Signium U.K. Adopts Not Actively Looking Recruitment Management Platform
October 18, 2018 – Signium U.K., global search consortium Signium’s U.K. business unit, has adopted a new search system from Not Actively Looking, which will now act as the primary platform for managing all of the search firm’s business.
Alastair Paton, managing partner of Signium U.K. and chair of the global board of Signium, said that the firm had carefully reviewed alternative systems before choosing Not Actively Looking.
“We decided to switch from an older, outdated system, which was complex and challenging to use effectively,” said Mr. Paton. “Not Actively Looking allows us to manage our business development activity as well as our assignments in one system. We looked closely at what else was on the market and felt that that Not Actively Looking offered a fresh new approach when compared to what we had been using previously.”
Simplicity was another key factor for Signium U.K. “The system is simple, easy to use, and is fully integrated with the candidate portal from Not Actively Looking, a platform where senior executives can manage their own data privacy,” said Mr. Paton. “This is a new departure for the executive search industry.”
Not Actively Looking made its debut in 2015 in the U.K. as a global matchmaking platform for senior executives and executive search firms. The service allows executives to discreetly manage and update their CV for the benefit of executive search firms they hand pick. For recruiters, the service gives access to senior-level professionals, whether they are actively engaged in a job search or not. The company was founded by Joseph Blass, who previously founded Toucan Telecom, and Anthony Harling, a search consultant and former senior partner at Heidrick & Struggles.
Search firms currently enrolled with Not Actively’s platform include Calibre One, Polachi, Fairfield Partners, Coleman Lew + Associates, Ridgeway Partners, DHR International, 680 Partners, Lochlin Partners, Greenwich Harbor Partners, Hobbs & Towne, Park Square Executive Search, Kensington International, The Miles Partnership, Norman Broadbent, SIMA International, Warren Partners, Marlin Hawk, Spengler Fox, Osprey Clarke, Barracuda Group, Ward Howell International, Horton International, Signium, Archer Mann, Stanton Chase International, Wilton & Bain, Directorbank, TRANSEARCH and Renovata Partners, among many others.
“For search firms, the service means they can access and retrieve relevant and up-to-date information about executives,” said Mr. Harling. “Search firms will no longer need to enter and store CVs which become outdated very quickly and from which they were never able to easily retrieve information such as aspirations or key achievements.”
“Our approach is very different to anything that has been done before,” he added. “Executive search is driven 100 percent by client assignments, meaning that executives will be approached by search firms — not when the executive is looking for a role, but when the client is looking to fill one. In turn, this means that executives need to be exposed to the relevant search firms even when not actively looking.”
Global Growth
Signium has 45 offices in 30 countries serving clients in the Americas, Europe/ Middle East/ Africa and the Asia-Pacific regions. The firm delivers talent acquisition and management solutions for global companies across industry sectors, including consumer goods, financial services, technology, industrial, life sciences and professional services.
Signium has been expanding in other regions around the globe as well. Here’s a look at the firm’s most recent movement from the Hunt Scanlon Media archives:
Just recently, Signium Africa partnered with Riverwaves, a provider of optimization of “people capability” through the customization of competency-driven HR models. Following in-depth exposure to Riverwaves’ intellectual property and proprietary modeling tools, “Signium Africa is positioned to apply its partner’s globally…”
In May, Signium named Annelize van Rensburg as leader of its global consumer goods and services practice. “Ms. van Rensburg is fulfilling a critical role as successful practice groups are a key part of Signium’s strategy and consumer goods and services accounts,” said the firm.
Signium also added Emeric Lepoutre & Partners as a partner in Paris. The firm’s Emeric Lepoutre, Béatrice Follea and Sylvie Maillot were all partners with Heidrick & Struggles in France 15 years ago. After taking different routes (respectively at Spencer Stuart, Signium and Eric Salmon), all three re-joined to create Emeric Lepoutre & Partners in 2015.
In addition, the organization it opened a new office in Seoul, South Korea. The office provides search and leadership consulting services for Korean local conglomerate and multinational corporations. Mann-Hyun Han was named managing partner of Signium Korea.
Signium also added partners Felipa Xara-Brasil and Joana Proença de Carvalho in Portugal and Alberto Chico in Spain. Ms. Xara-Brasil was one of the founders of Heidrick & Struggles in Portugal. Ms. Proença was partner at Fesa, an executive search firm in Brazil.
Contributed by Scott A. Scanlon, Editor-in-Chief; Dale M. Zupsansky, Managing Editor; Stephen Sawicki, Managing Editor; and Andrew W. Mitchell, Managing Editor – Hunt Scanlon Media
