Background & Client Overview
Glencore, one of the world's largest diversified natural resources companies, appointed Maxwell Stephens to recruit several key professionals to support the relocation and operational setup of its new London headquarters at Hanover Square.
The move represented a significant workplace project, requiring careful coordination to ensure the new office was ready to support Glencore's operations from day one.
Rather than recruiting for a single position, the assignment required Maxwell Stephens to identify specialists across office relocation, technical maintenance, and health and safety. Each appointment had a distinct responsibility, but all three needed to work effectively within the wider relocation programme.
With a demanding timetable and high expectations around operational readiness, Glencore required experienced professionals capable of delivering in a complex corporate environment.
The Challenge
The recruitment programme combined three specialist requirements within one time-sensitive workplace transformation project.
A Time-Critical Relocation
The new headquarters needed to become operational within a defined programme, making it essential that suitable candidates could be identified and appointed without compromising the quality of the recruitment process.
Specialist Technical Expertise
Glencore required professionals capable of supporting the technical and operational demands of a modern corporate headquarters, from building maintenance through to workplace safety.
Operational Continuity
The relocation needed to minimise disruption to the wider business. Each successful candidate therefore needed to understand the importance of careful planning, coordination and responsive problem-solving.
High Recruitment Standards
Given the scale and profile of the organisation, Glencore required professionals with strong track records in their respective disciplines and the confidence to operate within a demanding corporate environment.
The Key Appointments
Maxwell Stephens was tasked with recruiting three complementary roles critical to the successful relocation and ongoing operation of the Hanover Square office.
Office Relocation Manager
The Office Relocation Manager would take a leading role in coordinating the move and ensuring the new workplace was operational according to programme.
The successful candidate brought more than a decade of experience managing large-scale office moves and was responsible for coordinating numerous elements of the relocation, including:
- relocation planning and logistics
- stakeholder coordination
- move sequencing
- workplace readiness
- IT infrastructure coordination
- operational handover
- minimising disruption and downtime
This required exceptional organisation and the ability to manage multiple interdependent workstreams within a demanding timetable.
Maintenance Technician
The Maintenance Technician was recruited to help ensure the new office's building systems and Facilities infrastructure remained reliable from the outset.
The candidate brought extensive practical knowledge of modern workplace maintenance, with responsibilities including planned preventive maintenance, troubleshooting and responding to technical issues.
The appointment provided Glencore with dedicated technical capability to support the ongoing performance of the new headquarters following occupation.
Health & Safety Officer
The Health & Safety Officer was appointed to establish and maintain robust workplace safety standards throughout the new office environment.
The role incorporated:
- health and safety procedures
- workplace risk assessments
- regulatory compliance
- identification and management of potential hazards
- supporting safe working practices
- maintaining appropriate health and safety documentation
The successful candidate's corporate health and safety experience provided important assurance during both the transition and subsequent operation of the new workplace.
Our Recruitment Approach
Maxwell Stephens developed a coordinated recruitment strategy covering all three specialist appointments.
The objective was not simply to recruit strong individuals independently, but to identify candidates whose expertise would collectively support the successful delivery and operation of the new headquarters.
Our assessment therefore focused on both role-specific technical competence and the ability to perform effectively within a major relocation programme.
Candidates were evaluated against experience in areas including:
- large-scale office relocations
- corporate Facilities Management
- building maintenance and technical services
- planned preventive maintenance
- health and safety compliance
- risk assessment
- project coordination
- stakeholder management
- working to demanding programmes
- operational problem-solving
Using our specialist Facilities Management network and targeted search capability, we identified experienced professionals capable of meeting Glencore's requirements within the necessary timeframe.
Maxwell Stephens successfully recruited all three key appointments.
Outcome & Impact
The coordinated recruitment programme gave Glencore the specialist expertise required to support both the relocation and the ongoing operation of its new Hanover Square headquarters.
Successful Office Relocation
The Office Relocation Manager coordinated the move and helped ensure the new workplace became operational in line with the required schedule.
Careful planning and coordination helped minimise disruption during the transition.
Strong Technical Support from Day One
The Maintenance Technician provided dedicated technical capability within the new headquarters, supporting the reliability of Facilities systems and helping ensure maintenance requirements were addressed effectively.
Enhanced Health & Safety
The Health & Safety Officer implemented and maintained appropriate safety procedures, including risk assessments and compliance controls, helping establish a safe working environment within the new office.
Greater Operational Readiness
Together, the three appointments strengthened Glencore's ability to transition into Hanover Square with the required operational, technical and compliance resources already in place.
A Coordinated Recruitment Solution
By managing several complementary appointments as part of the same programme, Maxwell Stephens was able to support Glencore across multiple aspects of workplace readiness rather than treating each requirement in isolation.
Outcome
The successful recruitment of an Office Relocation Manager, Maintenance Technician and Health & Safety Officer provided Glencore with critical expertise at an important point in the development of its London workplace.
Each appointment addressed a different component of the relocation — project coordination, technical reliability and workplace safety — collectively supporting a smooth transition into the new Hanover Square headquarters.
The assignment demonstrates Maxwell Stephens' ability to deliver multi-role recruitment programmes for complex workplace relocations and corporate property projects, identifying specialist professionals capable of working together to achieve operational readiness.
Planning a major office relocation or workplace transformation? Contact Maxwell Stephens to discuss the specialist Facilities, Property and Workplace professionals required to make your project a success.