Transport for Wales: Recruiting the Tax Expert Who Brought Added Value

We have been a key recruitment partner in helping Transport for Wales to grow their headcount from their inception in 2018. They needed support to build all five directorates, which encompass some niche and specialist positions, including a Tax Accountant to support the management of their finances. They needed a VAT subject matter expert to help them reclaim VAT they would invest in the Welsh transport sector.

SOLUTION HIGHLIGHTS

  • SUCCESSFULLY RECRUITING IN A LIMITED TALENT POOL OF VAT SPECIALIST TAX ANALYSTS IN WALES – WE RESEARCHED THE PASSIVE MARKET EXTENSIVELY
  • ENSURING A GOOD CULTURAL FIT BY CONDUCTING AN IN-DEPTH SCREENING PROCESS BEFORE PRESENTING CANDIDATES
  • ENGAGING AND SOURCING THE BEST TALENT IN A GLOBAL PANDEMIC

SCOPE AND SCALE

Transport for Wales are on a mission: to deliver an integrated travel system across Wales and revolutionise travel. So they are quickly growing and expanding their workforce. They were now looking for a qualified VAT subject matter expert to provide advice and guidelines in line with legislation to help TFW reclaim VAT to reinvest into the transport network. This is a highly competitive sector and the new Tax Analyst needed niche market skills. The sector is known for its low turnover; tax professionals are risk-averse and require significant consultation before considering a new opportunity.

SITUATION

This was a particularly challenging role to recruit. There is a very small talent pool of qualified candidates in Wales. This market is competitive, and many candidates are reluctant to move jobs unless for a significant increase in salary. In addition, the global pandemic was at its height – a climate that made candidates even more reluctant to change jobs.

SOLUTION

We adopted a fully consultative approach and took a detailed brief from the hiring manager. We started by using a blended approach of media and sourcing the passive market, advertising further across a number of well-known recruitment websites to drive applications. Attraction did not produce results, so we conducted a thorough search of the passive market to find that one perfect candidate that our recruiter knew straight away would be a good fit for the team. This candidate had worked
as a Tax subject matter expert for a similar government body, they understood government processes and culturally they were a strong fit for Transport For Wales.

RESULTS

We approached over 100 qualified professionals in South Wales and beyond. Our strategic search produced an ideal candidate who is moving into the Tax Analyst role.