Cobalt news

Retail & Leisure Sector Recruitment

01/08/2006

Sourcing high calibre property professionals across all commercial sectors has been a difficult task for many organisations, particularly over the last few years.

For the retail and leisure sectors, in private practice, occupier and Landlord environments, this has been particularly so and all the evidence suggests that the situation, rather than improving with time, is worsening.

Whatever the reasons for this are and they are numerous and complex, clients are finding that they are having to spend more and more time looking for high quality candidates to add value to their teams as well as to develop their businesses further.

The specialist retail and leisure private practices look for high calibre individuals who have made a good name for themselves in the market. At senior levels they need and expect a lot more than a competent processor and look to candidates to bring key clients with them.

Generally speaking, key individuals are well looked after by their existing employers who understand the significance of them leaving their respective businesses. Add to this the necessity of having to make those covert and sometimes embarrassing personal approaches to individuals who may express no wish to make a move to a client's particular organisation and you begin to understand why recruiting is seen as a real headache.

The occupiers too are finding it extremely difficult to attract quality additions to their teams. Management surveyors with good retail or leisure experience are extremely thin on the ground. In addition, the A1 and A3 acquisitions markets are two of the most competitive markets in the industry, in terms of stock and personnel.

Clients are constantly seeking acquisition surveyors with established track records who have very special professional and personal qualities and skills that will help them to reach and exceed their roll-out targets.

There are a good number of A1 and A3 occupiers with ambitious expansion plans all bidding for the same stock, on the same prime or secondary pitches, in an environment where receiving consent for Change of Use has never been more difficult.

The maturity of these important UK markets makes it more competitive still with few retail destinations not having existing representation. This is why occupiers need candidates who can see an angle and create opportunities that more pedestrian surveyors might not spot. They also need high levels of drive, energy, determination and motivation if they are to deliver and not become quickly disillusioned.

Few would disagree that for recruiters the retail and leisure sectors have not always been the easiest of markets to operate in. Clients look for highly specialist skills and often know who they are keen to attract through their own daily dealings. Market intelligence is key. Understanding the dynamics of the market, understanding who does what and where, is of fundamental importance to recruiters who aim to successfully service their clients requirements on an ongoing basis.

In the past clients often used their own networks to initially attempt to fill a vacancy only looking to a recruiter if and when required. Today, this approach rarely results in success. Increasingly, clients see a good recruiter, with a high degree of market knowledge and understanding, as an essential and integral part of the recruitment process, a true business partner.

To be a market leading business, clients need a winning team including utilising the services of a recruiter, a position Cobalt occupies within a number of high profile businesses. A specialist retail and leisure recruiter is constantly in the market, constantly speaking to candidates and establishing which roles they are keen to hear about. These candidates are then matched with clients roles as and when they become live.

A tough market has also had implications for the recruitment approach adopted as well. Advertising in the leading property magazines has always been a useful tool in an overall recruitment strategy but this method on its own does not now generally achieve the best results.

Contingency recruitment still has a big part to play as part of a strategic approach but proves less effective in the more specialist and more highly defined areas. Whilst some high calibre individuals may be found on databases, if they are worth their salt they will not remain there long. Incredibly, Cobalt candidates will often receive offers from our clients within seven working days of speaking to us about their aspirations for a move.

More and more often the targeted campaign model is the solution of choice for companies that are serious about unearthing the best candidates and achieving the best results. The key to this approach is understanding which organisations and which individuals to target. The recruiter must be able to establish the extent of the market in terms of potential individuals and be able to demonstrate that all suitable individuals have been covered by the search. Cobalt's highly focused and targeted search campaigns typically take six weeks to complete and our success rate in this area is in excess of 95%.

Cobalt Recruitment has a dedicated Retail & Leisure division which covers the UK from our London and Manchester offices.

We understand the specialist requirements of our retail and leisure clients mainly because the team comprises a mix of highly experienced property recruiters and property professionals from retail and leisure backgrounds.

Our industry knowledge and skill in satisfying our clients requirements has been successfully tested for a number of years.

With honest and straightforward advice and the ability to fill even the most challenging of our clients' requirements we are now requested to act for many specialist retail and leisure focused organisations including private practices, occupiers, Landlords and developers, many of whom will not consider recruiting without involving us.

To hear more about how Cobalt's specialist Retail & Leisure division can add value to your property teams, please contact our Retail Teams in London: 020 7808 3300 or Manchester: 0161 247 8646.