Harry Portch
Reading
Summary
Accomplished recruitment professional with expertise in talent acquisition strategy and executive search. Proven ability to optimise recruitment processes and enhance employer branding to attract top talent. Skilled in workforce planning, recruitment technology implementation, and stakeholder partnership, driving successful hiring outcomes. Adept at managing agency relationships and leveraging recruitment data for market insights. Committed to leading teams in delivering exceptional candidate experiences and interview process design.
Overview
9
9
years of professional experience
7
7
years of post-secondary education
Work history
Founder & Talent Acquisition Lead
HM Staffing
London
2018.12 - 2026.03
- Founded and scaled a recruitment agency focused on supporting organisations across commercial, supply chain and operational functions. Built the company from inception to a 14-person recruitment team, delivering hiring projects for both scaling businesses and global organisations.
- Partnered closely with leadership teams to design hiring strategies, deliver leadership recruitment and build scalable recruitment processes for growth-stage and enterprise organisations.
- Scaled HM Staffing from startup to a 14-person recruitment team.
- Led recruitment delivery for Tropicana Brands Group following its private equity acquisition, hiring across Supply Chain, Procurement, Sales, Marketing and senior leadership roles.
- Partnered with stakeholders across global organisations including PepsiCo and Tropicana, delivering full-cycle recruitment from workforce planning through to offer management.
- Designed hiring strategies for high-growth companies, advising on talent attraction, candidate pipelines and employer positioning in competitive markets.
- Delivered senior and leadership hiring across commercial and operational functions including Supply Chain, Procurement, Sales, Marketing and Executive leadership roles.
- Implemented and optimised ATS platforms including Workable, TeamTailor, Atlas, Vincere and Bullhorn.
- Acted as a strategic recruitment advisor to clients, providing market insights, salary benchmarking and hiring strategy consultation.
- Leadership & Business Operations
- Built and led a 14-person recruitment team including consultants, resourcers and operational staff.
- Developed recruitment delivery frameworks to improve candidate quality and hiring efficiency.
- Managed senior stakeholder relationships across global organisations.
- Negotiated contracts with suppliers, secured competitive pricing and terms.
- Enhanced employer branding through strategic marketing initiatives, attracting top-tier talent pool.
- Oversaw all aspects of onboarding process for new hires, ensuring smooth integration into company culture.
- Provided training and development opportunities for recruiters in team, increasing their competency levels.
- Managed and developed talent acquisition strategies, enhancing company's overall recruitment process.
- Optimised use of social media platforms such as LinkedIn in reaching out to prospective talents expanding outreach capacity.
- Streamlined the interview process, leading to a more effective candidate selection.
- Drove hiring efficiency by implementing cutting-edge recruitment technologies.
- Built strong relationships with local universities for graduate recruiting efforts, establishing a steady stream of new talent.
- Coordinated participation in job fairs and networking events; increased visibility and potential candidate reach.
- Developed comprehensive job descriptions for various positions, attracting high-quality candidates.
- Achieved significant reduction in time-to-hire by introducing an efficient applicant tracking system.
- Hired and trained new employees to align with vision, goals and objectives of organisation.
- Developed employee referral programmes to assist in discovering new employees.
Recruitment consultant
BBO Recruitment
Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire
2017.06 - 2018.11
- Handled high-volume recruitments during peak seasons without compromising on quality of hire.
- Participated in career fairs and networking events to promote the recruitment agency's services.
- Offered guidance around interview preparation techniques to registered candidates, enhancing their chances of success.
- Provided constructive feedback to unsuccessful candidates post interviews, aiding their future job search efforts.
- Conducted pre-interview screening calls to assess candidate suitability and interest.
Education
Business Management
The Henley College
Henley on Thames, Oxfordshire 2014.09 - 2016.06
GCSEs -
Leighton Park School
Reading 2009.09 - 2014.06
Skills
- Talent Acquisition Strategy
- Stakeholder & Hiring Manager Partnership
- Workforce Planning & Hiring Strategy
- Recruitment Process Design & Optimisation
- Executive Search & Leadership Hiring
- Employer Branding & Talent Attraction
- Recruitment Technology Implementation
- Agency & Vendor Management
- Recruitment Data & Market Insights
- Team Leadership & Recruitment Operations
- ATS / CRM Platforms: Workable, TeamTailor, Atlas, Vincere, Bullhorn
- Recruitment Capabilities: Executive Search, Market Mapping, Recruitment Marketing, Candidate Experience Design, Interview Process Design
Timeline
Founder & Talent Acquisition Lead
HM Staffing
2018.12 - 2026.03
Recruitment consultant
BBO Recruitment
2017.06 - 2018.11
Business Management
The Henley College
2014.09 - 2016.06
GCSEs -
Leighton Park School
2009.09 - 2014.06