Morgan Hunt recently celebrated a major achievement by winning The Business Services Team of the Year Award at the TIARA Recruitment Awards UK&I, for their effective use of dashboards, and transformation into a data-centric business. In this Q&A, Catherine Wynn shares insights into the strategies behind their success, including the transformative role of data-driven decision-making and their dedication to DE&I, and social value.
ES: Congratulations on winning the Business Services Team of the Year award at the TIARA Recruitment Awards UK&I! What do you believe were the key factors that led to this recognition?
CW: At Morgan Hunt, we believe our success lies in combining cutting-edge technology with a people-centric approach and a strong commitment to D&I and social value. Our dedicated Business Optimisation Manager has played a pivotal role in streamlining processes and ensuring that we are consistently driving efficiency and effectiveness across the team.
By embedding D&I principles into our operations and prioritising social value, we’ve not only improved our internal practices but also delivered meaningful outcomes for our clients and candidates. Our innovative dashboards enabled us to make data-driven decisions that empower individuals and organisations alike. This, coupled with a focus on collaboration, transparency, and responsiveness, allowed us to redefine how we approach recruitment challenges and set a new standard for business services excellence.
ES: The judges highlighted your effective use of dashboards and your transformation into a data-centric business. Can you elaborate on how this shift has impacted your overall business strategy and decision-making?
CW: The shift to a data-centric approach has transformed our business strategy by enabling us to make informed, agile decisions. With real-time insights, we can anticipate trends, identify opportunities, and mitigate risks. This has allowed us to tailor our services more effectively to the unique needs of our clients and candidates while driving consistent, measurable outcomes.
Our innovative dashboards enabled us to make data-driven decisions that empower individuals and organisations alike.
ES: What are some of the most significant challenges you faced in becoming a more data-driven business, and how did you overcome them?
CW: One of our biggest challenges was encouraging widespread adoption of a data-driven approach among our consultants. Shifting from intuition-led to data-driven decision-making required not just new technology but also significant cultural change. Initially, there was resistance to change, but we tackled this by implementing a comprehensive and hands-on adoption strategy.
We conducted in-person training sessions, offered tailored courses through our internal training platform, and organised roadshows to demonstrate how these changes could directly benefit our consultants. Crucially, we led the transformation from the top down, with senior leaders championing the change and showcasing its value. By consistently communicating and celebrating the benefits of the data transformation—such as improved efficiency, better client and candidate outcomes, and enhanced business insight—we gradually built trust and enthusiasm within the team. This top-to-bottom commitment ultimately fostered a culture that not only accepted the shift but fully embraced it as an essential part of our growth.
ES: Looking forward, how do you plan to continue evolving your business services team, and what role do you see data playing in your growth and future success?
CW: We’re committed to continually evolving our approach, and data will remain a central pillar of our strategy. In the past six months, we’ve undertaken a significant tech transformation, including the launch of a new website, the implementation of a new CRM, and the adoption of updated payroll and onboarding platforms. While this rapid overhaul was a challenge, it has resulted in what we believe to be the best tech stack in the industry.
This investment provides us with cutting-edge tools, including AI and automation, which will streamline repetitive, day-to-day tasks. This allows our consultants to focus on what they do best: building meaningful, long-term relationships with clients and candidates.
From a data perspective, we’re looking ahead to creating even more advanced dashboards tailored to marketing and lead generation. Our plans include integrating website tracking, event and email engagement analytics, and lead scoring to better identify opportunities and drive growth. By enhancing these capabilities, we aim to deliver exceptional candidate and client experiences while staying ahead of industry trends.
