Talent Acquisition Lead

2 days ago

London, UK, United Kingdom myGwork Full time

This inclusive employer is a member of myGwork – the largest global platform for the LGBTQ+ business community.

From day one, our mission has been to create an independent business with a unique culture - one that is controlled by the people who work for it. Finding the most talented and entrepreneurial people has always been key to our success.

People come to Howden for lots of different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. That's what sets us apart, and why we nurture and retain the best talent in the market. Whatever your priorities - work/life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering - you'll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

Role overview

Here at Howden, we are transforming the way we deliver recruiting services to our business. In this newly created Talent Acquisition Lead role, you can truly make a difference to our organisation.

As part of the global recruitment team, you will provide highly visible and effective end to end recruitment solutions to find the best talent for our UK&I Retail business. Working with the locally embedded Talent Acquisition teams across Retail, you will ensure we're attracting and retaining the highest caliber of diverse talent to build the strategic capability we require as a business in the future, while embedding scalability into everything you do. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone looking to progress their career in an organisation where they can create real impact in a fast-moving and transformational business.

Reporting to the HR Director for Howden UK&I Retail (and the Group Head of Talent Acquisition), this position is key to driving Retail consistent recruitment best practices and high-touch business partnering support as we look to embed and promote our enhanced recruitment model. The successful incumbent will bring with them prior experience in embedding consistent recruitment practices and hiring in a fast-paced environment. You will partner with the HR Director, the local Talent Acquisition teams, the HR Leads and other Centers of Expertise to deliver wider HR strategic initiatives and priorities. This a great opportunity for a progressive recruiter to join us on an exciting journey as we look to transform the way attract and hire the best talent across the globe.

This role will also work closely with the HR Director, Group Head of Talent Acquisition and HR Leads to define the DEI strategy and framework for UKI Retail.

Role Responsibilities

  • Embed the recruitment model and plan across Howden UK&I Retail, driving direct hiring initiatives and demonstrating ROI continuously

  • Spearhead new TA initiatives, in partnership with the Group TA COE, around emerging talent, DE&I early-careers, employer brand, onboarding, and others as they arise

  • Collaborate with the Retail HR and TA teams to review and refine the hiring processes to build a more consistent and scalable talent acquisition model for UKI Retail

  • Work with senior stakeholders to build the TA team brand and encourage hiring managers to engage with the in-house TA team at all levels

  • In partnership with the HR Leads and local TA teams ensure a consistent and robust end-to-end recruitment process from initiation through to on-boarding and pre-hire across Retail.

  • Be an employer brand ambassador for the group, delivering a first-class candidate experience at all stages of the recruitment process

  • Work closely with the wider Retail TA & HR teams and line managers at all levels to ensure a detailed understanding of strategic hiring needs

  • With the Retail TA ‘s teams, proactively build talent pipelines in line with hiring need and capability requirements

  • Be an active contributor and influencer in the recruitment process, providing best practice advice to hiring managers, advising on appropriate selection methods, leading interviews and influencing decisions to ensure an inclusive hiring process

  • Produce regular reports for the Retail HR Director, and local TAteams and wider business using a set of agreed upon recruitment metrics, including DEI hiring metrics.

  • With the Retail TA teams, coach hiring managers to improve interviewing, assessment and selection competence while educating the wider business on the group's recruitment approach and challenging where appropriate

  • Partner with the TA COE and Retail TA teams to create a preferred vendor list for hiring needs across the organization

Key requirements

  • Be an experienced senior recruiter with the ability to identify great talent - both for current and future roles

  • Track record of implementing new hiring processes and procedures

  • Ability to think strategically beyond the daily requirements i.e. support the HR Director and Group Head of Talent Acquisition on delivery of strategic initiatives and projects

  • Be an enthusiastic and collaborative team player with a strong drive and ambition to create a positive work environment and to deliver results

  • A demonstrable ability to manage various stakeholder groups and shifting priorities

  • Outstanding communication and influencing skills

  • Enjoy working in a fast-paced environment, being able to generate a quality pipeline of candidates under tight time constraints

  • Be able to adapt your style, think on your feet and have a can-do mentality

  • Ability to provide exceptional candidate experiences throughout the entire hiring process

Our Culture: People First

We've travelled far since opening our first office in 1994. Back then we were local experts - based in London, with direct access to the world's biggest insurance market. We're still locals, and we still deliver the right advice and the right insurance to our clients. But now, we're local all over the world. With 15,000 global colleagues and a partner network spanning more than 100 territories, we are the largest independent insurance broker in the world. But our values haven't changed since day one, when we set out to create a company grounded in:

• An employee-ownership model
• Aligned external investors
• The trust and integrity born of friendship
• Expertise
• Independence

Our focus on being a people-first business has always been at the very heart of Howden. Our vision was to create an independent business with a unique culture; one that would survive and thrive as a business controlled by the people working for it. Our employee ownership model sets us apart in the market. It's created a culture of collaboration and innovation, where we're driven to think bigger and empowered to challenge convention.

Our flat structure and entrepreneurial spirit help us attract the best people and empower them to be the best version of themselves. And when we bring in and nurture great talent, more follows. That makes us better - and that's better for everyone.

Diversity & Inclusion


At Howden we consider our people our chief competitive advantage and as such we treat colleagues, candidates, clients, and business partners with equality, fairness and respect, regardless of their age, disability, race, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, marital status or family circumstances.

Permanent#LI-DNI

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