HR Director Fiona Hirst wanted to work for an organisation that really valued its employees and whose ambition was to be an employer of choice. She was also looking for an inspiring leader she could collaborate with and learn from. But she was struggling to find a role that combined all those things – so she came to Pure.

THE CHALLENGE

Fiona spent her early career training to be a lawyer. A large part of her training contract was in employment law, before she made the decision to move to HR in 2011.

After reading a book called ‘Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don’t’ by Jim Collins, Fiona was inspired to make another change to her career and look for a new employer. But it had to be the right employer – a company that was working to become the best in their field, run by people who were both experienced, collaborative and passionate about their purpose.

‘My work relationships are incredibly important to me,’ Fiona tells us. ‘So it was vital that I’d enjoy spending time with the people I ended up working for.’

THE SOLUTION

Fiona decided that Pure was the best recruitment consultancy to help her find her next role. The good news was that she already had a relationship with Caroline Batchelor, our Director of HR recruitment. ‘I’ve known Caroline since 2011, and in my opinion she’s the best consultant in the HR space,’ she says. Fiona has always been impressed with Caroline’s candid advice, and the way she challenges people looking for new jobs. ‘I trust that if Caroline says a role will be a good fit, then it will be.’

Around the same time, Cambridge-based accountancy firm PEM asked Caroline to recruit a Director of People and Culture. They wanted an experienced HR Director – someone with experience of helping to build a business, while also developing the culture to make it a great place to work.

Over 100 extremely qualified applicants applied for the role. But it was Fiona who was the successful candidate, joining PEM in December 2023. ’It’s been a baptism of fire,’ Fiona tells us. ‘But I’ve loved every minute of it! The partners have been incredibly welcoming and made me feel part of PEM since day one. I’m really excited to join them on their journey to make PEM the best place to work in Cambridge.’

‘PEM are well known for their drive to be the best,’ Caroline says. ‘They also have a training and development programme that’s thought of very highly in the industry. And their values of authenticity, clarity and connection matched perfectly with Fiona’s background and work ethic.’

HOW DID PURE MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

Caroline was very aware of how important it was for Fiona to find the right employer and not rush into anything that she might regret later. So she steered her away from a few roles that looked good on paper, but that she knew wouldn’t be the right fit.

When the role at PEM came up, Caroline also made sure that Fiona understood all the potential challenges that it could throw up. ‘She guided me through the process and really made me think about whether the role was right for me,’ Fiona tells us. ‘Caroline’s honesty is something I really value – I trust her opinion completely.’

PEM were also really happy with our service. Warren Tilbury, Managing Partner, had this to say about us: ‘Caroline and Pure delivered a first-class service recruiting for our new Director of People and Culture. Caroline clearly understood what we were looking for and, by creating a microsite to advertise the job, made sure interested applicants had quality information. That meant we had an excellent shortlist to choose from. I’d highly recommend them to anyone recruiting for this type of role.’

Fiona also wouldn’t hesitate to recommend us to anyone looking to find their perfect position. ‘I’m hoping to stay at PEM for a long time. But if I was to decide to look for a new opportunity in the future, Pure would be the first place I’d go.’

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