At Parke Lane People, we’ve always positioned ourselves as recruitment consultants, not transactional agents. And a recent successful placement, an offer accepted for a CFO role at circa £200,000+, has reminded us just how important that distinction is.
When it comes to executive recruitment, the stakes are higher. The risks of getting it wrong are significant, financially, culturally and operationally. Which is why choosing the right finance recruitment agency in Oxfordshire matters just as much as the candidate you hire.
This wasn’t a quick turnaround CV drop. It was a carefully managed search process involving:
- Market mapping across competitors and adjacent sectors
- Discreet outreach to passive candidates
- Salary benchmarking and structural advice
- In-depth interviews and cultural assessments
Andy Parke “Extensive candidate preparation was also a key part of this process. For each of the four first-stage candidates, we scheduled four individual 30-minute Teams calls to help them prepare and perform at their best. We then followed this up with subsequent calls ahead of their second-stage interviews to ensure they were fully ready for each conversation.”
- Regular client touchpoints and stakeholder engagement
The result? A shortlist of fully qualified, referenced and culturally aligned candidates and an outcome that worked for both sides.
Executive hiring isn’t about volume. It’s about insight, alignment and trust.
Unfortunately, many traditional agencies still apply the same process to a £200k+ CFO role as they would to a mid-level management position. What you get is quantity over quality, CVs that tick boxes but fall short on long-term fit.
As recruitment consultants in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, our model is different.
We take the time to understand your business, your leadership style, and your future plans. We advise on everything from package structure to succession planning. And we stay close after the hire, offering structured aftercare at 1 week, 1 month and 3 months.
This consultative approach isn’t just for executive roles, but at this level, it really shows its value.
We’re often approached by businesses that have tried the larger national players or gone it alone, only to find that executive recruitment is more complex than expected.
They come to us for:
- Local knowledge: We understand the Oxfordshire market
- Sector focus: We specialise in Finance, HR and Marketing
- Continuity: Clients deal directly with a senior consultant from start to finish
- Discretion: Critical for leadership roles
- Quality over volume: No unvetted CVs, ever
Whether you’re a growing SME or an established organisation, hiring into your leadership team is not the time to compromise.
Andy Parke “The search generated over 150 applications, giving us not only a strong shortlist for this role but also expanding our direct connections to a number of high-calibre CFOs and FDs now actively exploring their next move.
If you’re considering your next executive hire, whether it’s a CFO, HR Director, Finance Manager or CMO, make sure you’re getting more than just a list of names. A true recruitment partner will offer insight, structure and support at every stage.
At Parke Lane People, that’s exactly what we do.
Need to hire at senior or board level?
Speak to our team of trusted recruitment consultants in Oxfordshire. We’re happy to offer advice, even if you’re just exploring your options.
Contact us today or drop Andy a message via https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyparke/