Executive Search for Social Housing Leadership
Why we have launched Executive Search in partnership with Place Base
Over the past year we have been working closely with Jamie Ratcliff at Place Base, initially exploring how recruitment models in social housing could evolve.
Those early conversations focused on how Smart Fees could work in practice. The idea was straightforward. If the sector is changing, recruitment models should evolve with it.
From those discussions Liquid expanded the thinking further, developing what has since become the Smart Series. This is a broader set of recruitment approaches designed to give housing organisations more flexibility in how they appoint people.
But throughout those conversations another topic kept coming up.
Senior leadership appointments.
Boards, Chairs and Chief Executives were increasingly asking whether the same sector focus and relationship depth Liquid brings to specialist recruitment could also support Executive and C Suite appointments.
That question ultimately led to the development of our Executive Search offer for UK Social Housing, delivered in partnership with Place Base.
Why Executive Search matters in Social Housing
Appointing a Chief Executive, Chief Officer or Executive Director is rarely a routine hire.
These roles carry long term consequence. They influence strategic direction, organisational culture, regulatory confidence and ultimately outcomes for residents.
In many organisations it is the most important appointment made in any given year.
These decisions are rightly scrutinised by residents, boards, regulators and stakeholders across the sector. That means the recruitment process itself also matters. It should be thoughtful, credible and handled in a way that strengthens an organisation’s reputation rather than risking it.
A partnership built on sector depth
Liquid Recruitment has worked exclusively within the UK social housing sector for more than twenty years.
That continuous engagement gives us a live understanding of how the leadership landscape evolves, including director level movement, succession patterns and where senior talent sits across the sector.
Place Base brings a complementary perspective.
Jamie Ratcliff has worked closely with boards, executives and government across the housing sector and maintains relationships with senior leaders who might not engage with recruiters through traditional routes.
Bringing these perspectives together allows us to combine sector depth with executive level engagement, creating a search approach that reflects the realities of senior leadership within housing.
Why we believe the timing is right
Social housing is going through a period of significant change.
Organisations are navigating regulatory reform, financial pressures, evolving governance expectations and increased public scrutiny.
At the same time leadership teams are evolving. Boards are reshaping executive structures, succession planning is becoming more deliberate, and organisations are thinking more carefully about the type of leadership needed for the next phase of the sector.
Against that backdrop, executive search needs to be conducted with a clear understanding of the environment senior leaders operate within.
That means combining deep sector knowledge, thoughtful engagement with candidates and a process that reflects the responsibility attached to these roles.
What we have built
Executive Search by Liquid Recruitment has been designed specifically for the social housing sector.
Rather than creating a generic executive search offer, we have focused on building a process that reflects the governance structures, regulatory expectations and leadership responsibilities unique to housing organisations.
The approach combines structured search methodology with senior level judgement and peer to peer engagement with candidates.
The full overview of the search process, approach and commercial structure is set out in the document below.
Click here to learn more about our executive search offer
You can read more about our executive search approach and methodology by downloading the Executive Search Overview.
This document outlines the full process, including how searches are structured, how candidates are engaged and how organisations are supported throughout the appointment process.
Contact
If you would like to discuss an upcoming executive appointment or learn more about the search process please contact:
Paul Sherman
Managing Director
Liquid Recruitment Solutions
paul@liquid-rs.co.uk
