Executive Search - JH Recruitment - Yorkshire and Manchester

Business Support Recruitment.

Behind every well-run business is a team of people keeping everything on track. We help you find yours.

Business Support Recruitment.

Behind every well-run business is a team of people keeping everything on track. We help you find yours.

Whether you're preparing for growth, strengthening your leadership team or making a business-critical appointment, securing the right person is one of the most important investments you'll make.

We partner with organisations to identify and secure senior leaders who can make a lasting impact. Through a relationship-led, retained approach, we work closely with businesses to understand not only the role, but the wider vision, culture and challenges behind every appointment.

Our executive search service combines extensive market knowledge, targeted search and genuine relationship building to access exceptional talent, including leaders who are not actively seeking new opportunities.

Led by Davina, our particular focus is on people-centred leadership appointments across People, HR, Operations, Customer Experience and Business Services.

From founder-led businesses and SMEs through to private equity-backed organisations, we support clients making senior and business-critical leadership appointments.

Customer Service

HR & Talent Acquisition

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Every assignment begins by understanding your business, ambitions and leadership requirements.

We combine targeted market mapping, discreet executive engagement and a consultative recruitment process to identify leaders who possess not only the experience and capability required, but also the leadership style and cultural fit to help your organisation succeed.

Our approach is designed for senior and business-critical appointments where a proactive, research-led search is needed to reach the strongest available talent — including individuals who may not be actively looking for a new role.

Change and transformation projects live or die by the people running them. Whether you're going through a technology overhaul, a restructure, or a shift in how your business operates, you need people who've done it before — and who can bring others along with them.

We work across project and programme management, change management, business analysis, and digital transformation. These are often business-critical hires made under pressure, and we know that getting them right matters. We'll take the time to properly understand what your programme needs before we start looking — not just the skills on the job spec, but the kind of person who'll actually make it work in your environment.

We've built strong networks across Leeds, Manchester, Sheffield and the wider North, and we understand the commercial pressures that sit behind most change programmes. We'll be straight with you about what's available and what's realistic, and we'll move at the speed your project needs.

Business support roles are often the ones that hold everything together - and when they're not filled by the right person, you feel it quickly. We work across the full range of support and administrative functions, from entry-level admin through to senior operations and office management.

A good PA, a reliable Office Manager, a sharp Sales Administrator - these hires matter more than people sometimes give them credit for. They free up your senior team, keep clients happy, and make sure nothing falls through the cracks.

Davina is a pleasure to work with from start to finish. She has spent time getting to know me and the team and as a result has been able to fulfil our recruitment needs effectively on each occasion that we have worked with her. Davina’s attention to the details and her ability to communicate effectively with both ourselves and the candidates has ensured that both parties have had an excellent experience. I really can’t thank you enough Davina. I really do love working with you.

Before working with JHR, we were overwhelmed with unsuitable CVs, wasting valuable time interviewing candidates who simply weren't the right fit. Davina completely transformed our recruitment process by taking the time to understand our requirements and only introducing candidates who had been carefully vetted and were genuinely suited to both the role and our business. This significantly reduced our workload, saved us time and money, and removed much of the frustration that often comes with recruitment. I would recommend JHR without hesitation.

I really enjoyed working with Davina. It was a breath of fresh air compared to experiences with other agencies and executives. Please just keep doing what you're doing! Many thanks.

When we started to work with JHR we were struggling to find talented people that fitted our culture. We also had an organisational structure that needed to evolve and scale with our growth. My favourite part of working with JH Recruitment is the collaborative partnership. They are more than a one-off recruitment partner. We discussed culture, overall organisation structure, and also considered how that would evolve over time. Once we had that long-term plan, JHR helped us specify the roles and deliver the best candidates. I think having a collaborative recruitment partner that wants to understands your vision, objectives, and culture is critical. JHR have been that for us for nearly a decade which is testament to the quality of support they delivery for us.

I began working with Davina at Jo Holdsworth Recruitment in November 2025 when appointing an Operations Director. Having previously experienced poor service and irrelevant candidates from recruiters, I was sceptical. Davina quickly impressed me, presenting a candidate who matched the brief perfectly and to whom I made an offer. In January, I asked her to support with a challenging Managing Director brief requiring a specific skill set and events background. Within three days, she had shortlisted two excellent candidates, and within a week, I made an offer. The full process took just three weeks, far quicker than expected. I would highly recommend Davina and Jo Holdsworth Recruitment. She is professional, efficient and thorough, and will be my first point of contact for any future recruitment needs.

I had a good experience with Jo Holdsworth recruitment. They found me a temporary position that was a good fit for me, communicated clearly throughout the process, and were always helpful when I had questions. Highly recommended.