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The Tenth follows the maxim that if nine people are going in one direction, the tenth should be the voice of the alternative. Challenging the status quo.
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The Tenth follows the maxim that if nine people are going in one direction, the tenth should be the voice for the alternative. Challenge the status quo.
Search and talent acquisition have evolved rapidly in last 5 years in response to Covid, technology, DEI and the recognition that in house teams should now be the primary source of talent.
In spite of these changes traditional search methodologies are still very prevalent and this is where The Tenth aim to be different.
In many cases, the “One size fits all” approach, inflexible pricing and fixed methodology are not what our clients need or what drives a successful outcome.
We hope to constructively challenge, propose alternative strategies, and help organisations execute their talent and search strategies.
Better is possible.
Firstly, we listen.
We are a select network of search and talent experts that are brought together for each specific project.
We challenge ourselves and our clients to identify the right approach to their talent needs through listening and agreeing the right strategy. Then, we deliver.
There are myriad solutions when it comes to finding the right talent:
• Search may be one
• In house, to working alongside and supporting a talent acquisition team
• Assessing the internal options whilst providing market insights
• Delivering a pipeline project to evaluate the market
• Initiating impactful introductions relevant executives could clarify thinking
• Coaching an executive could be the right solution before hiring externally
Frequently, the solution is hybrid and necessitates an integrated, flexible approach.
We like a challenge. The way we work, the insights and results delivered are designed to achieve the right outcome for our clients and our candidates
We view it as it is our job to facilitate this.
There are fees, though we shy away from traditional payment structures. We are project led and have significant scope to be different about fees.
We are particularly successful when we can partner with organisations that have challenging requirements that require a more innovative approach.
Successful search is as much acknowledging the “unwritten brief” as it is working to the “written brief”.
Our clients and projects are varied and whilst we are focused on Consumer brands we are driven by our desire to deliver projects which have unique requirements.
Our experience has seen us partner with clients and projects as follows:
• Private equity backed businesses in the retail and hospitality sectors
• Built leadership teams for global hospitality/social brands
• Supported family offices to find CEOs and Portfolio Directors
• Delivered searches in the tech space that support and enable the retail, hospitality and mobility sectors
• Leadership roles into Luxury retail
• Engaged on leadership assessment projects
We have always loved working with products and services of which we are consumers ourselves.
As a small company our ethos and values are very simple. In forming The Tenth, our ambition is to ensure we represent these values in every engagement
Genuine: We will always be honest and genuine in how we work with our clients from determining if we are the right partner and if so the right approach to the project. We will give and would like to receive transparent feedback on progress and will look to adjust how we work on this basis.
Curious: Our intent is to be creative and innovative in our approach with our clients and will seek to listen, understand and challenge on every assignment. In return we will share our knowledge and experience and hope to come away from every assignment having expanded on our knowledge.
Impactful: The results of our work should leave a positive impact on our clients and their new hires and indeed every candidate we reach in the process. We will be the ambassadors for our clients and ensure that we create a positive impact on their business and reputation.
Consumers are at the heart of what our clients deliver. Forgetting to keep the customer at the heart decisions is often where it goes wrong. This was encapsulated in an article by a former colleague about the hospitality and service sector. They are words we absolutely believe in and try to align with, it said;
‘I’ll begin by admitting I believe in magic. And that the world finest experiences make it their business to deliver it. They design experiences that move us to raucous delight or reverent silence.
There is The Art, The Science and The Business which are measured against two factors:
1. Visitor awe, satisfaction is not sufficient
2. High powered Commercial performance: Margins are the
holy grail
In forming The Tenth, our ambition is that we can get as close as possible to these ideals on every engagement.
I have spent the last 20 years enjoying the world of search. My early years were spent helping large British brands expand into the US and Africa with 10 years spent living in New York and Cape Town.
My interest and focus have always been consumer driven and there is nothing better than working with a brand of which you are both an admirer and customer. I returned to the UK ten years ago to lead the Hospitality practice for the UK’s largest search firm.
Since then I have worked for both large and boutique search firms where I cemented my knowledge of the consumer and hospitality space.
Having the benefit of working at both ends of the Search firm spectrum I have become
convinced that the most effective form of search is one where each solution reflects the unique set of circumstances driving the opportunity, and not a solution where a pre-existing model is dropped in place.
My ambition is to partner with consumer and hospitality brands, supporting their leadership teams to engage the absolute best talent.
Ash Hobkinson 2023
Connect with me on LinkedIn
The DEI agenda has thankfully become central to companies and the workplace more broadly over the past years.
The notable events of the past decade which gave rise to movements such as Black Lives Matter and Me Too continue to shape the social narrative around Diversity and Inclusion which is critical.
The focus now placed on inclusion of every description remains prevalent, and rightly so. There are search firms that focus solely on this critical subject though we hope our collective experience can add value to our clients and their ongoing ESG and DEI agendas.
Our first DEI experience was gained from our Founder working in South Africa from 2008 to 2013 and incorporating the Broad Based Black Economic Empowerment requirements.
On returning to the UK, he was an early supporter and sponsor of WiHTL (Women in Hospitality, Travel & Leisure) promoting female and diverse representation across Hospitality Travel and Leisure.
DEI is as important for The Tenth as it our clients. Our collective passion and experience in this area as well as broad and meaningful connections with network groups and forums will help ensure we support our client’s DEI focus.
We love to meet up and have a chat. Get in touch and set something up below or, call our Founder Ash on +44 7879 334434.
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