Welcome to Consultant Spotlight, a series where we highlight the talented professionals powering success at Investigo. In each edition, we dive deeper into one of our consultants’ backgrounds, expertise, and the impact they’re making across the business.
This time, we’re excited to introduce Charlie Donoghue, whose deep knowledge of Third Sector recruitment and passion for connecting exceptional leaders with meaningful roles is making a real difference at Investigo.
Can you outline your role as a recruiter?
My role at Investigo involves working with our Third Sector clients on their organisational and hiring challenges. My market covers a really interesting variety of UK and international charities, cultural and heritage institutions, universities and institutes – it’s a great mix! My focus is generally on C-Suite and Director level positions across our corporate specialisms.
On a day-to-day basis it’s very multi-faceted. I spend a lot of time helping organisations work out the best solution for them, how I can facilitate it and what the pros and cons might be. It’s not always ‘straightforward recruitment’ but that’s what makes it so engaging. Similarly I work with lots of senior leaders in the sector who want to move into a new role or way of working, which is something I’ve always enjoyed because of my passion for Career Psychology.
Can you share a success story where you helped a candidate land a role that was a perfect fit for them?
The work I’m most proud of is when one of my clients has a very specific problem that can’t easily be solved. A recent example was a small philanthropic organisation who are on an exciting growth journey – we’ve been helping them with some key hires which have led to both a happy client and some very excited candidates.
I’ve always worked in the Third Sector as I like knowing that the work I do is usually contributing to an incredible organisational mission in some small way.
How do you see the future of recruitment evolving in the next few years?
I can see Recruitment continuing to change hugely. There are the obvious AI implications which we’re already seeing – candidates applying at scale, organisations using automated sifting / searching etc – but some we’re not. I was recently reading about technology which can ascertain personality type based on candidate photographs, which is slightly worrying! AI will develop exponentially so the change is hard to foresee.
Ways of working are also shifting quickly. More and more clients seem to be compartmentalising their work into programmes, which will lead to more Fixed Term and interim hires, particularly in the Third Sector where there is constant financial pressure. I imagine that is a trend which will continue for now.
How do you stay current with industry trends and recruitment best practices?
By speaking to my network. I’m lucky to know some incredibly talented, intelligent and market-leading people who not only excel in their field but also sit at the cutting edge of changes across the sector. I also regularly run roundtable and networking events for my contacts, which is a good way to hear opinions from experts who really know their stuff.
If you’re looking to tackle your organisation’s hiring challenges or explore new leadership opportunities within the Third Sector, Charlie would love to connect. Whether you want to discuss recruitment trends, share your career goals, or find out how Investigo can support your growth, don’t hesitate to reach out. Get in touch with Charlie today and start the conversation!
