Background
Brunswick is a leading advisory firm, known for its strategic communications expertise. Operating in a fast-paced environment, the firm needed a Facilities Assistant/Handyperson to keep its London office efficient, well maintained and fully operational for the teams working there, and asked Maxwell Stephens to run the search.
On paper this is an assistant-level appointment. In practice, it is the person the whole office relies on when something breaks, a contractor arrives or a space needs to be reset before the day starts. In a firm whose reputation rests on professionalism, the standard of the working environment is not a minor detail.
The Challenge
The role required a proactive, hands-on professional to manage a broad range of tasks, from daily housekeeping checks to security management, contractor coordination and general building maintenance. The ideal candidate needed to be adaptable, self-sufficient and highly organised, with excellent customer service skills.
That breadth is what made the search harder than the job title suggests:
- A genuine hard and soft FM mix. The post combined practical maintenance work with front-line communication. Candidates at this level tend to have specialised in one or the other, and CVs rarely make clear how much of each they have actually done.
- Working without close supervision. A hands-on facilities role has to prioritise its own day, spot problems before they are reported and decide when a job needs a contractor rather than a toolbox. That judgement is difficult to assess from an application alone.
- Presence in a professional office. Everything from the tidiness of shared areas to the way a contractor is managed on site reflects on the firm. The appointment had to be someone comfortable representing Brunswick to staff and suppliers alike.
Our Approach
Maxwell Stephens works on the basis that good facilities professionals do more than keep an office running — they create an environment in which businesses and people can do their best work. To find the right fit for Brunswick, we searched for candidates who could demonstrate:
- Hands-on maintenance skills — from basic plumbing and furniture repairs to security and fire alarm testing.
- Strong customer service experience, ensuring clear communication with staff and contractors.
- A proactive, problem-solving mindset, capable of handling housekeeping issues, office moves and health & safety checks.
- Sound organisational skills, with the ability to log and track work orders effectively.
- Flexibility and reliability, including availability for out-of-hours work when required.
We assessed these directly rather than taking them on trust. A candidate who can explain how they log a reactive job and see it through to completion, or how they handle a contractor arriving on site, tells you more than a list of duties ever will. We also tested the point most hybrid facilities searches miss: whether the candidate genuinely wanted a role that mixes practical maintenance with a visible service element, rather than tolerating one half to get the other.
The Outcome
After a thorough search and selection process, Maxwell Stephens placed a Facilities Assistant/Handyperson who:
- Keeps Brunswick's office well maintained, tidy and fully operational.
- Manages contractor coordination and security access efficiently.
- Conducts regular inspections and resolves facilities issues promptly.
- Supports office moves, general maintenance and health & safety compliance.
- Provides excellent customer service to staff while handling the essential day-to-day operations of the office.
With the right Facilities Assistant in place, Brunswick can focus on its core business while maintaining a well-run, professional working environment.
Why This Placement Worked
Hands-on facilities roles usually go wrong for one of two reasons: they are recruited as maintenance jobs with a service expectation added afterwards, or as office-support jobs with a toolbox attached. Neither version survives contact with a busy office. This search weighted the practical and the interpersonal equally from the first conversation with the client, and assessed candidates against both.
If you are recruiting a similar position — a single hands-on appointment covering maintenance, security, contractors and day-to-day office standards — Maxwell Stephens can help you define the brief realistically and reach the candidates who genuinely cover it. Get in touch with our team.