Case Study: Providing an Urgent Temporary Team Assistant for a Life Sciences Consultancy

About The Client

Our client provides consultancy services to the life sciences industry.

The Challenge

Our client needed to hire a part-time, temporary Team Assistant to cover key administrative duties while their Office Manager departed for an extended period of annual leave/sabbatical.

The client needed a reliable and adaptable candidate who could provide a range of support to the rest of the team.

Historically, the client had never used a recruitment agency as a senior stakeholder preferred to take direct responsibility for recruitment. They were also sceptical of the financial and strategic value recruitment agencies could add when hiring at a small volume.

The client decided to reach out to Adecco as one of their team members had utilised our services while employed at a different company. The team member recommended us for our value, fast service, and ability to source high-calibre candidates.

The client came to us to source and appoint a temporary Team Assistant to start in one month’s time. Initially, the client was eager to receive CVs immediately to expedite the process. However, with a four-week wait until the expected start date, we suggested a strategic recruitment plan to provide a better range of candidates.

Our Solution

Our team conducted a video call with the client’s stakeholders to learn about the business, their specific needs, and what qualities they wanted to see in an ideal candidate. We also discussed what the role would entail in greater detail.

As part of our conversations, we outlined Adecco’s approach to recruitment, and the value of our infrastructure, specialisms, expertise, and established candidate database.

The client was impressed by our service offering and ability to provide a dedicated account manager. We communicated a clear recruitment plan to the client, including timelines, dates they would receive CVs, and when to expect interview slots and feedback calls. We also guided them through how our interview process worked and the thorough compliance checks we would undertake before the successful candidate started.

We also advised the client on candidate salary expectations and other market trends, which they had not considered before and helped them to align their budget with the level of experience needed.

The initial meeting was followed up with a proposal document, detailing our pricing and service offering, along with more information on our teams and brands. We also specified the benefits our temporary workers receive, including those not offered by similar recruitment organisations.

Sourcing and Interviewing Candidates

We started sourcing potential candidates from our existing candidate database and targeted new talent through our advertising channels as well as our multiple external job boards.

The interview process consisted of an initial screening call with one of our candidate consultants followed by another in depth call with the recruitment consultant at Adecco, where we discussed the candidate’s experience and expectations as well as the client and the opportunity in detail.

Once the top candidates were shortlisted by the team, CVs, profiles, candidate availability, and relevant experience were sent over to the client. The client then met with a shortlist of successful candidates for in-person interviews. This structured approach ultimately streamlined the hiring process and reduced the risk of losing qualified candidates thanks to an engaging process.

Throughout this process, we also maintained open lines of communication, gathering feedback after each stage to ensure alignment with the client’s expectations.

Outcomes

The successful candidate started on the expected start date, providing enough time for a handover period with the permanent Office Manager.

Throughout the process, Adecco were able to provide valuable advice and guide the client on multiple recruitment aspects, drawing on our experience covering temporary and permanent recruitment for similar clients. This included advice on interviewing and which candidates we thought would be the best fit.

During the six-week assignment, we conducted multiple service reviews and received very positive feedback. The client’s stakeholders were pleased with the process and told us the Team Assistant had settled in quickly with a strong work ethic and a skilled approach to tasks.

The client also informed us that they valued our market and salary guidance and the structured approach provided, and they would look to work with us again on future recruitment needs.

Ultimately, Adecco showcased the value of working with an external provider to a business that had historically preferred to manage its own recruitment.

Key Results

• Successfully supplied a candidate to start on the client’s expected start date.
• Exceeded client expectations, with strong feedback received.
• The client is looking to work with Adecco on future recruitment needs.

Manage Your Flexible Recruitment Needs with Adecco

At Adecco, we have over 40 years of experience helping companies manage their flexible recruitment needs across multiple industries and sectors, including recruiting for senior and niche candidates.

We are ready for any challenge, with the proven ability to scale up and down, fill positions quickly, and change course as needed.

Talk to us today.

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