National bank with multiple offices across the UK, with each region bringing different talent pools and challenges.

When we first worked with the bank, we were asked to assist them hire a Senior Finance professional for their head office. The client has a diverse business and being a bank, the role has high levels of regulatory reporting in addition to the usual finance responsibilities.

This was a position other firms had already struggled with, and traditional methods of advertising and using existing databases was unsuccessful. Therefore, we put in place a proactive strategy of advertising, headhunting, and networking. After a few weeks of this strategy, we were able to identify a highly qualified candidate, who the client hired.

Having built a good relationship during this process, we went on to successfully place candidates across their UK locations, and across functions. Due to our team structure, we were able to build a resourcing team that suited the client’s needs.

Head of Operations - Boutique investment management firm

We were approached by an existing client, with whom we had previously placed an Investment Manager, who were looking to hire a Head of Operations. We worked on a success only, but exclusive basis. For this assignment, we put in a place a different resourcing team to the Investment Management role, in order to ensure we gave them both the best industry knowledge from our team, as well as functional resourcing expertise.

Our client likes to move fast once they’ve decided to hire, and they knew that it was likely that headhunting would be needed in order to generate a strong shortlist. Whilst we sent them CVs within a couple of weeks, we actually ran a mini project over a four-week period to ensure we were attracting not just those on the market, but a wide selection of active and passive talent. The client has a relative flat structure and so knowledge across the whole of operations was essential.

Following our process, the client appointed one of the shortlisted candidates, and we have since worked with them on several other areas of the business. They have had the same account manager throughout, but enjoy that we are able to provide specialist teams for each assignment.

Leading Asset Manager with alternative funds

We were asked by another division of an existing client to assist them with a senior level institutional sales hire. Fram has worked with the client’s retail division for many years, helping them hire sales professionals across the UK, and we were referred to the institutional team.

The team had met some good candidates, but no one with quite the right skills and network for their build out. We weren’t retained and were of course already playing catch up as the client had started the process.

Fram operates a team structure to give clients access to all of our knowledge, allowing us to offer our client a high level of functional expertise. The sales and marketing team led the search and worked across all candidate attraction channels to generate a strong shortlist. A large part of this was approaching passive candidates and headhunting and networking. We shortlisted a number of people within two weeks. Two of our candidates were selected for final interview stage and one was placed.

Leading bank

Fram were contact by a client in the banking industry, who were keen to understand the talent pool better within the senior finance market. They had a particular challenge and transformation they wanted to embark on and it was apparent to them that they required different skills than they currently had within their business.

To ensure that they start on the right path, and to challenge their own thinking on the best way to resource the project, the client asked if we could help them understand the available talent pool. This project was to understand how readily available a specific skillset was, to see if anybody had successfully completed a similar project, and of course they wanted to understand the likely cost implications of such a project.

Fram worked with the client to agree a timetable for delivery and we kept the client informed throughout the project of our progress. Due to the strength of our research we were able to give them insight into the market within two weeks of being instructed.

In this situation, the client benefitted from our research expertise, our GDPR compliant process, and this was all done without eating into their exiting team's resources or time.

Head of Financial Planning - successful and respected law firm

We were contacted by the firm, as this was a senior appointment, and whilst the client had already met some strong candidates, they hadn’t quite met the brief. The role was very attractive, but as the firm is based outside of London, the available talent pool was smaller than normal.

Fram followed our six-step proven process, which includes the following:

1. We arranged a client meeting to understand the firm and culture, to clearly define the role, and to clarify the profile of the ideal candidate
2. We started a process of networking, database search, and intensive research to identify qualified candidates
3. We approached suitable individuals to engage them in a conversation
4. We assessed individuals’ skills ensuring they meet the client’s criteria
5. Shortlisting
6. We arranged interviews and advised both parties throughout

We were exclusively appointed by the client, and we shortlisted within four weeks of being briefed. This resulted in a highly qualified candidate being appointed, who has since gone on to be a very successful hire.

A fast growing wealth manager, who were recruiting in multiple areas of the business.

Fram’s unique structure was ideally suited to our client’s needs, as we give clients access to the knowledge of our entire team, rather than one individual. This approach combines improved resourcing and screening with knowledge of the dynamics and terminology of the industry. Providing the client with one relationship manager, supported by specialist consultants with functional expertise relevant to the individual role, we were able to help the firm hire across multiple areas.

We were initially asked to assist our client hire an Investment Manager. The role required some additional skills to the usual IM profile, but we were still able to build a shortlist from our database. However, we wanted to go a step further to get the best outcome, and so we spoke to people in our network to gather their views on suitable candidates. It was from this networking process that we found the appointee.

The client then asked us to assist with a senior operations hire. The relationship manager at Fram put together a different team to support the client and source the best available talent for the position. Again, we were successful in placing a high quality candidate. The feedback we received was very positive and we look forward to continuing to support this growing firm.

Interim Head of Compliance – Leading Fund Manager

At the start of the first lockdown, Fram started working with a leading fund manager, who were keen to hire an interim head of compliance. The firm has a close team who have seen the firm grow over the last few years, and not only was it key that the individual was a strong technical fit, they also needed to fit into the firm's culture. It is a diverse role and the position holder had to have expertise across a wide range on functions.

At the time Fram were instructed the firm had struggled to find some with in-depth experience across all areas. There was one final challenge, lockdown. It was highly likely that the hiring process would be entirely remote, which is normal now, but was new for everyone at the time.

Fram draw up a plan for the assignment, which was a combination of search & selection, and we interviewed a high number of individuals before presenting the client with a pre-screen shortlist. It’s our job to save clients time and not present too many candidates. Fram helped arrange all meetings, took in-depth feedback and assisted with the offer and acceptance process, keeping in touch with all parties throughout. Within a short period of time the client appointed one of our shortlisted candidates.