Steph Connaughton
London
Summary
Senior Talent Acquisition Leader and Associate CIPD with 7+ years' experience delivering end-to-end recruitment and talent strategies globally. Specialist in global executive search, building standardised, scalable talent strategies across multi-site operations, and developing early careers programmes from the ground up. Proven track record partnering with private equity firms, venture capital funds, start-ups, global organisations and luxury hospitality groups to attract, develop, and retain exceptional talent. Recognised for building trusted relationships with senior stakeholders and acting as a strategic partner to shape acquisition initiatives that strengthen employer branding, employee engagement, organisational culture and overall business performance.
Overview
10
10
years of professional experience
Work History
Talent & Retention Manager
Cubitt House
2025.08 - Current
- Led the talent and retention strategy for a multi-site, 400-strong workforce.
- Managed end-to-end recruitment for the entire business from entry-level to senior leadership hires including Head Office positions.
- Designed and delivered a company wide Assessment Centre, streamlining high-volume hiring during peak seasonal periods.
- Launched a Level 5 Women in Leadership programme, supporting the development and progression of female staff into senior roles and promoting internal mobility.
- Launched an Early Careers Gap Year Programme, creating structured entry level routes for young people starting their careers.
- Built strong relationships with schools, colleges, and universities nationally to develop early careers talent pipelines.
- Launched a 12-week internship programme across Operations and HR, building early-career talent pipelines into the business.
- Created a staff recognition and retention initiative that reduced turnover within the first 90 days of employment and recognised future leaders across the business.
- Reduced turnover at one site by 40% in one year, and reduced turnover across six sites by an average of 23.2%.
- Achieved a 90-day retention average of 88.7% across a 1-year period.
- Managed complex employee relations cases, ensuring fair and legally sound resolutions.
- Championed values-based, objective hiring practices, ensuring new hires aligned with company values.
- Independently led onboarding and induction sessions for new starters, ensuring a welcoming experience from day one.
- Coached and mentored 1 junior recruiter, supporting them in developing their stakeholder management skills and search strategy.
- Delivered training sessions for senior management on recruitment best practice, DEI initiatives, performance management and employment law updates.
Talent Acquisition Partner
Gleneagles & Estelle Manor
2024.12 - 2025.08
- Appointed as an internal Talent Partner for two of The World's Top 50 Hotels to lead senior hiring.
- Delivered search-led recruitment across all business departments including Operations, Finance, F&B, Security, Leisure, Culinary, Memberships, and Guest Relations.
- Built a multi-channel sourcing strategy across job boards, LinkedIn, social media, alumni networks, industry events, and referrals to reduce time-to-hire and expand the talent pool whilst maintaining quality.
- Led high-volume recruitment campaigns for team member roles ahead of peak season, delivering quality hires at speed against demanding operational deadlines.
- Elevated employer branding in competitive markets, attracting top-tier talent through compelling candidate experience and brand storytelling.
- Partnered with hiring managers to align role briefs with current business needs and share market intelligence.
- Ran structured interviews and competency-based assessments to evaluate capability and cultural fit on an objective basis.
- Collaborated with People & Culture teams to deliver seamless pre-onboarding for all candidates.
- Mentored a team of 2 junior recruiters on search strategy and stakeholder management.
- Tracked recruitment KPIs and reported insights to Senior Leadership Team to inform hiring strategy.
- Recognised as a top performer in the first quarter of employment.
Talent Partner
Aggancio Executive Search
2019.10 - 2024.12
- Conducted 100+ global in-depth market mapping projects to identify and engage senior-level talent for PE/VC-backed portfolio companies and global corporate clients such as FTV Capital, Verdane, Cherry Ventures, EQT, Battery Ventures, BCG, Vagabond Shoemakers, Maria Nila, Lumene Cosmetics, Marimekko and H&M Group.
- Led global end-to-end executive search mandates across GTM, Finance, Technology, Operations and HR, from market mapping and candidate identification through to engagement, assessment and offer stage.
- Advised senior hiring stakeholders on market dynamics, talent availability, competitor landscapes and compensation, using market intelligence to shape search strategy and hiring decisions.
- Implemented a multi-channel sourcing strategy to identify and engage high-calibre passive talent.
- Managed senior candidate processes with a strong focus on candidate experience, stakeholder alignment and transparent communication, ensuring a high touch approach throughout the search lifecycle.
- Developed long-term relationships with senior candidates, acting as a trusted career advisor and maintaining high-quality talent networks to support future mandates and repeat searches.
- Managed the internal recruitment, onboarding and day-to-day supervision of interns, taking ownership of their development and integration into the team.
Assistant Manager
Esquires Coffee
2018.11 - 2019.10
Sales and Events Executive
Exhibit Bars
2016.10 - 2018.11
Education
CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma - People Management
DPG Learn
2024-04
BA (Hons) - Business Management
St Mary's University
2019-07
Skills
- Global End-to-End Talent Acquisition
- Executive Search
- Talent Mapping & Market Intelligence
- Senior Stakeholder Management
- Early Careers Strategy & Programme Development
- Recruitment Process Design
- Employer Branding
- Employment Law
Timeline
Talent & Retention Manager
Cubitt House
2025.08 - Current
Talent Acquisition Partner
Gleneagles & Estelle Manor
2024.12 - 2025.08
Talent Partner
Aggancio Executive Search
2019.10 - 2024.12
Assistant Manager
Esquires Coffee
2018.11 - 2019.10
Sales and Events Executive
Exhibit Bars
2016.10 - 2018.11
CIPD Level 5 Associate Diploma - People Management
DPG Learn
BA (Hons) - Business Management
St Mary's University
Hobbies & Interests
Basic German Speaking | Spin Instructor | Distance Runner | Recreational Netball