Public sector
& not-for-profit recruitment experts.

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The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea was seeking to appoint a Director of Financial Management (Deputy Section 151 Officer). We were seeking the right person to really leave a mark and to help RBKC become the best council for all our communities as the bereaved and survivors of the Grenfell Tower tragedy have challenged us to be. While it was important that candidates were technically sound, far more important to us was a commitment to improving the outcomes for residents and understanding the crucial role that effective management of money and other resources can make to achieving that.  The council therefore secured the services of Allen Lane to provide a targeted and robust approach to this crucial role. The approach was focused on targeting suitable candidates with the exact skills and levels of experience required, with Allen Lane managing the full life cycle of the campaign. This resulted in a successful outcome with a longlist of suitable candidates, who were then selected for technical assessments, and from which a strong shortlist and ultimately an appointment to the role was achieved. The services provided were very professional with regular updates being provided throughout the process and I would highly recommend Allen Lane to those seeking to appoint to key financial roles in their organisations’.

Mike Curtis

Executive Director of Resources (Section 151 Officer)

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Croydon Council was seeking to appoint a Director of Finance (Deputy Section 151 Officer). With the finance challenges which Croydon had faced, we were seeking to appoint an individual who wanted to make real lasting impact on financial governance and management in one of London’s largest Councils as we deliver the Croydon Renewal Improvement Plan, and someone determined to take Croydon forward into a sustainable financial future. The council therefore secured the services of Allen Lane to provide a targeted and robust approach to this crucial role.  The approach was focussed on targeting suitable candidates with the exact skills and levels of experience required, with Allen Lane managing the campaign and putting steps in place to help ensure an opportunity of a credible shortlist to interview. This resulted in a successful outcome with a longlist of suitable candidates from which a strong shortlist and ultimately an appointment to the role was achieved. The services provided were very professional with regular updates being provided throughout the process and I would highly recommend Allen Lane to those seeking to appoint to key financial roles in their organisations.

Jane West

Corporate Director of Resources (Section 151 Officer)

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I commend Ridhi for her resilience and how she aligns people with culture. Over the last twelve months she has worked tirelessly to find me right people, right skills and right fit. Her work ethic together with her soft skills (in particular when faced with challenges around expectation and communication) has resulted in a successful change transition within the legal team. Ridhi has been instrumental in supporting my key team objectives. With her help, we now have team depth and a wider skill set offering to better serve our internal clients and ultimately the residents in the district.

Julie Galvin

Monitoring Officer, Data Protection Officer and Legal Services Manager at an Essex county local authority

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I have worked with Allen Lane as both a recruiting manager and a candidate. She demonstrates excellent market knowledge and provides clear advice on role, skill sets and appropriate salary levels. As a recruiting manager she always provides a quality list of candidates that could undertake the role. Allen Lane is always keen to ensure that the role is right for the candidate and the candidate is the right person for the role and the organisation. It is an approach that goes way beyond just filling a role And shows her understanding of both organisation and candidates.

David

Recruiting Manager within charity, arts and not-for-profit sector

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We used Allen Lane to recruit for a senior finance role as Assistant Director of Finance for Children and Young People Services. Children services is one of the key areas of strain and poses significant challenges to local government finance and service delivery. We were keen to work with a recruitment agency that was experienced in supporting such a high profile recruitment, offering a full wraparound service, including microsite, web content advice, assessment centre, shortlisting and onboarding support. The campaign was tendered for and Allen Lane came in with the best all round offer including price. The team at Allen Lane were excellent throughout the process and Jack Murphy provided excellent advice and support throughout, being very responsive to last minute changes and questions. I would highly recommend Allen Lane.

Hamant Bharadia

Assistant Director of Finance and Deputy s151 at London Borough of Lambeth

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I would like to say how grateful I am Ed for his assistance and support during my recent recruitment process. The initial information pack about the role was detailed and clear. Since receiving an offer, Ed has been attentive and promptly followed up on any queries I had, ensuring clear communication throughout and has subsequently been able to help in negotiating an offer that was amenable to all parties. I am very grateful for all the support I have been offered throughout the whole recruitment process.

Deputy Director – SCS1

Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency

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I want to show a deep appreciation for the way you supported me during the interview process with RBKC. Not only your swift response to my email communications during the process and the guidance on the expectations and preparation for the interview, but also, progressive guidance and words of encouragement and advice you gave me to prepare well and remain positive during the interview journey, I want to say thank you Ed. Once again,  I want to express my appreciation for your level of professionalism towards the support you offered to me during the RBKC employment process. Based on this fantastic experience, I want to draw a conclusion that Allen Lane is a good recruitment company that any new employee would love to associate with.

Solutions Architect

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea

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I have known Allen Lane for over ten years since I started out as an interim. The team at Allen Lane is perfectly suited to the role of a recruitment consulting. First and foremost Allen Lane is a connector and knows everyone in the sector. Allen Lane is also hard working and focused which makes them well placed to respond to urgent recruitment needs. Allen Lane is also hugely experienced. For this reason I have successfully turned to them to recruit senior roles and benefited from their wisdom of the market as I have rebuilt finance teams.  I have also been on the other side of the table and Allen Lane has picked me out for roles that have been well suited to my skills.

Ben Freeman

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Outstanding recruitment agency! A big thank you to Iain Slinn who was very meticulous and made the whole process from initial call till the last interview seamless. I highly recommend Allen Lane for their excellent recruitment services.

Meenu Verma

Financial Accountant

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Allen Lane is brilliant at really getting to know candidates, their capabilities, motivations and potential. They also dig beneath the job description to understand what an organisation really wants from the role. That’s why, for over a decade, I’ve trusted Allen Lane to bring the right two together both as a client and as a candidate.

Natasha Houseman

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Allen Lane is simply brilliant. Brilliant at building and maintaining trust and long-term relationships and brilliant at really understanding what their clients and candidates are looking for. I can highly recommend Allen Lane.

Alex Botha

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I worked with Allen Lane to find a new role and I can't recommend them enough. From start to finish, the team at Allen Lane has been amazing at keeping in touch, keeping me up to date, giving me great advice and even suggesting improvements to my CV. I wouldn't hesitate to contact them again if I was looking for a new role - thanks so much, Allen Lane.

Jemma Park

Assistant Company Secretary at ODI

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I received a very dedicated service from Allen Lane. Iain took time to understand what kind of role I wanted and he was available every step of the way. Iain always offered excellent guidance and support throughout and after the process.

Kushala Sharma

Finance Business Partner

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I have had the pleasure to work with Allen Lane for over 6 years as both candidate and client.  As a candidate, I always felt that there was considerable effort to ensure that my skills, experience and ways of working were being matched to the client I was being put forward to.  As a client, I saw a range of candidates who could perform in the role which was curated specifically with the brief in mind.  This synergistic approach lead to a thriving environment for the duration of the engagements I was involved with.

David Conroy

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The team at Allen Lane led us through the recruitment process with ease, from an initial discussion to offer. They offered advice and did a brilliant job of the candidate pack, seeking out suitable candidates, shortlisting and arranging interview schedules. It was Allen Lane's knowledge and advice that I valued the most through the process and will be asking them to help us with future recruitment.

Sarah Forster

Finance Director at Sport England

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Allen Lane did a great job leading our recruitment campaign for a number of senior Finance roles within a newly formed team. I was impressed with how they thought outside the box to give us a selection of good candidates from a range of different sectors, and their recommendations and appraisals showed a strong understanding of a complex brief. The team at Allen Lane was great at communicating throughout and a pleasure to work with.

James Deane

Director of Business, Finance and Property at House of Commons

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The team at Allen Lane has always been really professional and collaborative in their approach to executive search for the Government Finance Function. They are knowledgeable of Civil Service recruitment processes and builds credibility with senior stakeholders effectively.

Ria Bush

Senior HRBP, Government Finance Function

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I’ve worked with Allen Lane on a number of campaigns during this last year. They were in constant communication with me as needed, everything was very organised at their end, Allen Lane was very clear about our expectations and worked to these fully, and they were a pleasure to work with. I’d highly recommend.

Kerry McEyeson

Deputy HR Director at MHRA

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Allen Lane provided invaluable advice on my resume and assisted me during the recruitment process. The help and advice have been tremendous and helped me to focus on the critical element of the job interview, which was successful. I want to express my deep gratitude for their guidance and assistance during the process. The team at Allen Lanes' professionalism and proactive attitude contributed to the success of my interview.

Andrea Manfrin

Deputy Director of Clinical Investigations and Trials at MHRA

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Allen Lane, I just wanted to record how brilliant you have been throughout this whole campaign! You have been so supportive, encouraging and thoughtful, ensuring that I am kept informed at regular intervals – and ensuring that I know what is going on and what to expect. It really was the care the team at Allen Lane gave me that meant so much, as well as ensuring I knew what to expect and to do. I am so grateful for all you have done;  I couldn’t possibly have succeeded in securing the role without your help – right from the outset when we discussed how I should best approach the Suitability Statement! Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

Melinda Johnson

COO at Ofgem