SEARCH & SELECTION
OUR APPROACH
One thing all job descriptions have in common is an overly-long, and therefore unattainable, list of requirements.
But to find the right candidate, prioritisation is key.
We have developed an evidence-based approach which enables clients to articulate the 5 or 6 key things – the core criteria – for their brief, allowing us to find and assess candidates against what is actually important, and to compare them against each other to debate strengths and weaknesses.
One criteria is always cultural fit.
Knowledge can be transferred, experience gained, skills developed.
Briefs are theoretical, candidates are human.
SEARCH
Search is a tried and tested process which has been refined over the years, and much of our approach reflects this best practice.
But, believing they get us to better results, we consciously do some things differently:
We have research methodology behind our approach as opposed to a search mythology. Based on a constructivist worldview, we don’t believe you can separate the researcher and the research: the better the question, the more insightful the answer; the better the connection, the more honest the response. Which is why our partners do the work, as well as delivering it.
That means we are genuinely partner-led. By holding the relationships with candidates and clients, and being the first port of call for both, our partners can ask more informed questions, act as the guardians of your brief, and work together to bring different views and experience to the same challenge or opportunity
We start every search with a blank sheet of paper, even if we know a possible answer or have run a similar search before. Only then can we bring an open-mind, and spot the potential, as well as bring the well-known
Working with the Vice Chairman, we mapped the global performance director landscape across sports, assessing career journeys and skillsets as much as specific experience and capabilities. The result was a new Head of Performance solutions who brought Olympic and team sport experience to a newly created role.
Having successfully completed a VP search another headhunter had struggled with, Pandora engaged us in an on-going partnership as retained consultants. Since April 2020, we have helped fill 19 roles in various geographies and departments, and counting …
We’ve partnered Bath Rugby on a number of hires over the years, most recently placing two department heads and now working with them to help bring these teams together with combined hires who can flex across roles and responsibilities – true specialist-generalists.
We have partnered EPP at the FA for a number of years across a variety of high profile hires within our performance department. Having understood us well, they have also helped build the teams of those they have placed.
As well as providing the process, rigour and expertise you would expect of a search firm in this space, their partner-led approach has enabled them to get under the skin of our needs, understand our culture, share insight, challenge our requirements and help manage a range of stakeholders to ensure different views are heard and we are ultimately aligned in our approach.
I have really enjoyed working with David and Anna and wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them to others.
Rachel Brace – HR Director, The FA
As Chair of the Sport and Recreation Alliance I worked with EPP in the recruitment of our new CEO.
Right from the start of the process I found them full of enthusiasm, ideas and highly skillful in helping us to understand what sort of person we really needed to fulfil this demanding role. They were great advocates for our organization and extremely personable with all those they came into contact with on our behalf. EPP have built and retained relationships across the sector because of the care and focus they provide to potential candidates – simply by treating them as people!
We were all impressed by the thoroughness of the selection, and the range of candidates they were able to bring to the table. Their pragmatic use of psychometric tests allied to attention to detail added value and made all the difference.
I would have no hesitation recommending EPP for selection and executive search. Their knowledge of the sector, integrity, the refreshing ease with which they communicate, and the quality of their judgements make it inevitable that their business will grow strongly in the coming years.
Andy Reed – Chair, Sport and Recreation Alliance
Elite Performance Partners have impressed me over the last couple of years. Their knowledge and experience in performance, coupled with their understanding of the football industry, enables them to offer a unique service.
Tony Scholes – Chief Executive Officer, Stoke City
SELECTION
For roles where the candidate pool is small and well-established – or likely to be brought via agents – we have developed a bespoke selection process.
This allows us to focus our time and energy on working with our clients to help them choose the right person, at the right time, within the context of their brief, rather than looking for those they know, or who make them feel comfortable.
For these types of roles, e.g. a Head Coach, instead of conducting a full search, we run an evidence-based process to help key stakeholders and senior leaders make decisions as an aligned group via a set of properly defined criteria.
Usually involving both objective data and subjective inputs and often bringing in our partners, 21st Group, to give a different view, our selection process provides a framework both to inform decision-making and ensure all understand the decisions they have made – whilst still ensuring we bring any lateral thoughts or undiscovered prospects, to the table within the same flat fee.
Head CoachEngland Lionesses
With a brief to help maintain the progress the Lionesses had made to get from 14th to 3rd, and criteria based on philosophy and development, we built a competency based framework to select the top 6 candidates out of hundreds of prospects. Phil Neville was the solution, gaining buy-in from players and stakeholders alike.
Head CoachSwansea City FC
Individuals only succeed with the right support. Using a combination of data, context and market and club understanding, our selection process allowed the leadership team to make the informed decisions that led to the hiring of Steve Cooper and a place in the play-offs. We then successfully searched for a Head of Recruitment and Performance Analyst to complete the team.
GET IN TOUCH
We are not for everyone. We look to create an environment of challenge and support, bringing strong opinions, lightly held, to debate with our clients. But, if you think we might be for you, feel free to reach out to one of our partners here:
