Westcott Williams

Playdale

Recruiting with confidence

What we did

We helped manufacturing company Playdale select and recruit first class people for key positions in the company. Established in 1786, this family owned and run business, develops, manufactures and installs outdoor play equipment.  

Why we did it

Playdale needed to recruit a sales director and a production manager - two critical roles in the continued future success of the business. The Playdale directors recognised that the selection of these two vital roles required specific experience and skills to guarantee the best possible outcome.

The scenario

Playdale needed to establish a clear view of what it was looking for in terms of skills, experience and personality, and an understanding of how it would assess candidates.

The approach

To achieve clarity about Playdale's exact requirements, we worked with the directors to create a set of competencies for the specific posts. We know Playdale well, having worked with them for a number of years, so have a good understanding of the business and its people. Once the experience, skills and personal profiles had been agreed, we worked with a recruitment partner, Ezek, to source candidates and apply initial filters to produce a shortlist. 

Next, we set up assessment centres to really find out what made the candidates 'tick'. This included interviews, psychometric testing, site visits and role-play scenarios that, importantly, brought many existing staff into the process. We also facilitated discussions that led to the two final selection decisions.

The results

The recruitment of a first class sales director and production manager who are both performing well.

Playdale is confident it has chosen the right people for the job. In addition, because co-workers were part of the recruitment decision, they have given the new recruits their full support. Playdale also now has the capability and confidence to recruit the right people on an ongoing basis.