Airmec Essential Services supply health and safety, statutory compliance, fire safety, ventilation system, water safety, hygiene and treatment services to Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Defence and NHS Healthcare sites across the UK.
Headquartered in Bristol, they are one of the UK’s longest-established specialist air hygiene and water treatment solutions providers, and they offer comprehensive capabilities and seasoned expertise combined with professional and practical solutions.
They are a trusted partner offering risk assessment reviews, advice and health checks of current arrangements and specialist support to complement existing FM arrangements. The team at Moon Executive Search have worked with the main shareholder Andrew Steel for over 10 years and supported him and his team since he acquired the business.
The Challenge
The business found itself in an enviable position of needing to grow and scale up from a strategic perspective, and to bring in a new layer of management in order for them to look at new business and increase their offering. This followed a period where they had won several new contracts and seen a marked increase in their volume of work. So, these hires were exciting new opportunities to join the company during a period of market expansion.
The business is underpinned by a client first ethos which is reflected in every aspect of the service they provide - “We will not just recite the regulations at you: we will interpret them for your premises and people. We will take the long view and look for pragmatic and efficient ways of meeting your statutory obligations, not just a quick fix. We will help you identify future risks and requirement so you can budget effectively.”
They are focused on helping organisations face the challenges of today’s increasingly regulated marketplace, and the combination of comprehensive capabilities and an ability to provide clients with professional and practical solutions, differentiates them from their competitors who focus on a single solution track.
Knowing this back story and understanding the business’s aspirational goals, Moon Executive Search were tasked with bringing in several senior hires over a set period in a staggered recruitment and search campaign. These hires ranged from Sales to Operations. The roles all reported to their Operations Director and she was the key point of contact in this full-service campaign.
Our Approach
The most important factor in the search was to ensure an appropriate cultural alignment with the existing Airmec team and to bring in strategic people who could take a more helicopter and holistic view, rather than being too hands on.
So, an intrinsic element to this campaign was introducing prospective candidates who understood and demonstrated that the ‘client first ethos’ resonated with their own values and style of leadership.
To that end, all shortlisted candidates were asked to: look at a case study, review the business, write an expression of interest, answer a technical question about their understanding of the business model and finally present a brief SWOT analysis. This process was intended to test their skills and experience, as well as how they approach problem solving and identifying new opportunities as they arise.
Airmec was also very flexible on where the person could be based as their contracts surround the South West region and beyond, so candidates did not have to be from the local area. We broadened our search to include most of southern England as a result.
The Solution
Moon Executive Search were successful in bringing in several senior hires – all bringing a great mix of technical and commercial skills.
Sarah Reed, Operations Director, said ‘The Moon Executive team have built up a great understanding of our business over a very long period and that was evident in the way they handled this campaign. They were quickly able to ascertain ‘fit’ as well as act as a true search partner to our business.
The Moon Search team included Vanessa Moon, Founder, and Gemma Wilks, Executive Search Consultant, both Vanessa and Gemma worked hard at presenting a short list who were all fully vetted and who had all completed the case study.
Gemma Wilks said:
‘For me, it was such a pleasure to work with a business where there was so much history with Moon and it was also great to know that our hires will be a key part of Airmec’s next stage of growth.’
Moon Executive Search provide bespoke solutions for clients, using our extensive expertise and knowledge gained from twenty years of recruiting to find your perfect candidate. If you are looking to appoint a senior leader to your Board, visit Build Your Board to get started, or call us on 01275 371200.
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