Resource Management
Case Studies

Alterian Technology

Founded in the UK in 1997, Alterian is a global provider of Database Marketing and Customer Insight solutions which help blue chip organisations to improve the effectiveness of their marketing activity. Alterian provides innovative software and a unique business relationship to Marketing Service Providers which enables them to deliver Database Marketing solutions to their clients.

A publicly traded company, Alterian floated on the techMARK Index of the London Stock Exchange in 2000. With 90 employees and an international headquarters in Bristol, UK and North American headquarters in Chicago, Alterian has a further four satellite offices in Boston, New York, Salt Lake City and Toronto. Alterian’s network of over 50 partners include: infoUSA, Carlson Marketing, Omnicom Group, CFM Direct, CC3, Experian, GB Group, DataForce Group and Euro RSCG Worldwide, which all deliver industry leading database marketing solutions based on Alterian technology.

Organisations who already gain business advantage from Alterian-based solutions include: Merill Lynch, Vodafone, Zurich Financial Services, PGA, LloydsTSB, Orange, Heinz, Kodak and Amnesty International.

The Business Challenge

In 2000, Alterian was a relatively small organisation (c.15 FTE’s) but had successfully raised c.£35m of venture capital to grow the business. As the management team had a predominantly technical development background, there was little or no experience in recruitment. In order to meet its ambitious revenue targets, Alterian had to expand its population rapidly, but wanted to focus on real quality from the start and, as importantly, people who shared their vision, enthusiasm and commitment.

The Resource Management Solution

Resource Management were engaged and given a 12 month remit to develop and deliver a resourcing strategy which would enable the business to meet its targets. Our focus was in the following areas:

• To help define the structure of the organisation
• To help define a series of appropriate behaviours
• To develop a candidate attraction strategy
• To develop a candidate selection strategy
• To select and manage all attraction channels including all suppliers
• To interview and shortlist all candidates
• To recruit comparatively large numbers of new employees but at a sensible absorbtion rate

Alterian offered a unique set of challenges in that it was almost a ‘green field’ site. The key to the recruitment strategy was to deliver the right people within a relatively short timescale.

But more importantly, it was to ensure that the ethos and culture of the company remained true to its founding principles during a period of rapid expansion.
Resource Management dedicated a team of two consultants to Alterian for the duration of the project, who were able to get a real understanding for the organisations requirements from both a skills and cultural perspective. After undertaking an initial feasibility/fact finding exercise, the structure of the organisation was set out to consist of four business units:

• Research & Development
• Partner Services (i.e. client support and development)
• Commercial (Business Development and Marketing)
• Business Support (Finance, Administration and HR)

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