Shared Services

WHAT DO WE OFFER?

• A niche specialist Shared Services executive search practice
• A proactive research led executive search process, we have a dedicated team of internal researchers and talent managers
• An industry leading successful completion rate, which is over 95%, on behalf of our clients working in partnership to ensure we get it right first time
• A confidential search process, typically operating under NDA, we specialise in sourcing for confidential and niche appointments
• A collaborative search process, where we communicate regularly with our clients to update them on market information, feedback on their brand and EVP plus any salary or benchmarking data that might be appropriate for each individual search
• We utilise modern CRM system which enables our clients to see in real time the people we are talking to and their feedback on the brief. We also provide weekly progress updates
• A holistic approach to sourcing for talent. We place a lot of emphasis on hiring for attitude, cultural fit and potential. Which is why our end to end assessment process is pivotal to our client’s hiring success
• A flexible fee structure that rewards us for delivering assignments successfully on behalf of our clients

SHARED SERVICES AREA OF EXPERTISE

Global Business Services | Finance | IT | HR Shared Services | Payroll | People Change

What are shared services?

Shared services is the consolidation of business operations within an organisation. It is cost-efficient: back-office operations that would be included in multiple different areas of the company are merged into one, saving money and making all activity more effective. The process usually involves migrating numerous different entities onto a common IT system and operating platform. The key principle is sharing everything within an organisation so it benefits and grows as a result.

The concept began in the 1980s when large organisations with multiple business units started finding alternative ways to reduce or eliminate business administration costs. Today, shared services centres typically handle functions such as finance, HR, IT, customer service, legal, compliance, and procurement.

The main benefits include cost reduction (fewer managers, IT systems, and office spaces needed), increased efficiency through centralisation, improved consistency and accuracy, and freeing individual business units to focus their resource on growth activities rather than duplicated admin.

Frequently asked questions

When did shared services begin?

The concept of shared services began in the 1980s. Large organisations with multiple business units started finding alternative ways to reduce or eliminate business administration costs.

What does a shared service centre do?

A shared service centre is usually a centralised function of an organisation, where all back-office responsibilities are managed for different business divisions or subsidiaries. It provides support services such as finance, human resources, information technology and compliance. It streamlines processes through standardisation, reduces costs through economies of scale, and uses consistent technology platforms across the business.

What is included in shared services?

Some of the most commonly shared services include finance, human resources, information technology, customer service, legal, compliance, and procurement. Within each of these areas certain processes are prioritised — such as accounts payable, payroll, recruitment, and employee benefits within finance and HR.

What is the difference between shared services and outsourcing?

The key difference is ownership and control. In a shared services model, the functions remain within the organisation — they are simply consolidated into a single internal team serving multiple business units. With outsourcing, those functions are handed to a third-party provider outside the organisation. Shared services allows a company to maintain direct oversight, quality control and cultural alignment, whereas outsourcing shifts that responsibility to an external partner.

What is an offshore shared service?

An offshore shared service centre operates in a different country to the organisation’s headquarters, typically in a location with lower labour costs. Offshore shared services are primarily chosen for cost reduction — companies can access skilled talent at a fraction of the cost of domestic staff. Common offshore destinations include India, the Philippines and Eastern Europe. The trade-off is that offshore centres can introduce challenges around time zones, language barriers and cultural differences, which need to be managed carefully.

What is finance shared services?

Finance shared services typically cover three core processes: Purchase/Procure to Pay (P2P), Order to Cash (O2C), and Record to Report (R2R). R2R usually includes FP&A, compliance, regulatory reporting, and general ledger — essentially providing strategic, financial, and operational feedback to show how the business is performing. P2P covers the full supply chain from ordering goods through to payment. O2C is the reverse: managing incoming revenue from a customer’s order through to receipt of payment.

What is an HR shared service function?

The HR shared services model takes common HR processes and centralises them into a single, efficient team. This typically includes payroll, benefits administration, employee data management, recruitment coordination, and compliance reporting. Instead of each business unit running its own HR admin, a shared HR function provides a consistent, cost-effective service across the entire organisation.

What is global business services?

Global Business Services (GBS) is the evolution of shared services. While traditional shared services typically focus on one function (like finance or HR) in one location, GBS integrates multiple functions across multiple geographies into a single, globally managed operation. GBS organisations often incorporate elements of outsourcing, centres of excellence, and automation to deliver end-to-end business processes. The goal is to move beyond cost savings and drive genuine business value through process optimisation, data analytics and strategic advisory.