Our Clients

• Accounting
• Banking, Finance & Insurance
• Business Support
• Contracting
• Government
• Hospitality
• Human Resources
• Legal
• Operations & Engineering
• Sales & Marketing
• Technology

Accounting

Our client, one of Australia’s leading airlines, restructured their Finance function and enlisted Hamilton James & Bruce to assist them in recruiting a Finance Director, Financial Controller and a Finance support team of Business Analysts, and Management and Financial Accountants.

They chose to work together with Hamilton James & Bruce due to our understanding of their business and the excellence of our candidate care programme.  During our initial meeting, we focused on an in-depth brief that uncovered their needs.  We also provided them with information on present market conditions so they could set their expectations around skills, salaries and availability of candidates.

In agreement with the client, we delivered an “end to end” process to recruit the team, which involved database mining, advertising, search & selection, assessment, profiling, reference checking, and after-care service.

As a result of this integrated approach, we were successful in placing a number of high calibre candidates into their Finance function, which ensured that the restructure was completed within budget and on time.

Banking, Finance & Insurance

Sydney is an ever changing market place for financial services, influenced by the nature of wealth creation and the growing funds under management that have been swelled by compulsory superannuation.

The demand for talent, especially with overseas expertise, is intense and anyone who can demonstrate experience and the capability to provide new product offerings will captivate the minds of clients all over Australia.

In one such example, Hamilton James & Bruce partnered with a director level candidate who had been living in New York and wanted to return to Australia with his family. 

By taking the time to understand his needs, his key selling proposition and his motivators, we were able to align them with the needs of our clients and arrange for him to interview with seven major institutions.

The net result was a successful placement and relocation of our candidate and his family.  We have since built on this experience by providing other clients with innovative solutions to finding the right people for their business.

Business Support

Hamilton James & Bruce has worked with one of Australia’s leading energy companies for many years.

Following a referral from the client’s Human Resources Department, Our Queensland office was asked to recruit a Personal Assistant for their Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Strategic Projects Manager.

The successful person had to be experienced and be able to perform a diverse range of duties which included assisting senior executives with the preparation of staff performance review documentation and presentations to the CFO.

As this role had to be filled quickly, we searched the Hamilton James & Bruce database and placed an advertisement on SEEK.  From this, we achieved a list of ten quality candidates.  Three candidates were shortlisted and our client interviewed them all, which resulted in a successful placement.

All this happened within seven working days from the initial briefing, demonstrating our ability to meet our client’s needs in a professional and expeditious manner.

Contracting

One of our major banking clients was recently undertaking a review of its risk and audit control systems and processes.  Hamilton James & Bruce was asked to put together a team of experienced contractors to undertake the project, which included a Project Manager, four Business Analysts and an IT Auditor.

Within two weeks we had provided a cohesive team which was asked by the client to map business processes, develop risk scenarios and assess IT controls ahead of transforming the bank’s internal processes to global best practice.

The team quickly established itself and the processes they developed were then used by other project streams located in different areas of the bank, who were working on the same program.

The team was highly regarded and, following the successful completion of the project, the Project Manager and two of the business analysts were asked to remain with the bank to work on other projects.

Government

Hamilton James & Bruce (HJB) was retained to recruit the General Manager and four Directors for a key department of a large NSW Government agency.  These roles were critical to the successful launch of this restructured agency as a result of recommendations to redesign and restructure its operations and its interactions with clients in NSW.

A very detailed and methodical approach was designed to ensure the integrity of the process and compliance with Merit Selection protocols.  Our Government team met with the Acting General Manager and his HR team on a number of occasions to create a sourcing and selection process for all the roles.

Once the processes were signed off, we implemented the advertising strategy, developed a “long list” of search targets and conducted a search of our own database.  A dedicated microsite was designed to facilitate a seamless process for candidates.  This microsite gave an overview of the project, had a hot link to the client’s website, and provided organisational structures, information packs, job descriptions and a guide on how to apply for the position(s).

We consulted extensively with the client to ensure that all advertisement content, competency based interview questions and reference topics were signed off before activating. 

HJB presented the shortlists to the Convenors and Panel Members for each role.  We also organised all panel interviews which were conducted onsite at the client’s site and provided the Panel Members with summation reports for ease of reference.  We were also responsible for conducting reference checks, negotiating offers and commencement dates, and ensuring that all unsuccessful candidates were provided with detailed feedback in a professional manner.

We then assisted the client’s HR team to finalise all letters of offer.  Post placement follow up took the form of personal visits and phone calls.

Managing the diversity of the roles during a simultaneous campaign was a significant operational accomplishment.  Measuring criteria utilised throughout the campaign ensured an on time delivery of the project within budget.

Hospitality

A luxury North Queensland resort, which is the regional flagship of a global brand, had exhausted every avenue trying to fill a senior Food & Beverage (F&B) management role over a six month period. They were eventually referred to HJB Provincial Personnel by one of their industry contacts.

Within the resort, the absence of a strong leader had started to undermine morale in F&B, as well as in the Rooms Division, and had begun to affect the property’s once outstanding reputation for discreet, unmarred efficiency and professional service.

Our experienced consulting team worked intensively on this critical assignment from the first contact.  We fast-tracked the position specification process, interrogated our database, initiated search activities and prepared draft advertisements within 48 hours. As a result of our industry knowledge and proactive approach, several candidates were identified. The client then conducted final interviews and issued an offer within seven days of the original brief.

The appointee has proven to be a highly successful hiring for the group. Subsequently, many of the global chain’s Australian properties have also become satisfied customers of HJB Provincial Personnel.

Human Resources

With the introduction of full retail contestability in the energy market, our client needed to restructure their retail business unit to face greater competition.  Ten new roles were required to manage this restructure and Hamilton James & Bruce (HJB) was selected to fill them all.  The roles included Manager - Project Delivery; Implementation Manager; Business Analyst – Implementation; Learning & Development Consultant; Manager - Process Improvement; Culture and Change Facilitator; Culture and Change Manager; and Senior HR Advisor.

HJB appointed three dedicated consultants and a recruitment coordinator to work on the project.  Consultants were appointed to the project on the basis that the diverse recruitment requirements of each position were met (eg., a consultant specialising in Human Resources was appointed to lead the project team to recruit the Change, Advisory and Learning & Development Consultants).

A HJB project manager was appointed to manage the relationship with the client, to ensure service levels were met, and quality and consistency were adhered to in the delivery of the recruitment services.
HJB consulted with the client on the recruitment strategy, approach and timeframes.  All job specifications, sourcing strategies and selection methods were approved by the client before implementation.

Seven of the 10 roles were advertised in The Australian Financial Review.  All roles were advertised in the one advertisement to meet the deadlines of the project and create large savings in relation to advertising. 

All roles were successfully filled.

Legal

Hamilton James & Bruce was retained by a mid tier national law firm to undertake a strategic, targeted search for an Industrial and Employment Relations Partner.

The aim of the search was to bring across an experienced partner from another firm with a substantial practice and client base.

Through our search methodology, we were able to identify a number of potential partners and then made the appropriate approaches.

The end result was that we ended up placing a successful partner from a national top tier firm into our client’s firm.  As a result, our client has substantially increased their billings in the Industrial and Employment Relations area.

Since filling this role, we’ve further built on our relationship with the candidate by holding joint client functions, which has resulted in new business opportunities for our client and Hamilton James & Bruce.

Operations & Engineering

Our client is a manufacturing company who were spending $20 million to upgrade their plant over a 12 month period.

They required a project team to design, install and commission the machinery within the 12 month period, which meant that they needed to recruit two Project Engineers and four Design Draftspeople.  We entered the picture two months after the client had given the roles to another agency who failed to deliver any quality candidates.

During the initial meeting, we took a detailed brief that focused on the client’s needs.  When combining this with our knowledge of what the market had to offer in terms of skills, salary and availability, we were able to get an agreed job specification from the client.  Due to our strong candidate care program, we were able to identify candidates with the correct skills, experience and availability and effectively match them to the job.  Within three weeks we had successfully placed candidates all six roles.

The client was extremely thankful and was able to put the project back on track, completing it before time and within budget.

Sales & Marketing

Our client is one of Australia’s leading not-for-profit organisations, whose national office is in Sydney.

We recently worked with the Corporate and Community Partnerships team to replace one if its key members, the most Senior Corporate Partnerships Manager.  As a valued member of the team, they were keen to involve her in the selection process.  We discussed with her what was important to the business, the corporate partners and the team, to establish a brief for the ideal candidate.

In agreement with the client, we decided to run an advertisement in the Sydney Morning Herald to attract candidates and received a high number of relevant applications.

Of the four quality candidates that were shortlisted and interviewed by the client, one was exceptional.  He quickly went to second interview and was about to be offered the job when another key member of the Corporate and Community Partnerships team resigned, which prompted a rethink of the client’s needs.  It was agreed to progress the current offer and also establish a new brief for the additional role.

As this additional role had a different focus, none of the other shortlisted candidates matched the new brief.  However, in continuing our search, we sourced another candidate who matched all the criteria.

The following day, she interviewed with the team.  Our client liked her so much, she was offered the job the same day.  Both candidates started at the same time and are enjoying their new roles.  The client is also delighted with how the candidates are doing individually, and how they fit in to the culture of the overall team.

Technology

Hamilton James & Bruce won a bid to recruit a new CIO into a major NSW Government organisation.  Their existing CIO had resigned with little notice and they needed a replacement as soon as practical.  The client had previously recruited this role themselves and found it to be a difficult task.  They hoped that by going to Hamilton James & Bruce, we would be able to make a quality placement in a short period of time.

We demonstrated to the client that we understood all the Government processes and could provide the appropriate services.  By taking recruitment tasks away and giving the client a single point of liaison, they also realised that it would make the entire process a lot simpler for them.

Keeping the client fully informed throughout the recruitment process, we were able to provide a high quality shortlist within the timeframes originally agreed.

Following the interviews, the CEO stated that he was impressed with the quality and capability of the candidates he had met.  In fact, he felt that the final decision was "pleasantly difficult" as he would have been happy to offer the role to two candidates.

A final offer was made and accepted, and all concerned felt that the process had a successful outcome.

 

 

Note: These case studies are for illustrative purposes only and give an indication of the services that Hamilton James & Bruce may provide.