'Meet The Experts' is a series that delves into the minds of our colleagues at Carlin Hall. Join us as we talk with our industry leaders about their experiences, insights and strategies for navigating the competitive landscape of talent supply within the Executive Search industry.
This month, we’re delighted to introduce Louise Knight and the launch of Carlin Hall’s new Support Functions Division. Alongside our established executive search offering, we now recruit HR, Marketing, Finance, IT and Operations professionals for Executive Search and recruitment firms, giving our clients one trusted partner for both their leadership hires and the business support talent behind them. Louise, who leads the new division, brings a genuinely global career and an eclectic specialist background to the role.
Q: Can you share a bit about your background and how you got started in the recruitment industry?
I started out in an admin role in HR before going to university and I knew even then that recruitment was what I wanted to do. After graduating, I got a job in Yorkshire with a boutique search firm as a Researcher. I absolutely loved interviewing people and I progressed from there.
Q: Could you elaborate on your areas of specialization and the types of clients you typically work with?
I’ve had an eclectic journey. I started in Sales recruitment, then moved into Finance, then HR, Sales, Marketing and Finance again, this time in Dubai. That variety is exactly what I’m bringing to the Support Functions Division: the ability to adapt easily across markets and functions, which matters when you’re covering as many disciplines as HR, Marketing, Finance, IT and Operations all at once.
Q: Can you share some memorable placements or projects that stand out in your career?
Establishing the HR division in Dubai and breaking into the Saudi market stand out for me, including placing one of the highest-paid PAs in Saudi Arabia. That experience of building something from scratch is a big part of why I’m excited about this new chapter at Carlin Hall.
Q: What are some of the significant challenges you’ve encountered in search and how have you overcome them?
Getting internal agreement on a spec is a big one, HR and CEOs or Directors not aligning on requirements, or unrealistic expectations around salary versus experience. I overcome that by educating clients and being transparent about what’s realistic in the market. Timelines are another challenge, clients dragging out interview processes or not acting quickly on strong candidates. I always emphasise the urgency needed if they love someone.
Q: How do you define success in search, both for your clients and candidates?
Getting excellent candidates who are genuinely interested, and ultimately filling the role, but also managing the process as smoothly as possible, keeping everyone aligned. Coaching candidates through the process is something I really value and enjoy.
Q: What advice would you give to someone looking to build a successful career in executive search?
You’ve got to love people and genuinely be interested in them. You need a lot of grit and determination to win over clients and candidates and you have to remember you’re dealing with a lot of unpredictability, the highs are amazing, but the lows can be awful.
Q: Beyond work, what passions or interests do you pursue outside of the office?
I love weight training, walking in the countryside and finding great breakfast places to go to on a Saturday.
Louise’s global experience and adaptability across disciplines make her exactly the right person to lead Carlin Hall’s Support Functions Division. As global leaders in talent supply for the Executive Search industry, we’re thrilled to be expanding what we offer and to have Louise heading up a division that gives clients a single, trusted partner for both leadership hires and the business support talent behind them.
If you’d like to talk to Louise about a role in HR, Marketing, Finance, IT or Operations, get in touch with the team at Carlin Hall today.
