Hawkwood

The best thing about being so niche, is that every conversation is potentially the start of a long-standing relationship 🤝 Less time spent scouring for candidates for a mix of different vacancies, more time spent serving the same group over and over again 🚀 Meet our current team, with some new additions landing soon ⌚ Link to our website below 👇

$626m raised within a year of incorporating just a year ago! Some great strategic investors too.

Have you ever quit a job as a result of being micromanaged by a Founder? From direct experience, we know this to be one of the more common reasons People & Talent Leaders move on from start-ups, as they feel inhibited from doing their job properly. However, Paul Graham (Co-Founder of YCombinator) recently stuck his neck out in support of Founder's micromanaging outcomes; essentially citing it as a necessity, and suggesting that they may be being wrongly maligned for it. Which begs the question, given the immense pressure on Founders, and the monumental force of will required to bring their venture to life, is micromanagement inevitable, or do Founders need to "hire good people and give them room to do their jobs"?

The absence of primary decision makers at key stages of the hiring process will cost you access to the best talent. To be told that the hiring manager "doesn't have time", after a candidate has been asked to spend their weekend preparing a presentation, doesn't reflect well on their management credentials. The candidate will be left feeling unvalued and potentially even disrespected; not to mention facing up to the prospect of a manager who can't manage their own diary. Above all else, high-calibre, ambitious people are seeking career development, and key stakeholders being absent signals that this won't be found here.

Pursuing a career as a Fractional People or Talent Consultant? They key to a rewarding solo-career, is generally successfully making the leap from commoditised, price-sensitive HR/Recruitment advice, into becoming a trusted strategic partner. However, truly achieving this typically requires upfront and ongoing investment into your reputation, such that this level of trust is established, and clients queue up seeking you, and you only. #fractionalwork #fractionalconsulting

🚨 We're hiring a Fractional Head of People (2 day a week, Maternity Cover) 🚨 Hawkwood is working with a mission-driven fintech that partners with employers to provide financial well-being solutions. With an impressive client base, our client has grown to over 180 employees and is continuing to make a significant impact! 🚀 We’re looking for an experienced Fractional Head of People to join on a part-time basis (2 days per week) until November 2025. Leading a small team, you will be responsible for driving the People & Talent agenda, with a strong focus on strategic people development, leadership, and culture initiatives. 👀 What we’re looking for: ✅ Proven experience as a Head of People, HR Director, or similar. ✅ Expertise in employee relations, leadership development, and executive coaching. ✅ Experience leading people initiatives in fast-paced, high-growth environments. ✅ Ability to work 2 days per week, with 1 day in the London office. If this sounds like you, I’d love to hear from you! Please apply via this LinkedIn advert to ensure your application is considered fairly and receives a consistent experience. 💼 https://lnkd.in/ez99bKhE

I’m excited to be back at work this week after celebrating my birthday in Cappadocia 🎂 Not many people seem to have visited, judging by the puzzled looks I’ve been getting - but if a hot-air balloon ride is on your bucket list, I’d highly recommend it! 🎈 It’s been a busy week back and I have just kicked off a search for a rapidly expanding tech innovator, looking for a Talent Acquisition Partner in London! This is an opportunity to join a growing Talent team in a role with significant ownership and autonomy. This role is perfect for someone who: ✅ Has experience as a Generalist Recruiter, hiring across both tech and non-tech roles. ✅ Has worked in a high-performing environment, recruiting top-tier candidates. ✅ Has experience in fast-paced, high-growth settings. ✅ Enjoys in-person collaboration and can commit to a working style of 4 days per week in the office. https://lnkd.in/eAtC7i_u To ensure a smooth and consistent process for everyone, please apply via the LinkedIn advert rather than via direct message, just to ensure your application is not missed.

📣 Calling my HR network... Ed Shee at Ignitus is looking for forward-thinking businesses to pilot their AI management mentor. Their AI companion for managers is powered by the world’s top leadership experts and provides real-time, manager-specific advice alongside personalised mentoring sessions. It helps develop leadership skills and mindset, right in the flow of work. I'm sharing this with my network of HR managers, HR Business Partners and HR leaders to see if anyone is interested in being part of a pilot that Ed is launching. Drop him a note directly if you'd like to. #Leadership #PeopleDevelopment #HRTech #AI #Mentoring

Are there companies you can't headhunt from? Here's a chrome extension to try 👇 I always found it tricky to easily spot candidates who are off limits ❌ Relying on ATS, CRM, LI Recruiter or NOT booleans to be updated was clunky and hard to track Kristian James has built a chrome extension that makes it 𝘀𝘂𝗽𝗲𝗿 visible who you should avoid reaching out to Question for any Sourcers / Recruiters - what's one chrome extension you can't live without? I'll leave a link to Bycatch in the comments (it's free to try!)

September typically brings more movement in the job market, but if your search is taking longer than expected, you're not alone. The tech job market is currently one of the toughest we’ve seen in years, with even highly experienced professionals finding that it’s taking 2-3x longer to land a new role. On the bright side, there are signs of recovery as more companies are thoughtfully rebuilding their teams — a trend I expect to continue in the coming months. If you've been following the Ask Zoe column, I invite you to join me for a LIVE session at the Sifted Summit on Oct 2nd. Along with special guests, I’ll be answering your most pressing questions on hiring, careers, and navigating the current market. See you there! https://lnkd.in/dhqinVRV