“It’s great working with Nicholson Glover. They take the time to understand what we need from candidates and understand the culture of our very unique team so people are well briefed when they come for interview.  We were able to place two exceptional Researchers very quickly last summer. Covering both qual and quant, the NG team scheduled interviews efficiently, shared feedback but most importantly have introduced us to two exceptionally talented individuals who hit the ground running and have become instrumental in driving forward the team’s performance in the last year.  I wouldn’t hesitate recommending NG for being able to find specialist insight and research candidates” – Head of Research at Sky

Who are Sky?

Sky is a global media entertainment brand that needs no introduction. Sky is a major corporation that spans TV, mobile, and broadband, dominating the media space as the largest media company and pay TV broadcaster in the whole of Europe.

What did they need?

The Sky strategic insights team responsible for data analytics were aiming to fill three roles at different levels within their team. They were looking for an analytics lead, an analytics manager and a data analyst. There were a number of difficulties that the hiring team were coming up against in their endeavour to find the right candidates who would excel in these roles. One of the main pitfalls was the location of Sky’s head office: They are based in Osterley, West London, and it was difficult to find candidates who lived around that area or could commute there easily. Compounding matters was the fact that the pool of talent at each particular level was relatively small to begin with: Markets fluctuate all the time, and at this particular time many companies were hiring, so the competition was high. It was also difficult to source candidates, because Sky were looking for people with media entertainment or telecoms experience, as they would have the transferable skills needed to thrive there – finding candidates from this background who fit the bill was proving to be quite the feat.

 Sky was also hiring for a number of research roles. They were seeking to add a qualitative research manager and quantitative senior research manager to their internal research team. Although this hiring process took place slightly earlier in the year, the hiring team were coming up against similar hurdles: the location and commute proved to be a sticking point, and hiring during a candidate-led market wasn’t easy. As was the case with the data roles, the hiring team were looking for candidates with media and telecoms experience.

How did Nicholson Glover help?

When it came to filling the data roles at Sky, our team set to work by actively searching our extensive database for suitable candidates. We proactively targeted relevant people in the industry, working out who exactly would be a good fit for each of the three roles. We used our network and platform to advertise the roles and get people excited about these three particular analytics opportunities. Nicholson Glover filled all three roles in the span of three months.

Likewise, the research team at Nicholson Glover took the same approach for sourcing candidates: Searching the database, advertising, and actively headhunting on LinkedIn. Our team really took their time to develop a deeper understanding of the business – their goals and culture – applying that to the screening process. After a thorough initial briefing, we learnt about the responsibilities of each role and the idiosyncrasies of Sky’s unique research team, arming ourselves with this comprehensive knowledge to fill the roles with the best candidates possible. Being proactive and communicating effectively was key to a smooth and speedy hiring process. Once the interview process was well and truly underway, we proactively scheduled interviews and communicated feedback to hiring managers and candidates at each stage. Within four months of the initial briefing, offers were made to candidates at each role. In no time, we learnt about the significant impact both researchers were having on the direction of the business.