Open Road West Norfolk run an automotive workshop and construction training facility. A registered charity, they were established in 2009 to address a lack of training facilities for disadvantaged, vulnerable and excluded young people.

The organisation provides a safe environment where children aged 14 to 16 can learn practical on-the-job skills for vehicle maintenance and building construction. They work with up to 40 to 60 young people each week, delivering industry-recognised accredited training.

The challenge

Open Road were looking for a Business Manager to join their management team, an important role that sits at the heart of the business. The Business Manager is responsible for the smooth running of day-to-day operations. Reporting to the MD, they oversee admin, organisational and financial functions, HR, IT and governance. They also manage the office.

As well as this, the Business Manager is the first point of contact for colleagues and external parties, like schools, students, parents and suppliers. They make sure students (and potential students) have a positive experience. Finally, they deputise for the MD and are a point of escalation for the management team.

‘We needed a good communicator who’d represent everything we stand for,’ says Martin Slater, MD of Open Road. ‘We’re a small team of six, so the new recruit would have to be able to slot straight in.’

Open Road had plenty of time to find the perfect person. The existing Business Manager was retiring, and had given them plenty of notice. But after spending three months recruiting for the role using social media and other connections without success, the need to fill the post suddenly became much more urgent.

With September fast approaching, there were other timing issues too. ‘September is always busy for us, being the start of the academic year,’ Martin says. ‘We need students to keep coming through the door – otherwise we don’t survive. We were also dealing with a refurbishment over the summer. That meant that without a Business Manager, we could have been in real trouble.’

The solution

Open Road’s chair, Jo Pearson, had previously worked with Joseph O’Sullivan, Senior Manager here at Pure. He got in touch to see if we could help. Joseph recommended Claire Bush, one of our Managing Consultants, who’s responsible for recruiting for office roles.

‘Claire was very efficient from day 1,’ Martin tells us. ‘She quickly understood the requirements of the role. Even better, she already had the perfect person in mind.’

‘Open Road’s communication was great,’ says Claire. ‘It was clear to me what they needed. And I knew someone who’d be a great fit for the role immediately.’

That someone was Amanda Bowie. But while she was keen on the role, and on Open Road as an organisation, she was a little worried about leaving her current position. Luckily Claire’s help and support gave her the confidence she needed to make the leap.

‘Claire drove the recruitment process forward, clearly communicating with us and getting feedback both from us and Amanda,’ says Martin. ‘It was seamless.’

Amanda was the only candidate we needed to introduce to Open Road. ‘Amanda’s enthusiasm for our organisation shone through in her interview,’ says Martin. ‘She immediately knew how she could make a difference.’

Because Claire had carefully matched Amanda’s skills and experience with the Business Manager role, she was able to hit the ground running as soon as she started. ‘Amanda picked everything up really quickly, without us needing to do any significant handover,’ Martin tells us. ‘She’s absolutely perfect! And the best thing is that she really loves the job too.’

How did Pure make a difference?

‘We’re a small charity,’ Martin says. ‘So recruiting through an agency isn’t something we’d typically have the funds to do. But it was vital for us to get the right person for the role despite the costs. Thankfully we were able to work with Pure to come to a mutually beneficial arrangement.’

We asked Martin if he could sum up his experience with Pure in one word. ‘Transformational!’ he says. ‘The whole process was slick, efficient, effective and personal. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Clarie and Pure to other organisations – even those that think they don’t have the budget to spend.’

Can we help you?

If you’re looking to recruit new staff at any level, temporary or permanent, get in touch with your local Pure team to see what we can do for you.