long list stage that it would be some months before she could start if successful. They chose to keep her in the process and this will in time prove an excellent decision. Lessons learnt We tried to be innovative with our long listing approach, preferring iPads for the panel to present candidate information rather than paper packs which in hindsight was an error, as this was not of preference to the panel.
Lot 7 | Home Office
Requirements Office, aligned to their vision and values.
Over a 3 month period, Allen Lane were awarded two separate campaigns
with the Home Office. Both were SCS campaigns: the first in September At the SCS2 level, it was vital suitable applicants could demonstrate track
2019 was for a Corporate Finance Director (SCS2) in the hope that more record of operating a scale and in a complex environment. Allen Lane’s
than 1 would be appointable given the volume of vacancy, and this was delivery team consistently challenged this criteria throughout the campaign,
followed by two Deputy Director (SCS1) vacancies in December 2019. particularly during in-person interviews of the applicants presented at
shortlist stage. We were instrumental in devising an interview and
Background assessment process which included psychometric testing and a staff
The Home Office is the lead Government department for immigration and engagement exercise in addition to a traditional panel interview.
passports, drugs, crime, fire and counter-terrorism policy. Its overarching
duty is to keep citizens safe and the country secure. It is one of the largest In the case of Deputy Director campaign, Allen Lane were asked to recruit to
and most complex departments in Central Government, with over 30,000 two vacancies at the same level but with significantly different skill-sets
employees and an annual budget of £10.8bn. Following a restructure of the required. The Law Enforcement position required particular commercial
senior finance team, Allen Lane were awarded 2 campaigns to bolster the business partnering skills and a working knowledge of the telecoms industry.
senior finance leadership. Meanwhile, the BICS Deputy Director would play a pivotal role in financial
planning over a £2.8bn operating budget, contribute to the overall
Approach leadership of the finance function and develop relationships across
For both campaigns, Allen Lane delivered an extensive and far-reaching Government. Allen Lane developed a deep understanding of the nuances of
marketing campaign to ensure the opportunity was visible to applicants each role through regular interaction with the hiring managers, ensuring a
from across the Public Sector and from the commercial world. An active regular exchange of information and expectations throughout the campaign.
headhunting strategy was implemented to target passive job seekers while
our well-cultivated database meant applicants already registered with Allen Challenges faced
Lane were also approached. Using our unique approach, we developed an The two campaigns took place during a particularly challenging time for the
interactive and engaging micro-site and a Candidate Pack which provided all UK Government, with changing Brexit deadlines and Cabinet Reshuffles
prospective applicants with all of the information required. influencing both campaigns. Allen Lane’s innovation, agility and candidate
Throughout the process, the Civil Service’s commitment to Diversity and control were instrumental in ensuring successful delivery.
Inclusion were factored in as Allen Lane became an extension of the HomeLot 7 | Home Office Such is the complexity and scale of the Home Office, it was important for Allen Lane’s delivery team to have in-depth knowledge of the department and its key stakeholders, in particular the differing technical requirements for the vacancies in BICS and in Law Enforcement. Outcome For the Corporate Finance Director campaign, three applicants ended up appointed into SCS2 roles in the department. All applicants receiving offers were reference checked and able to take up the three positions within 6 weeks of one another. Allen Lane worked closely with the SCS recruitment team at the Home Office to ensure a smooth on-boarding process and excellent candidate experience. The Deputy Director campaign achieved comparable success, with five applicants across the two vacancies deemed appointable (40% female, 60% from outside of the Civil Service). This allowed the Home Office to successful recruit to both Law Enforcement and BICS Deputy Director positions, and keep in reserve further highly skilled finance professionals for future campaigns. Lessons learnt The successful use of a ‘fireside chat’ within process, involving Permanent Secretaries and Director Generals, meant candidates entered processes committed to the jobs, knowledgeable and with relationships enhanced; whilst the hiring manager went into the formal interviews confident of a good outcome. We will recommend this element in all future SCS recruitment campaigns.
Key contacts / bios
Lot 4 / 7: Tim Salmon, Senior Consultant
timsalmon@allenlane.co.uk | 020 3031 9634 | 07921 335 786
Tim joined Allen Lane in May 2017 to specialise in permanent, often multi-vacancy, government recruitment. Since he joined
he has recruited 100 individuals to central government for a number of different departments & associated bodies including
DCMS, BEIS, Cabinet Office, DEXEU and DIT. He has appointed to 100% of retained roles in the last 12 months and we are very
proud of his track record in ensuring a high number of appointable candidates / position. Many of these individuals have gone
on to be promoted and have become clients that trust him to recruit staff for their team.
He is also constantly looking for fresh, new talent across these levels through a variety of networking and advertising methods
who are interested in pursuing a career within government. In addition, he has received extensive training on candidate
assessment and government requirements. Tim will be responsible for ensuring we attract a diverse range of high quality
candidates for our campaigns within Lots 4 and 7 and will be supported by other experienced consultants (teams tailored to
each campaign) who will be responsible for headhunting candidates from diverse backgrounds.
Candidate testimonial (SCS1, DIT) - Tim took the time to really understand what I wanted in a new job. We discussed roles in-
depth, and Tim happily spent time reviewing my applications in order to give advice & recommendations. The process was
extremely smooth, and Tim kept me updated throughout.
Lot 3: Rebecca Farnon, Senior Consultant
beccafarnon@allenlane.co.uk | 020 3031 9628| 07894 585 264
Becca joined Allen Lane in January 2018, and will be responsible for sourcing the top talent in Lot 3 having recruited into
central government for over 5 years, and across the wider public sector for half of that time. Expertise is in sourcing
challenging roles like IT Category Managers where there is always a shortfall, but her network enables her to shine in
competition. In addition, she has led multi-vacancy campaigns and was instrumental in delivering over 20 commercial
professionals for DWP as part of their procurement transformation programme and at the Home Office, where she helped
recruit over 12 positions across SEO & G7 Procurement Category Managers and Contract managers for DDAT in support of the
ESMCP programme. She has a long standing track record with the Government Commercial Function and is well-versed in their
recruitment approaches and the likes of CCS, DFT & DFE.Key contacts / bios continued
Lot 6 / 7 / Escalation – Maurice Goldstone, CEO
mauricegoldstone@allenlane.co.uk | 020 3031 9630 | 07540 637 275
Maurice has been at Allen Lane for over 10 years, initially managing our permanent recruitment team before becoming
Managing Director and then CEO. He has been responsible for a number of single, multi-vacancy and SCS recruitment
campaigns previously (noticeably our award winning cross government SCS recruitment campaign) and still manages some of
our relationships in the sector. Still very active in managing some of our key accounts, Maurice leads on our initiatives such as
the (prospective) senior civil servant networking events and is one of the country’s most influential diversity recruiters – be it
through ensuring obligatory training courses through Allen Lane, contributing to round-table discussions with MPs around
diversity in public appointments, consulting with clients to ensure they exceed diversity targets, and ensuring all shortlists
Allen Lane provides consist of under-represented groups irrespective of sector – and will be on hand for any escalation
matters.
Finance/Contract queries: Tessa Addison, Head of Operations
tessaaddison@allenlane.co.uk | 020 3031 9623
Tessa has been at Allen Lane for over 10 years and has been an integral part of establishing our market leading operations
function. She is the main point of contact for any finance/contract queries. She has previously led on these relationships with
the MOJ, Cabinet Office & BEIS amongst others, always receiving excellent feedback for her speed and quality of service.
One of our strengths is our enviable retention record of recruitment talent, experience and expertise. Our staff turnover is low
and our standards commitment to training and civil service resourcing principles are high, ensuring continuity of service and
expertise.Key contacts / bios continued
Lot 3 / 6: Lester Fernando Business Director
lesterfernando@allenlane.co.uk | 020 7101 8800 | 07773 844 762
Lester Fernando is the Director at Allen Lane responsible for our presence, track record and reputation in the government
space, and has been recruiting senior finance, project, change and commercial professionals across Whitehall for over 15
years. There are not many government individuals who do not know Lester, nor many Departments or ALBs for whom he
hasn’t been a leading recruiter. Lester is pivotal to our relationships across Whitehall and beyond, and will work closely with
teams on permanent recruitment campaigns, helping ensure the delivery and execution of each campaign is outstanding.
Louis Hall – Business Manager – IT
louishall@allenlane.co.uk | 020 3031 9627 | 07515754573
Louis has been with Allen Lane since January 2017, and since then has been tasked with growing our IT recruitment function
within the public sector. Since that time our IT recruitment team has been our fastest growing team and continues to provide
excellent service to government departments and local authorities such as BEIS, MHRA, DEFRA, Essex County Council,
OneSource and London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. Louis’ biggest strength is working consultatively with IT
departments to ensure their requirements are suited to the current market trends and provides an honest overview of the
best approach. This approach was key to the success when he was leading the recruitment for the entire IT restructure at
Redbridge Council (35-40 IT roles). Louis is ITIL certified and specialises in attracting new talent to the sector, ensuring that
public sector bodies have access to the very best IT talent from a multitude of diverse backgrounds.
Louis is exceptionally proud of his commitment to an extremely high level of customer service, ensuring everyone in the
process is kept informed and that all conversations are open and honest to ensure a smooth process for all and no surprises.
With 7 years’ experience focussed solely on Public Sector IT recruitment across the NHS, Central Government, Local
Authorities and Higher Education he has an exceptional understanding of how technology can help facilitate better public
service as we move towards a more progressive digital maturity within government.Key contacts / bios continued
Admin/campaign logistics support: Grace Mitchell, Senior Operations Coordinator and Marketing Manager
gracemitchell@allenlane.co.uk | 020 3031 9613
race joined Allen Lane in 2016 and has been a vital member of our operations team ever since. She supports our permanent
recruitment team, specialising in developing campaign microsites, ensuring our presentation of long lists and shortlists is
market leading, and is tasked with every candidate receiving exceptional service when on-boarding.
Grace is well adept at being the operations lead on large government recruitment campaigns and typically liaises weekly in
support of MI needs. Grace also ensures candidates at shortlist stage complete diversity monitoring forms and collate data.
She led on our Cabinet Office campaign (31 roles) & DIT campaign (44 roles) and received excellent feedback from them. The
Deputy Director at the Cabinet Office commented, “In many years of working in government this has been my most successful
piece of recruitment as well as the easiest.” Grace is highly organised, personable and process driven which will help lead to a
successful delivery of this requirement and we are lucky to have someone of her creative ability ensuring our work looks
fantastic.
Lot 2 / 6 – John Sergeant, Head of IT Recruitment
johnsergeant@allenlane.co.uk | 020 3056 1405 | 07921 335 476
John Sergeant leads our DDaT presence in the Central Government space and fronts our IT recruitment business – our fastest
growing business area over the last 5 years. With over 15 DDaT years’ experience, there isn’t much to do with technology and
the digital world that John hasn’t seen. Throughout his career, John has worked significantly with core departments including
DEFRA, MOJ and the Home Office; and with ALBs including PHE, IPA and ACAS. Well-networked at the Deputy Director and
experienced in appointing teams of substantive and interim specialists, John leads a team of experts committed to attracting
under-represented groups in the government IT and Digital space.You can also read
