Katrina Stewart

Katrina has placed me in two HR Director roles in Financial Services over the years. Both roles have been a perfect fit for me – and I would like to think the organisations I became part of have been happy too.  I really don’t think I would have found either of these opportunities or been successful in pursuing them, without Kat’s involvement. Not only is Katrina personable, professional, responsive and easy to work with, she is also extremely focused on getting the right outcome for candidates and firms alike. It is clear that Katrina carefully considers not just skills and experience but also overall fit, when she matches candidates to roles. She has actually put me in front of very few of her clients, but with a very high success rate – this tailored approach makes her unique and an invaluable resource for candidates and firms. Once you have been put forward for a role something that Katrina does extremely well is brief you on what to expect in terms of process and each of the people you are meeting. She also solicits and provides very constructive and productive feedback and is very clear on where one stands in a process.  This means that as a candidate you are able to perform at your best through the assessment process, and also that there are few surprises at offer stage. That is helpful to both candidates and firms and means the process is quicker and smoother at the final stage. In my experience, Katrina represents the client she works for, and the role, incredibly accurately to you as a candidate.  I have also always felt 100% confident that I am well (and accurately) represented by her as a candidate, partly because Katrina really understands the HR space and partly because she builds long term relationships with her candidates and gets to know them very well. Finally, I really admire Katrina’s forthrightness and ability to get to the point quickly and get stuff done,  whilst remaining personable and supportive at the same time.  I regularly recommend Katrina to my peers both from a candidate and a hiring perspective.

I have been working with Katrina and the team @Oakleaf, both as a candidate and a client, for the last 10 years. As a candidate, Katrina has personally placed me in two roles during that time, both of which were aligned not only to my capability and relevant experience, but to my interests and career ambitions. This was only possible because Katrina took the time to ask the right questions, understand my drivers, think outside the box and get to know "me". I have subsequently recommended Katrina to many ex-colleagues looking for new, and especially, senior level opportunities. As a client, Katrina and her team are highly responsive, communicate effectively, ensure a smooth running process and take the time to present both the candidate profiles I ask for, and the left field options that they instinctively know will work. The latter most recently evidenced by the hire I have recently made to my team @Xceptor. Would highly recommend.

I have been hugely impressed with the professionalism of Katrina Stewart and Jenny Scrivener on search and executive interim placements across Financial Services HR. They were really personable and listened to me. Their market knowledge and intelligence was second to none. Their advice and guidance was amazing and were not afraid to push back on me when my ideas went astray. I am very much indebted to Oakleaf Executive. They are the only consultancy that I have felt actually cared about their candidates as much as their clients. It's a long term relationship to be built on. A huge heartfelt thank you.

I was referred to Katrina Stewart when my organization was looking for a Head of Human Resources. Katrina immediately grasped the role and the complexity. She sourced and presented candidates in line with the recruitment process we discussed at the beginning, showed her ability to identify candidates right for our business.

Oakleaf Partnership have been a valuable talent acquisition partner and their service has always been excellent. Their understanding of the business needs and culture of our organisation has enabled them to provide us with high calibre applicants. They have always been professional, honest and reliable and I would not hesitate in recommending them to anyone.  In particular, it has been a pleasure working with Katrina who I highly recommend as a professional, diligent and extremely competent senior consultant who helped us find the right talent and identified critical talent for our organization.

“Here at M&S, flexible working is high on the agenda in trying to create a true ‘Smarter Working’ office environment, so it’s critical to us that we challenge perceptions both internally and externally on this subject whilst championing the benefits in our everyday hires. We are delighted that Oakleaf have been forward-thinking enough to embrace this with a part-time recruitment offering, as this is both unique and invaluable in sourcing the best flexible working candidates in the marketplace. A key to their success is undoubtedly their ability to challenge their client’s perception on which roles can be approached from a part-time or flexible basis. Having recently successfully recruited 3 part-time team members into our HR Division, we were impressed with a seamless service from both Jane and Harriet, who together offer a great example of how flexible working can demonstrate great efficiency. We’re excited to be part of this journey alongside Oakleaf and value their expertise in supporting us to take this focus and continue to convert it into tangible examples of great flexible working across the HR team”.  

The part-time HR recruitment team at Oakleaf did a great job in putting forward quality candidates for our vacancy in a very short time frame. They took time to really understand the company, its ethos and aims and the type of candidate we required in terms of skills set and personality. They were a pleasure to deal with and I would recommend them to others.

The part-time HR recruitment team at Oakleaf did a great job in putting forward quality candidates for our vacancy in a very short time frame. They took time to really understand the company, its ethos and aims and the type of candidate we required in terms of skills set and personality. They were a pleasure to deal with and I would recommend them to others.

The part-time HR recruitment team at Oakleaf did a great job in putting forward quality candidates for our vacancy in a very short time frame. They took time to really understand the company, its ethos and aims and the type of candidate we required in terms of skills set and personality. They were a pleasure to deal with and I would recommend them to others.

I am writing to thank you both for all the support & time you have given me during the interview process. During the whole process, you have been very supportive & very positive about me & the role. You have communicated professionally & in a friendly way all the time and provided every detail about the job, interview process, directions to the offices or any feedback given by the clients. I also greatly appreciated your quick follow-ups with the clients and come back with a quick answers. Really hats-off to you how you manage your work load while working as a part-time.

I wanted to drop you a line to let you know that it I have found your initiative of starting a part time HR desk at Oakleaf a breath of fresh air and wanted to congratulate you upon it. I have been working with both Jane and Harriet from a candidate perspective for about six months now and have found them nothing but professional and positive in their outlook. It is rare to encounter recruitment professionals who recognise that their business is fundamentally about relationships and who spend their time investing in this. Over the last five years it has been near on impossible for me to return to work on a full time basis however I am now ready to go back to the city and feel that this is the time where it can work with my family set up. Jane has been incredibly encouraging as although deep down I know I have valuable experience it is disheartening when companies don’t respond back nor give feedback as to why you aren’t selected and Jane has mitigated this. I also believe that she is able to talk to clients on my behalf and able to fully explain my situation to her clients as she acts as a trusted advisor to not only them but also myself. I still feel that some organisations are blinkered in their outlook to people who are seeking part time opportunities and are less open to exploring these possibilities. They seem to look for the issues that might arise when actually they will probably get a more dedicated hard working person in return who is incredibly grateful of the flexibility. Although I haven’t found a suitable opportunity yet I am hoping I will in the next couple of months and believe that as the world is a small place there are chances I will be able to help Harriet and Jane in the future perhaps on the other side of the table. So, thank you for setting up the desk as I am sure I am not the only one who feels the benefit of Harriet and Jane’s invaluable work.

I wanted to drop you a line to let you know that it I have found your initiative of starting a part time HR desk at Oakleaf a breath of fresh air and wanted to congratulate you upon it. I have been working with both Jane and Harriet from a candidate perspective for about six months now and have found them nothing but professional and positive in their outlook. It is rare to encounter recruitment professionals who recognise that their business is fundamentally about relationships and who spend their time investing in this. Over the last five years it has been near on impossible for me to return to work on a full time basis however I am now ready to go back to the city and feel that this is the time where it can work with my family set up. Jane has been incredibly encouraging as although deep down I know I have valuable experience it is disheartening when companies don’t respond back nor give feedback as to why you aren’t selected and Jane has mitigated this. I also believe that she is able to talk to clients on my behalf and able to fully explain my situation to her clients as she acts as a trusted advisor to not only them but also myself. I still feel that some organisations are blinkered in their outlook to people who are seeking part time opportunities and are less open to exploring these possibilities. They seem to look for the issues that might arise when actually they will probably get a more dedicated hard working person in return who is incredibly grateful of the flexibility. Although I haven’t found a suitable opportunity yet I am hoping I will in the next couple of months and believe that as the world is a small place there are chances I will be able to help Harriet and Jane in the future perhaps on the other side of the table. So, thank you for setting up the desk as I am sure I am not the only one who feels the benefit of Harriet and Jane’s invaluable work.

I was a candidate, seeking a part time HR role. I was actively searching roles independently as I found most agencies could not assist with a part time search. However, it was a pure joy and a complete flood light at the end of a tunnel to have found the help of Harriet Lavender & Jane Middleton who run the specialised part time HR desk. They reassured me that there were indeed more part time opportunities then I believed there to be in the HR market and restored my confidence that I could balance new family commitments as well as return to the workplace to a role that suited my skill set. Within a few months (inclusive of the Xmas period) I found the ideal 3 day week HR role! Without their assistance of their part time initiative, my search would have been much longer & miserable I am sure. So, overall my feedback is that with there being a desk dedicated to part time opportunities has been a hugely helpful find and one that I hope continues to thrive, seeking the recognition it deserves.

I was a candidate, seeking a part time HR role. I was actively searching roles independently as I found most agencies could not assist with a part time search. However, it was a pure joy and a complete flood light at the end of a tunnel to have found the help of Harriet Lavender & Jane Middleton who run the specialised part time HR desk. They reassured me that there were indeed more part time opportunities then I believed there to be in the HR market and restored my confidence that I could balance new family commitments as well as return to the workplace to a role that suited my skill set. Within a few months (inclusive of the Xmas period) I found the ideal 3 day week HR role! Without their assistance of their part time initiative, my search would have been much longer & miserable I am sure. So, overall my feedback is that with there being a desk dedicated to part time opportunities has been a hugely helpful find and one that I hope continues to thrive, seeking the recognition it deserves.

I have worked in HR for the last 16 years so I understand the importance of the relationship between a Recruitment Agency and a candidate.  I have been actively looking for a new part time position during the last 6 months, and have registered with and been interviewed by many agencies.  In my experience Jane Middleton is a real credit to Oakleaf Partnership and a distinct cut above consultants at other agencies.   Jane is a first class HR Professional who gives honest and constructive feedback and is a great support during the transitioning period when moving jobs.  I have also dealt with Harriet Lavender when Jane is not in the office, and she too is professional, responsive and supportive.  Looking for a new role is a full time job in itself and can be exhausting.  Jane and Harriet make life that bit easier for candidates like me.  Jane and Harriet are outstanding professionals whom I have and continue to recommend to my contacts in the HR profession.

Recently I spoke with Jane Middleton regarding a part time role and ended up pitching myself forward to help her grow this desk as I have a background in HR, recruitment and the Financial Services sector. Aside from that I wanted to give you some positive feedback regarding the Oakleaf Partnership and your team. As I embark on my next career search I have found your organisation the epitome of professionalism and customer service. I have liaised with Jane Middleton, Sarah Alexander and Emma Castillo and found them all without exception interested in me and interested in helping me find the right role. They deliver on what they promise and are sincere and genuine in the process. I hope you do not mind me saying this but in my view you are streets ahead of other HR recruiters and I feel certain that it will take them some time to catch up as the tide of HR requirements moves from full time to part time and flexibility.

I felt compelled to write to you to let you know how impressed I was that your organisation is doing something to cater for part time HR candidates. I have been in HR for 17 years and worked part time for 15 years. I have encountered many recruitment consultancies over the years, however I have never found one that not only welcomes but proactively works to engage part time candidates alongside full time counterparts. It was a total pleasure to talk to Jane Middleton, she totally understood my current position, my value and what I was able to contribute. I was so thrilled to find out that there is an organisation like yours with people like Jane who place a value on the contribution of part time professionals. Your organisation is refreshing, forward thinking and I will be telling everyone I know about you! I wish Oakleaf continued success.