Case study
Appointment of Occupational Health Advisor
Client: Confidential (Prestigious In-House Organisation) | Role: Occupational Health Advisor (On-Site)
The Challenge
The client had been trying to hire an on-site Occupational Health Advisor for quite some time. Their internal talent team had pushed the role out again and again, but nothing was really progressing. Strong applicants either were not applying or were dropping out early once they understood the set working model.
The brief itself was straightforward enough: someone already working as an OHA or Senior OHA, experienced in health surveillance, case management, immunisations, and comfortable with a fully on-site pattern. But the market wasn't exactly playing along.
The same themes kept coming back during conversations:
- Part time wasn't an option.
- The hours were fixed at 8.30am to 5pm.
- Candidates questioned why the role had been open for so long.
- A couple of direct applicants mentioned the interview didn't feel particularly warm.
- And there wasn't much in the way of progression.
So the vacancy was drifting, and the client needed someone who could hit the ground running.
Our Approach
I started with a deep sweep of the market, checking every detail on our database and LinkedIn. Approximately 45 carefully selected OHAs received tailored InMails. Alongside that, I contacted 375 Occupational Health Advisors from the database and spoke with 122 of them. It built a very honest picture of what candidates would and wouldn't consider.
The shortlist criteria stayed tight:
- Current OHA or Senior OHA
- Recent experience of the full remit
- Comfortable with on-site working
Because previous applicants had mentioned the interview tone and the limited flexibility, I handled conversations with a lot of transparency. It helped more than you'd expect. Most candidates would rather have the truth upfront than find out halfway through and pull out later.
To give the client a clear view of the work involved, the activity sat neatly like this:
| Stage / Metric | Detail |
|---|---|
| Initial Market Review | ~1,000 LinkedIn profiles reviewed manually |
| Targeted Outreach | 45 OHAs contacted via LinkedIn InMail |
| Database Engagement | 375 OHAs contacted on internal database |
| Candidate Conversations | 122 candidates spoken with |
| Shortlist Criteria | Current OHA or Senior OHA, full OH remit |
| Key Market Pushbacks | No part time option; fixed hours; all on site; lack of flexibility; long vacancy history; no progression |
| Historical Volume with Client | 42 CVs submitted across previous OHA vacancies |
| CVs Submitted for This Vacancy | 9 carefully selected candidates |
| Interview Process | Three interview stages |
| Final Outcome | Role successfully filled |
The Outcome
After months of slow progress on the client side, the recruitment process finally gained momentum. Nine well-matched candidates were put forward, and the client took several through a three-stage interview process. Following those interviews, the role was successfully filled.
Beyond the placement itself, the client now has a much clearer understanding of market expectations, the barriers to attraction, and what had been working against them. And, maybe more importantly, the conversations opened the door for them to consider how their approach might evolve over time.
Sometimes the market forces you to reframe things a little. This was one of those assignments, and in the end, the focused search made all the difference.
