How BDO found the right Director for Scotland – without wading through irrelevant CVs

The situation

When Ross Northall at BDO needed to recruit a Director in Scotland, the challenge wasn’t simply finding someone with the right technical experience.

The hire needed to work on several levels: seniority, capability, cultural fit and alignment with what BDO was trying to achieve strategically. Ross had seen the alternative before – recruiters sending large numbers of CVs and leaving the hiring team to do the filtering themselves.

Gemma was already known within BDO through her work with other parts of the business, so when the Scotland requirement arose, Ross described her as ‘the obvious person to go to’.

The task

The brief was to identify a Director who fitted BDO properly, not simply someone who matched a job description.

That meant understanding:

• The level of experience Ross needed.
• The culture of BDO and the kind of person who would thrive within it.
• The needs of the R&D team.
• The strategic direction Ross was trying to build towards.

Ross felt Gemma May understood that brief from the outset.

The action

Rather than approaching the search as a numbers exercise, Gemma focused on careful assessment and intelligent filtering.

People were considered against the wider brief before being introduced, with Gemma doing much of the vetting upfront. Ross also valued the way candidates arrived well prepared, meaning interviews could quickly become meaningful conversations rather than an initial fact-finding exercise.

Just as importantly, the advice around potential candidates was candid. Gemma didn’t position every person as perfect simply to move the process forward; the emphasis was on giving BDO an honest view so Ross could make an informed decision.

The results

The search resulted in Angela being appointed to the Director role in Scotland, with Ross saying Gemma May had ‘absolutely nailed‘ the brief.

The experience also gave BDO:

• Fewer irrelevant CVs to review.
• Properly vetted and prepared candidates.
• Honest advice about strengths and fit.
• A recruitment relationship Ross describes as collaborative rather than transactional.

For Ross, that combination of market understanding, preparation and candour is what makes the relationship particularly valuable.