Talent Acquisition Business Partner

Howden is a collective – a group of talented and passionate people all around the world. Together, we have pushed the boundaries of insurance. We are united by a shared passion and no-limits mindset, and our strength lies in our ability to collaborate as a powerful international team comprised of 18,000 employees spanning over 100 countries.

People join Howden for many different reasons, but they stay for the same one: our culture. It’s what sets us apart, and the reason our employees have been turning down headhunters for years. Whatever your priorities – work / life balance, career progression, sustainability, volunteering – you’ll find like-minded people driving change at Howden.

Here at Howden Group, we are transforming the way we deliver recruiting services to our business and in this newly created position as a Talent Acquisition Business Partner, you can truly make a difference to our organisation.

As part of the talent acquisition team, you will provide highly visible and effective end to end recruitment solutions to find the best talent for our business. You will ensure we’re attracting and retaining the highest calibre diverse talent to build the strategic capability we require as a business in the future. This is a fantastic opportunity for someone looking to join an organisation where there is real opportunity to make an impact, grow and develop in order to build a successful career in a fast-moving and transformational business.

Reporting to the Talent Acquisition Lead for Group Functions and Enterprise Divisions and joining a growing recruitment function, this position is key to drive recruitment best practice and high-touch business partnering support as we look to embed and promote our enhanced recruitment model for the group internationally. The successful incumbent will bring with them the prior experience of embedding consistent and structured recruitment practices both in the UK and internationally and will have experience of hiring in fast-paced, highly commercial and entrepreneurial environments. Additionally, you will have experience of delivering beyond the day to day and working with the TA Lead, the wider TA team and other Centres of Expertise (CoE) to deliver wider HR strategic initiatives and priorities. In summary, this a great opportunity for a highly commercial, structured and progressive recruiter to join us on an exciting journey as we look to transform the way we recruit at Howden.

Key Accountabilities

• Embed the centralised recruitment model across Group Functions and Enterprise Divisions
• Work with senior stakeholders to build the recruitment team brand and encourage managers to engage with the recruitment team at all levels
• Lead on strategic Talent Acquisition initiatives, working with other CoE’s & HRBP’s, which align to the wider integrated HR Plan built to drive business growth and a high performance culture
• Own the end to end recruitment process for your client groups, from initiation through to on-boarding and pre-hire
• 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 HR team and line managers at all levels to ensure a detailed understanding of resourcing needs
• Pro-actively source talent for a selection of your vacancies using a range of channels (LinkedIn Recruiter, Social media, online forums and CV databases etc)
• Build a comprehensive suite of assessment tools and evolve as and when required
• 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 TA Leads, HR teams and wider business areas using a set of agreed recruitment metrics. Ensure D&I features in this
• Coach recruiting managers to improve interviewing, assessment and selection competence. Educating the wider business on the group’s recruitment approach, challenging where appropriate
• Be an advocate for hiring diverse talent into the organization, utilising a variety of sourcing, assessment and influencing skills to achieve this.
• Maintain the Workday Recruiting ATS (Applicant Tracking System) for all roles to ensure accurate reporting

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Be an experienced recruiter skilled at identifying great talent - both for current and future roles
• Experienced in Workday Recruiting (or similar ATS), direct sourcing through LinkedIn recruiter, and internal stakeholder management
• Ability to think strategically beyond the daily BAU requirements i.e. support the TA Lead on delivery of strategic initiatives and projects
• Be an enthusiastic and collaborative teammate with a strong drive and ambition to create a positive work environment and to deliver results
• Commercial awareness and a demonstrable ability to understand stakeholder groups
• Adaptable to change
• 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
• Strong attention to detail and be able to work independently
• Be able to adapt your style, think on your feet and have a can-do mentality
• A solid understanding of, or interest to learn, financial services / insurance.

This role is for a fixed term of 18 months.

A career that you define. At Howden, we value diversity – there is no one Howden type. Instead, we’re looking for individuals who share the same values as us:

• Our successes have all come from someone brave enough to try something new
• We support each other in the small everyday moments and the bigger challenges
• We are determined to make a positive difference at work and beyond

We're committed to providing reasonable accommodations at Howden to ensure that our positions align well with your needs. Besides the usual adjustments such as software, IT, and office setups, we can also accommodate other changes such as flexible hours* or hybrid working*.

If you're excited by this role but have some doubts about whether it’s the right fit for you, send us your application – if your profile fits the role’s criteria, we will be in touch to assist in helping to get you set up with any reasonable adjustments you may require.

*Not all positions can accommodate changes to working hours or locations. Reach out to your Recruitment Partner if you want to know more.