Nick Hines takes reins at HMC, keeping recruiting ‘personable’

RECRUITMENT organisations that remain driven to help organisations find and develop the best people will be those continuing to prosper, according to boutique consultancy Hines Management Consultants (HMC) managing director Nick Hines.

Mr Hines said executive recruitment was still undergoing a period of reorganisation, much of it brought about by technological development, but for HMC the tried and tested focus remained: talking to people and understanding their needs and goals. 

The Brisbane-based executive recruitment consultancy prides itself on sticking to the successful, personable formula pioneered by founder Geoff Hines 32 years ago.

The passing of Geoff in November 2014 meant his son Nick Hines has stepped up to the HMC managing director role, having previously been a director.

Nick Hines said the well-established, well-respected network cultivated by his father Geoff, over decades of hard work, is the key to the company’s longevity and the competitive advantage it has over its newer competitors.

“Every assignment is unique but our network base means we already have a head start on things like reference checks, making it easier to identify the right person for the role available,” Mr Hines said.

“The pressures are different when recruiting for high-level roles – you really only have one chance to get it right.

“If there is someone at an executive level who isn’t right for the job, that’s a huge cost to the culture and productivity of the company.”

Mr Hines said the boutique size and focus of HMC was also a contributor to the company’s longevity.

“A lot of consultancies come and go,” he said.

“But I think being boutique and generalist are very important in this instance as well, because the bigger or more specialised you are, the less effective you become.

“This is because many potential candidates are off-limits as they are working for your clients.”

Mr Hines said while he had seen the landscape of the recruitment industry shift over the years — particularly in the use of technology — ultimately, there was nothing more effective than picking up the phone and speaking to people.

HMC’s network of contacts is one element of its business that helps make this process easier.

“Other recruiters and head-hunters become candidate driven, and their focus is to help people find new jobs from a database of resumes,” Mr Hines said.

“In some cases that works fine, but for more critical roles, we firmly believe the best candidates are not looking for a job.”

www.hmcgroup.net.au

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