Rutherglen & Cambuslang Housing Association (RCHA)

Following the planned retirement of their current Chief Exec, Rutherglen & Cambuslang Housing Association (RCHA) approached Eden Scott for support with finding a suitable replacement. This was a pivotal hire for the housing association, as they needed a leader who could continue to drive the organisation forward while maintaining its strong community focus.

At Eden Scott, we pride ourselves on our well-managed, partnership-driven approach to Executive Search. Acting as an extension of the RCHA team, we delivered a tailored process, a strong candidate shortlist, and ultimately an excellent appointment - ensuring a smooth leadership transition for the organisation.

Brief

Our client had a clear vision for the recruitment process – we acted as part of their team, providing support at every stage of the campaign and advising the recruitment panel through the evaluation process.

Our remit included:

Drafting the job description and person specification

Developing a compelling candidate pack

Designing and managing a targeted marketing campaign, including advertising on specialist housing association platforms

Attending all interviews and offering expert guidance and advice during candidate selection

Approach

To attract the best possible candidates, we implemented a multi-channel search strategy. This included:

Creating a dedicated campaign page

Advertising on sector-specific housing association websites

Conducting a proactive headhunting campaign to reach strong passive candidates

Experience leading a housing association was an essential requirement for the role – which added an additional layer of challenge to the search. Our campaign generated a very strong response, ultimately presenting a longlist of 10 candidates to the client.

From this pool, five candidates were shortlisted for panel interview.

Timing presented an additional complexity, as the process spanned the summer period with various holiday schedules to accommodate. We maintained strong engagement with candidates throughout, ensuring that no one withdrew during the extended timeline. Regular candidate updates, interview preparation and ongoing communication were critical to our success.

Result

One standout candidate - who had been approached directly by our team - emerged during this process. Their extensive sector experience, combined with their understanding of the organisation’s mission and the scale of leadership responsibility, gave the recruitment panel complete confidence in their suitability for the role.

The successful candidate is set to officially join Rutherglen & Cambuslang Housing Association as Chief Executive in August.