CASE STUDY: Hiring the Right Talent

The Employer:

A leading professional services firm with a specialist division dedicated to Reward advisory. Their clients range from mid-sized businesses to FTSE-listed companies, all relying on expert guidance around Reward Strategy, Equity Plans, Employee Incentives and Executive Compensation.

The Challenge:

As demand for their services grew, the firm needed to expand the team — specifically someone with hands-on experience in Reward consulting. But this proved harder than expected.

Despite multiple attempts through generalist recruitment agencies, the CVs they received were underwhelming. Many candidates came from generic HR or admin backgrounds with limited exposure to incentive schemes or reward strategy. Few truly understood the technical side — and even fewer had the confidence to speak directly with clients.

Why Harvey Sutton?

Having worked with them previously, the firm turned to Harvey Sutton once again. Unlike generalist recruiters, Harvey Sutton are immersed in the Reward market. They not only understand the specialist skills involved but also know where to find the right talent — even those not actively applying.

What stood out was their ability to:

• Quickly grasp the nuances of the role
• Distinguish between admin-level HR support and true Reward experience
• Engage candidates already in similar roles, even if they weren’t actively job-hunting
• Present only those with genuine technical depth and career ambition

The Harvey Sutton Network Advantage:

Because they work with this candidate pool day in, day out, Harvey Sutton have built deep, trusted relationships over time. Many of their candidates have been placed more than once and wouldn’t entertain direct approaches from in-house recruiters — nor would they check job boards or LinkedIn for openings. They rely on Harvey Sutton to scan the market for opportunities that align with their goals. As a result, employers who don’t work with Harvey Sutton risk missing out on highly experienced, in-demand candidates who simply aren’t visible through traditional channels.

The Result:

Within a short time, Harvey Sutton presented a shortlist of high-calibre candidates — all with relevant experience and potential to grow within the team. The successful hire has now hit the ground running, managing client accounts confidently and contributing to key reward projects from week one.

Client Feedback:

“Harvey Sutton just gets it. They know what ‘Reward experience’ really means and where to find it. We don’t waste time explaining the basics — they already speak our language. We now go to them first whenever we need to grow the team.”