Recruit the right HR Director
Recruiting the right HR Director is a vital step in building a resilient, engaged, and high-performing organisation. The role demands more than operational knowledge of HR processes — it requires a strategic partner to the board who can lead cultural transformation, shape workforce strategy, and align people initiatives with commercial goals. With experts like Oliver guiding the recruitment process, companies can appoint an HR Director who strengthens leadership capability, supports business growth, and ensures the organisation thrives through change.
For businesses seeking a senior HR leader, working with experienced professionals who understand the evolving role of people leadership and have access to a strong network of high-calibre candidates is essential. This targeted, insight-led approach ensures the successful appointment of an HR Director who brings credibility, emotional intelligence, and a progressive approach to talent, culture, and change.
Introducing your expert for recruiting the right Human Resources Director.
Oliver Adderley
Managing Director, Adderleys Executive Search
Book a call
Tel: 0207 874 7204
Email: oja@adderleys.com
Oliver brings over twenty years of experience in executive search, with a specialised focus on recruiting senior level talent across various industries. His extensive network of senior leadership talent throughout the United Kingdom uniquely positions him to identify and attract top-tier candidates for this critical role.
Throughout his career, Oliver has collaborated with a diverse range of businesses, from multinational corporations and renowned brands to small and medium-sized enterprises. His expertise in executive search and recruitment marketing, combined with his deep understanding of the recruitment landscape, has consistently driven successful outcomes in securing high-calibre leadership.
Oliver’s track record in recruiting HR Directors is marked by his ability to understand the nuanced requirements of each organisation, ensuring a perfect alignment between candidate capabilities and company needs. His strategic thinking and problem-solving skills enable him to navigate the complexities of the recruitment process, devising innovative solutions that meet the unique challenges of each search.
With his broad-spectrum experience and intimate familiarity with the intricacies of executive recruitment, Oliver is perfectly positioned to lead the search for a new HR Director. His comprehensive knowledge and versatile skill set ensure that he can deliver exceptional results, contributing significantly to the company's ongoing success and leadership continuity.
The HR Director plays a pivotal role in shaping an organisation’s culture, structure, and long-term sustainability. As companies navigate challenges such as talent shortages, hybrid working, digital transformation, and growing diversity expectations, HR leadership has become more central than ever to strategic success.
A high-impact HR Director leads beyond policy — they help define how the organisation attracts, develops, retains, and engages its people. They work closely with the CEO and senior leadership team to align workforce planning with business strategy, lead cultural change, and ensure that the people agenda supports growth, innovation, and resilience. In times of transition, they are often the stabilising force who provides clarity, empathy, and practical guidance.
In sectors such as professional services, manufacturing, education, housing, health, and not-for-profit, the HR Director also takes on responsibilities for safeguarding, wellbeing, EDI (Equality, Diversity & Inclusion), and compliance — balancing care for people with accountability to governance frameworks. The role is both operationally grounded and strategically influential.
How Adderleys Can Help
At Adderleys, we understand that recruiting an HR Director is about more than HR qualifications — it’s about finding a senior leader who can support business strategy through people. Since 1991, we’ve supported organisations across the UK in appointing HR Directors who bring not only functional expertise but also transformational leadership and cultural alignment. Here’s how we support effective people leadership appointments:
Strategic People Planning: We identify candidates who have shaped workforce strategy, led HR transformation, and aligned people plans with wider business goals — from scaling headcount to building future-ready capabilities.
Culture and Change Leadership: Great HR leaders are culture carriers. We assess candidates on their ability to lead change, embed values, and create high-trust, high-performance environments — particularly during periods of growth, restructure, or M&A.
Talent, Learning & Organisational Development: We look for professionals who view talent as a strategic asset — building robust succession pipelines, learning cultures, and leadership capability across all levels.
Operational Excellence and Compliance: From ER and payroll to policy and process, we ensure candidates can lead well-governed HR functions — particularly in regulated or unionised environments.
Wellbeing, Inclusion, and Engagement: We prioritise leaders who understand the full employee experience — shaping inclusive practices, supporting mental health, and creating environments where people feel valued and heard.
Our Unique Approach
Adderleys brings together rigorous executive search capability with deep market insight and a national network of senior HR professionals. Unlike firms focused exclusively on London, our reach extends across the UK, enabling us to identify leaders who combine strong professional credentials with the cultural and commercial fit needed to thrive in regional and national organisations.
We understand that every business is at a different point in its people journey — whether embedding HR in a founder-led firm, supporting workforce transformation in the public sector, or building capability in a high-growth environment. That’s why we tailor our approach to your specific needs, organisational context, and cultural priorities.
Our network includes HR Directors, Chief People Officers, and Heads of People across private, public, and third-sector organisations. Many bring specialist experience in workforce strategy, digital HR systems, restructures, or building the people infrastructure needed for sustainable growth.
At Adderleys, we believe great people strategies start with great HR leadership. And we’re here to help you appoint an HR Director who will shape culture, unlock potential, and support your business through every stage of its journey.