The Assignment:
Electi Talent was engaged to identify and secure a high-performing New Business Development Manager capable of building a significant pipeline of new corporate business.
The role focused on developing large multi-site contracts across sectors including facilities management, healthcare, education, care homes and public sector organisations.
Typical opportunities ranged from £100,000 to £600,000 in annual spend and often involved structured procurement processes, tender submissions and presentations to senior decision makers.
The successful individual would need to combine strong new business capability with the credibility to operate in complex buyer environments.
The Challenge:
The assignment presented several key challenges.
The first was the extremely competitive talent market. The role required a rare combination of attributes including a proven hunter mentality, experience securing large corporate contracts, sector knowledge within janitorial, hygiene or chemical supply and the confidence
to engage senior decision makers. Professionals with this profile are highly sought after and often involved in multiple recruitment processes simultaneously.
The second challenge related to geography. The successful candidate needed to operate nationally while maintaining strong alignment with the organisation’s leadership team in Shrewsbury. This required a Midlands base with the ability to travel nationally while maintaining regular collaboration with head office.
The third challenge was the stage of organisational development. Arrow was transitioning from an entrepreneurial SME sales model into a more structured corporate sales organisation following its acquisition by Bunzl. The successful hire therefore needed to combine entrepreneurial drive with the discipline required to operate in a more structured corporate sales environment.
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The Electi 126 Approach:
Electi Talent implemented its Electi 126 search methodology, combining strategic market mapping with highly personalised candidate engagement.
The process began with detailed mapping of the relevant talent pool across janitorial and hygiene distribution, facilities management service providers, PPE and chemical supply organisations and specialist cleaning and hygiene manufacturers.
This mapping exercise identified more than 400 potential individuals operating within the relevant commercial ecosystem.
Rather than focusing on high volumes of CV submissions, the search prioritised high-quality engagement with carefully selected candidates. This included direct executive outreach, structured exploratory conversations and detailed assessment of commercial track record, cultural alignment and new business capability.
During the course of the search, more than 220 professionals were engaged directly.
Recognising that many high-performing sales professionals are already engaged in multiple opportunities, Electi Talent worked with the client to design a candidate-friendly early hiring process. Initial stages focused on exploratory conversations with senior leadership rather than traditional interviews. This approach created a more open dialogue around growth, ambition and opportunity while maintaining strong engagement with passive candidates.
Rapid Hiring Results
Filling 80% of open positions within a tight 7-week timeframe.
Longevity
Ensuring new hires would remain with Johnsons for at least one year.
Optimise Interview-to-Hire Ratio
Improving the interview-to-hire ratio to optimise HR resources
Search overview
The result for the client:
The appointed candidate brought a strong track record of securing complex corporate accounts, building new business pipelines and managing structured procurement processes.
The hire supported Arrow County Supplies as it continued to expand its corporate sales capability and pursue larger national opportunities following its acquisition by Bunzl.
The search demonstrated the effectiveness of the Electi 126 methodology in securing high-performing commercial talent within highly competitive markets.
The smartest leaders will succeed with careful decision making and strategic recruitment, we can help you navigate this. Schedule a call with Louisa directly here to find out how we are challenging the industry norms.
