Helen Grover, HR Engagement Director – Warwick University

"It's clear that they were looking for the right person, not just the right skills.

I sent my CV in response to a post on LinkedIn and they rang me straight away, following up with a Teams meeting to get to know me. They really listened to me - it didn't feel at all like the checklist-based process it normally does with recruitment firms, which was unusual. It was very much about me as a candidate and I think they’ve got this right. Your CV pretty much speaks for itself, it’s so it's more about whether the fit is right - what the employer is looking for and what your ambitions are. I feel Martin and Jeremy really got the best out of me during the call. In the space of one, hour-long, virtual meeting I went from ‘not sure’ to ‘I really want this!’

I am not from an academic background and so this was a concern initially, but Martin helped me to understand how my commercial skills would fit perfectly with what they were looking for. That's obviously because he's built a great relationship with them over the years and genuinely understands what they need and what will work. He prepared me well for the university’s interview process, which is quite different from a commercial one. It could be seen as quite daunting if you aren't prepared, but I knew exactly what would happen because Martin had talked me through how it would unfold. I felt really well prepared and think they gave me the best opportunity to do well in the interviews.

Martin kept in touch throughout the process, gave me lots of feedback and briefings on what he thought the university was looking for, how they would ask questions and useful background. To be honest, I am indebted to Mallory Partners for this new role; there are lots of executive search agencies out there and I'm really impressed with how they work. They're so approachable and responsive - there is literally nothing I could have asked them to do differently or better."