Gemma Worrow

Case Study: Hiring for a Historic Luxury Brand’s Flagship Store Launch

The Challenge

A historic luxury brand embarked on an ambitious project to open its largest flagship store to date. They faced several challenges:

- A six-week timeline to hire a full team to staff the store.

- The project represented the brand’s biggest hiring initiative in its history, despite an existing long-standing relationship with Four Seasons Recruitment.

- The need to pipeline high-calibre talent and coordinate two in-store recruitment days within a tight schedule.

The Solution

Four Seasons Recruitment devised a comprehensive and collaborative strategy to meet the client’s needs. The approach included:

1. Action Plan Development: 

- Roles were divided among Four Seasons team members to maximize efficiency and ensure seamless collaboration.

2. Multi-Pronged Recruitment Approach:

- Headhunting using LinkedIn Recruiter.

- Leveraging the extensive Four Seasons database.

- Utilising the company’s network with referral incentives.

- Running a targeted strategic marketing campaign to attract suitable candidates.

3. Streamlined Candidate Management:

- Conducting all candidate interviews in person for quality assurance.

- Submitting CVs to the client immediately after interviews.

4. Candidate Preparation:

- Creating an informative candidate “pack” containing essential details about the role and interview process to ensure candidates were well-prepared.

5. Continuous Support:

- Providing guidance and feedback to both candidates and the client throughout the interview process to maintain clarity and alignment.

The Results

- Successfully placed 18 positions across management, shop floor sales, and back-of-house roles within the tight timeline.

- Strengthened the relationship with the client’s HR, Talent, and Store teams through close collaboration.

- Enabled the store to open fully staffed, leading to a highly successful opening weekend and continued strong performance in the weeks that followed.

Key Takeaways

- Planning and Teamwork: Clear planning and effective teamwork were crucial to the success of the project.

- Communication: Regular communication between the Four Seasons team and the client ensured transparency and progress tracking.

- Adaptability: A tailored, multi-faceted recruitment strategy allowed for efficient sourcing and placement of top-tier talent within a tight timeframe.