Background
Rytons Associates were engaged by a top three national homebuilder to support a struggling division that had recently been placed under special measures following a series of failed inspections. The division carried a poor reputation in the market and had seen multiple directors across every function leave in quick succession. Construction, in particular, had become a scapegoat, with low trust across other departments and fractured relationships with subcontractors. The client required an experienced Construction Director who could stabilise the function, rebuild credibility, and lead a turnaround.
The Challenge
The division’s reputation made the role one of the least attractive in the region. High turnover at director level meant candidates were wary of joining, while the ineffective leadership of the previous Construction Director had undermined both delivery and culture. Traditional recruitment channels had failed to attract credible interest.
Our Approach
We undertook a comprehensive mapping of direct competitors to identify candidates with the right balance of technical credibility, leadership strength, and reputation in the local market. Our focus was on respected individuals with a proven track record of driving quality and operational improvement.
Rather than presenting the role as a rescue mission, we worked with the Managing Director to reframe the narrative around the future direction of the business, emphasising long-term investment, the opportunity to build a high-performing team, and the scope to influence change at divisional board level. Through this process, we engaged a market-leading Construction Director who had previously worked with the Managing Director but had not been considered a realistic prospect.
Outcome
Within six weeks of joining, the new Construction Director had stabilised site operations and delivered a measurable uplift in inspection results. At the nine-month point, inspection pass rates had improved significantly, exceeding group averages. Relationships with other departments and subcontractors were rebuilt, restoring collaboration and trust across the division. The Construction Director also restructured the function, bringing customer services under their remit to strengthen accountability and improve the end-to-end customer journey.
This appointment transformed the reputation of the division and demonstrated the impact of targeted search, tailored narrative, and securing market-leading talent into a challenging environment.