How we think Our vision is to influence society through the identification of a new breed of leaders for a changing world.
Perrett Laver connects some of the world’s most influential and vibrant organisations with some of the world’s most dynamic leaders – connections based on a common set of values and a shared vision for the future. As a firm we have moved away from the purely transactional relationship that so typifies our industry, in favour of forging genuinely close partnerships with our clients.
The new leadership challenge Organisations of all shapes and
We believe that authentic leadership
sizes face a greater breadth of
is critical in building successful
responsibilities and challenges
organisations and is only found
than ever before, and must build a
where personal and corporate values
leadership capability that can both
meet to create a common passion
manage these issues and seize the
and purpose.
opportunities they present. The new leadership challenge This new leadership challenge can
tells us that a constantly changing
only be met by people who not only
world requires a more imaginative
have the relevant experience, but
leadership response; one
who are also intrinsically aligned
unconstrained by rigid thinking,
with the organisation’s culture,
bias and partisan prejudice.
purpose and ambitions.
Globalisation, increased transparency, the clamour for authenticity and sustainability; the demands of today’s world are very different to those of yesterday
The success of an organisation has been shown to relate directly to the motivation of its leaders
Values drivers and societal impact We believe that today’s authentic
Founded upon groundbreaking
leaders can come from anywhere, not
research in some of the world’s leading
just the obvious list in front of you.
psychology departments, we deploy a
That’s why we undertake uniquely
narrative-based tool throughout all our
creative research that transcends
work which helps us to understand and
traditional sector boundaries to
appreciate candidates’ core motivations
identify leaders whose personal values
when pursuing a particular role.
are aligned with those of our clients. By going far beyond the CV, Recognising the importance that
demonstrable competencies and
a search firm has when helping
historic performance, and by exploring
its clients identify leaders of this
each candidate’s true potential,
kind, Perrett Laver has developed a
capabilities and beliefs, we deliver
unique approach to the identification
leaders who will be both inspired by the
of the core values drivers expressed
role they undertake and inspirational
by candidates.
to the wider organisation.
Global reach Our philosophy of search without borders applies as much to geography as it does to industry verticals. The world is now one stage and many of the highest performers available to our clients will be found beyond the UK. In a hyper-connected world, the ability to identify candidates wherever they may be is a basic requirement of effective executive search. But at its heart lies something of a conundrum: can the insights of your executive search partner survive the journey intact to a candidate thousands of miles away? Many firms effectively outsource international assignments, resulting
in people acting on your behalf whom you have never met and who have no understanding of your organisation. Perrett Laver takes a different approach by punctuating our globalised horizons with expertise drawn from our colleagues in some of the best executive search firms around the world. Responsibility for every aspect of a global search sits exclusively with our UK-based consultants and multilingual researchers. Having been briefed by you, it is this team that will personally deliver every element of the assignment – drawing as much on the global perspective of our domestic team as on the insight, experience and wisdom of our overseas partners – but ultimately conducting all direct contact with candidates themselves. As well as ensuring your organisation is accurately represented at every stage, this enables us to measure each candidate against the realities of the UK environment.
A philosophy of search without borders or boundaries
A limited perspective leads to limited results
Cross-sectoral perspectives The era of the silo mentality has
We can bring experience and contacts
passed.
gained from advising world-class commercial organisations to bear
It is simply not appropriate for an
on assignments in the not-for-profit
organisation to limit its pool of potential
sector and vice-versa, proposing
candidates to those with a monotone
a radically different vision for
industry background. Leading
executive search in not restricting
organisations across any sector have
our consultants to work in silo-ed
to ensure that there is diversity of
‘practice groups’.
experience, perspective and background within their senior management cadre.
Our belief is that leadership can be identified in every environment and
We believe that through the sheer
be brought to bear effectively in many
breadth of our track record we are
more. We never want to have a closed
ideally placed to deliver the greatest
mind when thinking about where the
value for our clients.
best possible candidate may be found.
Diversity is about methodology The efficacy of our values-based approach to executive search is contingent upon the use of innovative research methodologies to seek out the best talent wherever it may be found. The objective for every assignment is to explore candidates from a wide variety of backgrounds to unearth those people who genuinely reflect the needs and values of the client’s organisation. We have a consistent track record of promoting diversity above and beyond best practice and legal obligations.
It is part of the unique philosophy that runs through everything we do. This is not tokenism. It is simply a pragmatic response to the question, ‘Where can I find the very best candidate for this role?’ We believe in actions, not words; meritocratic hires, not quotas. A commitment to diversity underpins every search we conduct. We guide clients on current legislation and best practice, as well as on relevant advertising and search strategies. All of our methodologies guarantee a fair and open competition.
Leading organisations across any sector have to ensure that there is diversity of experience, perspective and background within their senior management cadre
Different people for a different world
Perrett Laver is a leading generalist executive search firm.