Open GI is a specialist technology partner to the general insurance industry across the UK and Ireland, trusted by more than 600 customers and drawing on over 45 years’ experience in the sector.
Hewett Recruitment has partnered with Open GI since 2009, supporting the business with the attraction and delivery of high-quality talent across technology and business functions. In that time, we have made over 240 placements, including more than 190 permanent hires, with the remaining requirements delivered via contract and temporary solutions.
The Challenge
As a long-established insurance technology business supporting hundreds of customers, Open GI’s recruitment needs have been both high volume and highly specialised. The organisation has required consistent access to in-demand talent across software engineering, data and IT operations, while also hiring into business-support and leadership roles.
Key challenges have included:
Sourcing scarce technology skillsets in a competitive market (software engineering, data and cloud)
Delivering at pace across both permanent and contingent hiring streams
Supporting multiple functions beyond technology, including Finance, HR, Marketing and Customer Service
Balancing technical capability with strong stakeholder, communication and customer-focus skills
Recruiting with discretion and strong market coverage
To meet these requirements over time, Open GI needed a recruitment partner who could combine delivery strength with deep market knowledge, and provide continuity, responsiveness and trusted advice as priorities evolved.
Hewett Recruitment’s Approach
Over a long-term partnership, Hewett Recruitment has worked closely with Open GI’s hiring managers and leadership teams to understand business priorities, team structures and the specific skills needed across each discipline.
Our support has included:
Role scoping and refinement to ensure alignment with business outcomes
Salary benchmarking and market insight to support hiring decisions
Targeted sourcing, headhunting and proactive talent pipelining
Technical and cultural pre-screening to protect hiring manager time
End-to-end coordination of interviews, feedback and offer management
Flexible delivery across permanent, contract and temporary requirements
Ongoing relationship management to support retention, succession and future planning
This consistent, consultative approach has enabled Open GI to access a dependable talent pipeline and maintain momentum across business-as-usual hiring and transformation programmes.
The Solution
Since 2009, Hewett Recruitment has delivered a blend of permanent and contingent hiring solutions to meet Open GI’s evolving needs, from building delivery teams and strengthening IT operations, to supporting specialist change and data initiatives.
Placement Summary
240+ total placements delivered since 2009
190+ permanent hires, with the remaining requirements fulfilled via contract and temporary solutions
Primary focus: IT & Technology (Software Developers/Engineers, Business Analysts, IT Support, Data Engineers, Project Managers)
Additional functions supported: Finance, HR, Marketing, Customer Service
Executive recruitment delivered as required to support leadership and strategic capability
This breadth of delivery reflects a partnership built on trust, market knowledge and an ability to adapt to Open GI’s priorities over time.
Testimonial
"Hewett have been one of our main preferred suppliers in all companies I have worked in since 2004.
We trust Hewett to work on roles of any level, including executive level roles, and they are consistently an agency which successfully for delivers for us. They take the time to get to know the role, both from a skills and experience point of view, but also from a culture and fit angle, which is extremely important, especially for leadership roles.
Hewett are honest and transparent and believe in two way communication in achieving success. They do not put unsuitable CVs in front of us like many agencies do, and so from a management point of view they offer excellent value for time and money.
From a personal point of view, I have a long history with Hewett. They placed me in a junior HR role back in 2003, and having worked my way through various roles of increasing seniority, Ben placed me in my senior HR role at Open GI. In the same way they deal with employers, from a candidate point of view, he is thorough and communicative, and again takes the time to ensure there is a good fit from a cultural point of view, as well as a capability point of view. Ben personally has great contacts and networks which means he has an exceptional reach when sourcing candidates."
- Bernie Pelster, Chief People Officer, Open GI
Results
Over the course of the partnership, Hewett Recruitment has helped Open GI secure specialist talent across critical functions, supporting delivery continuity and strengthening capability in key areas.
240+ successful placements since 2009, demonstrating consistent delivery over time
190+ permanent hires secured to strengthen long-term capability
Fast access to contract and temporary resource to support peaks in demand and project work
Delivery across multiple IT disciplines including software engineering, data, analysis, support and project delivery
Successful recruitment beyond technology, including finance, HR, marketing and customer service
Support for hiring when strategic leadership capability has been required
Business Impact
By consistently supplying high-quality talent across technology, data and business services, Hewett Recruitment has supported Open GI’s ability to deliver and evolve technology solutions for the general insurance market.
This recruitment support has helped Open GI maintain delivery momentum, respond to changing customer and market demands, and build resilient teams across both core operations and strategic change programmes.
Partnership Value
Hewett Recruitment has acted as a long-term recruitment partner to Open GI, providing:
Consistent delivery across permanent, contract and temporary hiring
Market insight and salary benchmarking to strengthen hiring decisions
Deep networks across software engineering, data and IT operations
A responsive, relationship-led service that scales with demand
Credible support for executive search and confidential appointments
