“I’m excited to learn more about Imperial and help find the best candidates that meet the organisation’s needs.”
What if finding your next brilliant colleague was easier and quicker? That’s the question Jack Leyshon-Richards, Imperial’s new Head of Recruitment, is working towards. Jack joined Imperial in January 2025 with almost 10 years’ experience in HR, most recently working with King’s College London as Head of Recruitment.
Jack leads the Recruitment Hub, the Senior Appointments Team and the Recruitment Systems Team. He was drawn to Imperial because of its recognised status as a leader in education and research, its profound impact on society, and the exciting ambition to elevate our recruitment services as part of the Great Service Programme.
Understanding and addressing recruitment challenges
Continuing to improve the recruitment journey for our hiring managers and prospective candidates is a key focus for Jack in his first year. He aims to build on existing efforts to implement practical solutions that address frustrations and create a smoother process.
“I’m keen to make sure that our systems work for the business and for stakeholders, and that they’re as easy to navigate as possible. We understand that users have experienced frustrations in the past and we’re keen to continue to work with them to address these issues.”
Jack feels building strong relationships is central to his approach. He encourages colleagues to reach out to their dedicated Recruitment Coordinator, or to him directly, with any feedback or suggestions.
““I’m really excited to build on the great work that’s already been happening to improve how we recruit at Imperial. I’m aiming to find some quick win solutions that we can implement alongside the bigger, more long-term changes.”
Great Service at Imperial
The drive to enhance staff recruitment also aligns with the Great Service Programme, part of the Great Support – colleague pillar of Imperial’s Enabling roadmap. This roadmap sets out how we will provide great services to our staff and students, a world-class campus environment, and support our people to succeed.
In line with the Enabling roadmap’s objectives, Jack is focusing on several key areas to strengthen Imperial’s recruitment approach. This includes looking into how we can leverage our reputation and unique identity to craft compelling messaging that will attract the best talent. He’s also keen to explore how new technologies such as AI can be implemented to enhance processes.
“Externally we’re world-leading in a lot of different fields, and we now have the opportunity to turn that inwards and build some excellent frameworks for ourselves that will empower colleagues and enable them to do their jobs more easily.”
Collaboration with colleagues
One of the big questions Jack is asking is how to attract world-leading individuals to the institution, including those from outside of the Higher Education sector. He believes that collaboration and innovation will be essential to achieving this, emphasising that recruitment is a team effort. He’s looking forward to being a proactive partner in helping Imperial attract the exceptional talent that will continue to drive its global impact.
“I’m excited to learn more about Imperial, the brilliant work we do, and to help find the best candidates that meet the organisation’s needs.”
Read more
Visit the Staff Recruitment webpage