Situation
As part of the University of the Arts London (UAL), London College of Fashion has been nurturing creative talent for over a century. They offer courses in all things fashion, from business to design and fashion curation.
LCF’s newly established Center for Fashion Business & Innovation Research operates at the intersection of fashion business and the economy, culture and society. To successfully launch the program, they needed a professor who could lead the direction of research, funding and collaboration.
They engaged PeopleScout to provide a shortlist of high-caliber candidates to set the direction of the center.
Solution
We took an in-depth, face-to-face brief and from this created a candidate profile. Exhaustive research built an international target which they client approved before engagement commenced.
We developed a unique approach to find candidates with the following characteristics:
- Professors could come from different disciplines but would need relevant research interests aligned with the new center.
- Our approach: Extensive international candidate research to ensure they met the criteria.
- Professors needed experience in motivating and mobilizing other researchers.
- Our approach: All candidates were consulted on their Research Excellence Framework (REF) and coordination experience.
- London College of Fashion has a leadership team that is open, creative and generous. This Professor would need to thrive in that culture.
- Our approach: All candidates were consulted on their leadership style and culture preferences to ascertain their fit.
Throughout our sourcing engagement, strong, professional relationships were fostered with each candidate, ensuring they had an excellent experience whether they applied or not. Regular reports and calls occurred weekly to ensure the client was fully informed and could contribute to the direction of activity.
Results
Our comprehensive solution created results the client was delighted with:
- 16 final applications
- Four shortlisted for interview & assessment
- One offer accepted
The successful candidate was a referral from another passive candidate on the target list. If we hadn’t formed this relationship, she wouldn’t have been aware of the opportunity.
At a Glance
- COMPANY: The London College of Fashion
- ABOUT THE LONDON COLLEGE OF FASHION: The London College of Fashion offers undergraduate and postgraduate study, short courses, study-abroad courses and business training in fashion and related topics.
