Midlands Air Ambulance Charity (MAAC) is one of the UK's best-loved air ambulance services, delivering pre-hospital emergency care across the Midlands. When an organisation like that needs the right person in a key support role, getting the recruitment right really matters.

MAAC came to Charisma at a time of real momentum. The charity was going through a period of significant growth and development, had recently relocated to a new headquarters, and needed to create a brand-new Executive Assistant role to support their senior leadership team. Before launching a full recruitment campaign, they reached out to us for benchmarking support, wanting to make sure they had the right framework in place before going to market.

What they were looking for

The brief was clear, but the bar was high. MAAC needed someone who was highly efficient, articulate and professionally astute. The successful candidate would need at least three years' experience supporting senior leaders in a fast-paced environment, with the ability to manage multiple internal and external stakeholders at once.

Strong time management was essential, as was the confidence to work under pressure while exercising good judgement and discretion at all times. This is the kind of role where the wrong hire creates noise and the right one is almost invisible in the best possible way.

Following our initial benchmarking discussion and a detailed briefing with the hiring manager, we were appointed to lead the campaign.

A thorough, people-focused search

Charisma carried out a comprehensive marketing and talent search campaign on behalf of MAAC. This meant going beyond job boards and really digging into the market to find candidates who matched not just the skills criteria, but the working style and values that would make them a genuine fit for the organisation.

After an initial round of conversations with interested applicants, our team conducted several detailed vetting interviews to assess each person properly. We then presented six anonymised candidate applications to MAAC, all of which met the brief.

Anonymising applications is something we feel strongly about at Charisma. It keeps the focus where it should be: on skills, experience and potential.

A shortlist that delivered

MAAC were genuinely impressed by the calibre of the candidates put forward. Following a collaborative discussion with our team, they selected one candidate to take through to their own internal process. Every unsuccessful candidate received timely, personalised feedback, which matters to us. Recruitment says a lot about an organisation, and we want every interaction to reflect well on our clients.

The selected candidate then went through two interviews and a practical task set by MAAC. We were delighted to extend the verbal offer on their behalf, and supported the final stages of the process by assisting with references to complete the assignment.

Why it worked

What made this placement successful was the combination of honest benchmarking advice at the start, a thorough and carefully managed search process, and a genuine commitment to finding the right person rather than simply the first available one.

MAAC were collaborative partners throughout, which always makes a real difference. When a client is clear about what they need, trusts the process, and engages openly with the shortlist, the outcome tends to be a strong one.

Finding the right Executive Assistant is not always straightforward. The role asks for someone who can handle complexity quietly, support senior leaders without fanfare, and keep things running smoothly behind the scenes. It takes a specific kind of person, and finding them takes care.

For an organisation doing the vital, life-saving work that Midlands Air Ambulance Charity does every day, having the right team in place really does matter. We are proud to have played a small part in that.

Work with Charisma

Whether you are building a new team, filling a critical support role, or simply want some honest benchmarking advice before going to market, we would love to help.

Get in touch with our team at info@charismarecruitment.co.uk to start the conversation.