"Our organisation was new to using a specialist recruitment company and we were looking for a new Director of Business Development to set up a role from scratch. From the outset I was thoroughly impressed with the commitment, knowledge and professionalism showed by the entire Charisma Team. They were helpful, thoughtful, flexible and really interested in understanding the needs of my organisation. This meant that they sent me people who really would “fit” my organisation as well as do the job I was looking for them to do. I would without question go back to Charisma and the team again."
"The British Gas Energy Trust tasked the team at Charisma with a wide-ranging brief as we simultaneously sought 2 trustees with clearly defined skills, expertise and experience. I was impressed with the time taken to understand and discuss the candidate brief, the importance of value alignment, as well as the responsiveness shown to questions from the Board about the process. Our consultant and the team were always patient, professional and engaged, we definitely felt front and centre. The candidates shortlisted for interview were excellent, all highly relevant and appointable candidates – as a result of this the Board actually decided to appoint three rather than two Trustees, including a new Treasurer - which was a fantastic result for the Trust."
"Adam was a pleasure to work together with on the recruitment of a director level role at the Foundation in Summer 2020. He took the time to really understand what we were seeking in the right candidate, was very personable, insightful and most importantly he successfully secured us some strong candidates!"
"We were very pleased to have an introduction to Charisma. They have been excellent throughout. Charisma found us excellent, appointable candidates and we have been delighted with the progress our Campaign Manager is already making. Charisma knew the market-place well and were very confident to advise on affordable but realistic salary levels and the scope of the job description to match. We very much enjoyed working with them."
"The Trustees are very grateful to Charisma Charity Recruitment for helping us find an excellent candidate to take over as Chair of the fund."
"We were struggling to recruit an Individual Giving Manager with the right skills and experience. We asked charisma for help and the team found us an excellent applicant which led to successful recruitment.This definitely saved us a lot of time.The communication from the Charisma team was always fast, helpful and reliable and we would definitely consider working with Charisma again in the future"
"We first used Charisma to source a National Fundraising Director for us. As a result of this assignment, Charisma found us not only a great National Fundraising Director but also a Fundraising Manager. Subsequent to that assignment, we have also used Charisma to successfully recruit an Events Manager. We have been very impressed with the service provided by Charisma and are very happy to recommend them."
"We used Charisma Recruitment this year to secure a CEO for our charity in Bridgend. Following a couple of tough years, we knew we needed a candidate who had excellent leadership qualities, experience in the charity sector and who could help turn the charity around. From the beginning, the Charisma team had confidence, based on their experience working with several Emmaus Communities, that they could help us find the right person. Charisma provided us with 6 candidates, 4 of whom were of an excellent standard and we have recruited someone who is delivering what we asked for. Throughout the process Charisma were supportive, accommodating and provided as much information and documentation as they could in order to reduce the amount of time we, as Trustees, needed to spend on the process. I would definitely recommend Charisma and will be contacting them should we have vacancies for further senior positions."
"We wanted to recruit a part time Director of Finance and Operations and we needed to do this quickly. The Charisma team provided us with an excellent service, which was both highly professional, while also having a personal touch. Our consultant took time to understand our needs and presented a very good shortlist, from which we were able to select an excellent candidate. I therefore have no hesitation in recommending Charisma to others, and I would be happy to work with Charisma again in the future"
"We recently recruited for a new Director of Development for the Imperial War Museums. Charisma have met the brief fully and provided us with an excellent choice of candidates. We are very happy with the service provided."
"SCiA, when looking for a new Treasurer, asked Charisma to help us find the right person who would be able to help us through our next stage of development. Charisma were helpful and professional, enabling us to appoint a very competent and knowledgeable accountant with previous experience of acting in a position of Treasurer on other charity Boards, and who had the same values as our organisation. The process was quick and easy and we have found a great Treasurer to help us on to the next exciting stage of our development."
"We were delighted with the support Charisma gave us in finding our new Finance Director. This was a critical recruitment for our organisation and we aimed for a strong pool of candidates to test the interview panel and to ensure we found the right individual. The team didn’t disappoint and, in the end, we had a tough choice to make from the candidates' Charisma had attracted. Since then our new Finance Director has slotted into the role brilliantly, highly competent but also a great cultural fit. Working with Charisma was a great experience and I would highly recommend their services.”"
"I am very happy indeed to endorse the work of Charisma for once again supporting me as CEO of a charity to recruit an exceptional candidate. Having worked with Charisma over many years I knew that you had a great understanding of this sector and of the organisational requirement which we were seeking to address. Aspens decided to work with you due to your sector experience but also for the way in which you supported our organisation every step of the way to ensure that we found the perfect candidate for us. I was aware of your extensive networks of contacts and high-quality candidates and had confidence that you would be able to deliver a shortlist of strong contenders for this role. I understand that Charisma also prides itself on its support for candidates in the process also and have had very positive feedback from all of the candidates who you put forward to us. I believe that it is this holistic support of both candidate and client that differentiates Charisma from other recruiters and I would have no hesitation in recommending you to any not for profit organisation seeking to make a senior appointment. I look forward to working with you again in the future."
"We were really pleased to work with Charisma again when we needed to find a new Finance Manager. As always, Charisma were keen to understand not only the skills we needed for the role but also the kind of person who would fit well into our organisation. We were spoilt for choice with applicants and were able to choose an excellent candidate from the shortlist thanks to Charisma."
"St Paul’s Cathedral was pleased to work with Charisma in its search to find a new Head of HR. Charisma gave the Cathedral confidence by showing a good understanding of the Cathedral’s purpose and needs, and by undertaking the conduct of a professional and wide ranging recruitment search and selection process. St Paul’s will use Charisma again when the opportunity arises."
"The initial meeting indicated that the recruiting process would be very straight forward and could be done in quite a short timeframe, with Charisma doing the advertising and providing a list of suitable people to me for consideration with the Trustees. Everything went according to plan. Thank you Charisma, a job well done."
"We have employed the services of Charisma Recruitment over the last year to recruit four key members of the fundraising department. The Charisma team bring an energy and professionalism to the recruitment process which is very welcome. They place great importance on listening to the specific requirements for each post and they care about finding the very strongest candidates for you. They have significant experience of the charity sector and I have found their oversight and advice extremely valuable. The information they provide is thorough so you get a strong feel for each candidate before interview stage. All in all, I am extremely pleased with the service we have received from Charisma Charity Recruitment and would certainly use their services in the future."
"In reviewing and widening its search procedure for recruiting Trustees, Marwell Wildlife approached Charisma with the brief of finding three trustees, each with a specific background and expertise to complement its existing Board. This was achieved in a timely and cost efficient manner, resulting in the appointment of three high calibre individuals. With our attention soon returning to the recruitment of future Trustees, my recommendation will be to return to Charisma."
"We particularly appreciated the consultants personal approach, taking time to understand our culture and what we were looking for in a trustee from outside the project profession. We were delighted that with the assistance from Charisma we found a candidate that met our brief and who is keen to join us."
"We have worked with Charisma to recruit senior positions over the past few years. It has ensured that we have had a good mix of candidates for each role and we have made several successful appointments as a result of this, with all the details being dealt with very smoothly by the Charisma team."
"Hearing Dogs for Deaf People appointed Charisma Charity Recruitment to conduct a search for three new trustees. Our consultant initially spent a considerable amount of time exploring and understanding our needs and the ethos of the charity and throughout the subsequent process, our dealings with our consultant were always a pleasure and the support and help we received from Charisma’s team was professional, courteous and friendly.The quality and suitability of the candidates that were shortlisted for interview was so high that we ended up appointing an (extra) fourth trustee.I have no hesitation in wholeheartedly recommending Charisma."
"Charisma recruitment were excellent. We had very specific requirements in order to recruit a Head of Finance and HR; they provided us with a very good range of candidates from which we selected a high quality short list and were able to appoint a high calibre individual who was exactly what we needed. Charisma were helpful, professional and friendly throughout and we felt they gave us good value for money. We would certainly use them again and recommend them to others."
"We thought Charisma were great. They delivered everything we asked of them, including a good spectrum of candidates. Charisma provided a highly professional service, understood us as the client and represented us professionally with prospective candidates. Our successful appointee reported that he too had a really good experience throughout his recruitment process. We would highly recommend them and will be using them again when the need arises. "
"We are very grateful to our consultant and her team at Charisma.We invited them to help us find a key member of staff and they were incredibly supportive and helpful throughout the whole process of recruitment and we found them very professional and a pleasure to work with. We had a good range of candidates to choose from and we were well briefed on each of them. Our consultant did a good job screening the candidates in advance and proposing a shortlist that met our requirements. We were able to appoint successfully."
"On behalf of The Royal Agricultural Benevolent Institution thank you and your team for the time, guidance and personal service you have given in the recruitment of our new CEO. It is always a huge decision for the trustees after being here for nearly thirteen years. Change is positive and with your support we have my successor who will start shortly. The trustees very much appreciated you kindly attending the very long first day of interviews and also attending for the second interviews. Your professional knowledge and guidance was very important and valuable for the two sets of interviews."
"We were delighted with the service provided by Charisma. They listened carefully to our needs, both about the role we needed to fill and to the character of the charity and the team. They took all the hard work out of the selection process, with a national and regional search, and found us a great candidate. We have worked with Charisma for several years and they would be my first choice again."
"Charisma have supported me in completing two recruitment assignments over six months. I was impressed at the time and care our consultant and the whole team took to understand the organisation, role and team the candidates would be joining. Their search produced a high standard of candidates who were all well prepared for their interviews. Throughout the process our consultant showed great attention to detail and gave helpful insight into candidates’ motivations and attitudes. I would strongly recommend Charisma to both candidates and recruiters"
"The Spring Arts & Heritage Centre appointed Charisma Recruitment to support us in the search for a new Chair or Trustees. Our consultant and the team were very supportive and took a lot of time to really listen and understand our requirements at the start of the process. They were keen to have a full picture of our organisation in order to help us effectively.We had never used an agency before but Charisma kept in touch to let us know how recruitment was going and to make sure we were happy at every step of the way.We were very pleased with the result and felt that our requirements had really been heard and met. I wouldn’t hesitate to work with them again on a similar project."
"Finding great personnel for trading arms of schools is no easy business, however Charisma have come up trumps – twice! When our business was only fledgling, Charisma secured an excellent Business Manager for us. The success of that appointment meant that the business grew to become a medium sized enterprise. Our requirement more recently was to secure a fab Managing Director who could build an international profile to dovetail with the school’s work in Africa, China, India and Europe. We met with Charisma so that they had a full understanding of our developing vision. All we had to do was turn up to meet and interview the very strong field of candidates. We’re absolutely delighted with the outcome!"
"On behalf of Challengers I wanted to relay how happy we were with the service received from Charisma over the past quarter as we searched for a new CEO.This was a critical hire for us, replacing a successful CEO who had been in seat for over 8 years. The requirements, advice and expectations were always clear, and updates were received frequently. This resulted in both the candidates being clear on expectations around the role and the process, and the Board feeling up to date with how successful the search was progressing. The end result was an excellent and diverse slate of candidates selected for interview, from which we successfully found an outstanding leader to take the charity forward."
"In our search to recruit a more diversified group of Trustees, Dorset Natural History and Archaeological Society appointed Charisma to find five new trustees, each with a specific background and expertise to complement our existing Board.The Team at Charisma created a very detailed and cost effective campaign to meet the trustee criteria we had set, during the whole process we were regularly updated with progress reports.We were extremely pleased with the candidates presented to us all of whom showed a high calibre of skills. We are delighted with our chosen five new Trustees who will assist us in delivering a sustainable and exciting future for our museum.Thank you to our consultant and the team for delivering such a successful and professional campaign."
"Charisma were a huge help in advertising, shortlisting and then supporting our interviews for a new CEO of Citizens Online, the social inclusion charity. Our Consultant knew just when to tell us when we were at risk of overlooking a good candidate, and they did it so diplomatically."
"We were delighted with the support Charisma gave us in finding our new Finance Director. This was a critical recruitment for our organisation and we aimed for a strong pool of candidates to test the interview panel and to ensure we found the right individual. Our consultant and the team didn’t disappoint and, in the end, we had a tough choice to make from the candidates' Charisma had attracted. Since then our new Finance Director has slotted into the role brilliantly, highly competent but also a great cultural fit. Working with Charisma was a great experience and I would highly recommend their services."
"Charisma handled two challenging recruitments for Live Music Now in 2020.The first was for a Development Director, always a difficult post to fill in the arts world. Charisma found a good crop of candidates and we chose an excellent candidate who then reversed her decision to join us when her current employer gave her a huge pay rise.But we did another sift and found another excellent candidate who joined. This was a difficult period but Charisma handled it well, as they did the whole process. Later in the year we used Charisma to help us recruit for the new position of Chief Executive. Our consultant provided sensitive and prompt help at all stages of preparing for and conducting the search. Over 100 candidates were found and many were excellent. We were very demanding in the process of shortlisting and interviewing eventually turned down all our first shortlist but Charisma handled the whole process well and the result was excellent. They were a pleasure to work with and I would use them again for a similar appointment"
"An initial meeting with Charisma was so supportive and helpful that we decided to place the process into your hands. In choosing exclusivity with Charisma the rate was actually very reasonable and certainly worth the cost and I have already recommended your firm to another colleague of a neighbouring Hospice and will continue to promote your professionalism to others."
"Charisma provided nothing but an impressive service at all times. They are very thorough, professional and diligent and went out of their way to understand our organisation and the type of person we were looking for as the new CEO. The Charisma office team is well-briefed and we were at all times reassured that quality of service is high on their agenda from beginning to end."
"The Merchant Taylors’ Company was glad to have selected Charisma to assist in its search for a new Charities Manager for the Company. The brief was to identify a choice of high calibre, professionally qualified and suitably experienced individuals of whom one would be best suited to take the management of Merchant Taylors’ charities forward, especially to attract new charities to fall beneath the existing management umbrella. Charisma filled the brief well, understood the intentional flexibility of the role quickly, and was pragmatic and broad-minded in the search which resulted in the timely and unfussy presentation of excellent choices. "
"Working with Charisma was such a positive experience, from the initial outline of our needs, through all the stages of engagement with the candidates. I felt confident that Charisma and the team understood and interpreted our needs and the role. I wanted an organisation that would understand collaborative working, help facilitate a successful process and ensure that each candidate had a positive experience. Our Chair and trustees were confident in the process and delighted with the quality of the candidates shortlisted leading to a very successful appointment. Thank you! "
"When our Chief Executive announced his intention to retire, we knew we faced a challenging market in searching for a successor of the calibre we needed. The team at Charisma supported us through the entire recruitment process with professionalism, expertise and sensitivity. We had a strong response to our advertisement. Our assigned consultants external perspective combined with their knowledge of the charity sector were invaluable in our shortlisting and decision making processes. Throughout, Charisma’s communication with us was unfailingly helpful, prompt and proactive. We are delighted with the appointment we have made."
"We have recently used Charisma to assist with recruiting our Head of Marketing & Communications and Head of HR. The process was efficient, timely and well communicated throughout with a personal bespoke client approach. Charisma were a pleasure to work with and I highly recommend them to both potential clients and candidates."
"From the moment I contacted Charisma in relation to a Chief Operating Officer opportunity I felt I was in very safe hands. During my first meeting with our consultant the values of the organisation were clear and I left feeling that Charisma absolutely understood my knowledge and skills. I realised that they would only put me forward for the role if it was absolutely a right match. The whole process was seamless from start to finish."
"Avenues were introduced to Adam and Charisma by a mutual connection and I am so grateful for that intro. Adam clearly knows the charity sector well and understands the senior roles that organisations need. Adam took time to understand Avenues and our ambitions for the new role and helped us shape the role further. As a client we were made to feel valued and supported at every stage of the recruitment process from shortlist to successful appointment. I would highly recommend Adam and Charisma and wouldn’t hesitate to use them again."
"hyh was hugely impressed with the professionalism and efficiency of the Charisma Team. We needed and secured a CEO who would give new leadership to this small but dynamic homelessness Charity. At all times we were fully briefed and advised by Charisma who offered a personal and tailored service. We are grateful to them and happy to endorse their calm and effective style and approach."
"We approached Charisma through recommendation in order to recruit for a new position within our organisation ‘ Fundraising Director & Campaign Manager’. From the outset I was impressed with their enthusiasm and professionalism. Once appointed their communication was excellent and they offered support and advice when needed. I can thoroughly recommend them to any cultural organisation seeking to recruit to a similar position."
"We asked the Charisma team to help us to organise and recruit a new CEO for our Hospice Charity. At our first meeting our consultant had a clear understanding of our organisation and the sector, was able to provide a clear framework for us to work around. We had a tight deadline to meet and this was achieved for the whole process. Our consultant kept in regular contact with pre agreed telephone appointments, which were always kept to. All in all Charisma ensured the process of candidate selection to appointment of our new CEO went smoothly and efficiently. We would highly recommend them."
"Charisma were strongly recommended to us for their specialist insight in support of our recruitment of a new General Manager for our almshouses, and we were certainly not disappointed: they served us extremely well at every stage of the process. Adam Stacey took time to learn about our organisation, listening carefully to our very specific requirements and tailoring the search accordingly. The result of our collaboration was a strong pool of candidates that led to an exceptional appointment for us. I was impressed with Adam’s professional guidance throughout, from our first meeting, to the interviews and their conclusion, and then on to some excellent after-care. I would recommend Charisma in their field without hesitation, particularly over others whose approach is more generalised."
"The new chief executive has now been in post for 6 months and is making a huge difference to the charity.I am writing to thank you personally for your part in recruiting her.The charity had reached a pivotal stage in its development and your help and advice made a huge difference not only in reassuring the board that we have recruited the best possible person for the role but in ensuring that the board went through a thorough, robust and transparent process in doing so.I would not hesitate to recommend Charisma to any charity recruiting senior personnel."
