Building Better Hiring: How Fortis and McKeon Group Have Partnered Since 2025

When most people think about recruitment, they think about filling vacancies.

That's only part of the story.

The most successful hiring partnerships are built around something much bigger: creating a talent strategy that supports long-term business growth. Since January 2025, that's exactly what Fortis has been doing alongside McKeon Group and Hereworks.

What started as a recruitment partnership has evolved into a fully embedded talent solution, supporting multiple business units, hiring managers and leadership teams across Ireland and the UK.

More Than Recruitment

McKeon Group operates across a number of specialist businesses, including Hereworks, delivering complex projects in workplace technology, audiovisual integration and smart building solutions.

Like many growing businesses, they faced a familiar challenge.

The pace of growth was creating demand for talent across multiple functions while internal teams remained focused on delivering for clients and driving the business forward.

Recruitment couldn't simply be reactive.

It needed to become part of the wider business strategy.

That's where Fortis came in.

An Embedded Approach

Rather than operating as an external supplier, Fortis became an extension of the McKeon and Hereworks team.

Working closely with leadership, hiring managers and the people function, we built a recruitment model designed around speed, consistency and quality.

Our role extended beyond sourcing candidates.

We supported workforce planning, market mapping, salary benchmarking, employer branding, interview processes and hiring strategy.

By embedding ourselves within the business, we were able to represent McKeon and Hereworks in the market as if we were part of the organisation itself.

Supporting Growth Across Multiple Functions

Since the beginning of the partnership, Fortis has supported hiring across a broad range of positions including:

• Project Management

• Business Development

• Operations

• Commercial Functions

• Technical Support

• Engineering

• Installation

• Leadership Appointments

The diversity of these requirements has demanded a flexible recruitment model capable of adapting to changing business priorities and market conditions.

Some assignments required speed.

Others required deep market engagement and a more consultative search approach.

In every case, the focus remained the same: finding people capable of contributing to the long-term success of the business.

Improving the Hiring Process

One of the biggest benefits of an embedded recruitment model is visibility.

Because Fortis works closely with the internal team, we are able to identify bottlenecks, improve communication and create a more consistent experience for both hiring managers and candidates.

Together, we established clear service standards around CV delivery, interview scheduling and hiring manager feedback.

The result has been a recruitment process that is faster, more transparent and more predictable for everyone involved.

For candidates, that means better communication and a smoother experience.

For hiring managers, it means less administration and greater confidence in the process.

Acting as a Brand Ambassador

Every conversation with a candidate shapes their perception of a business.

That is particularly important in competitive talent markets where skilled professionals often have multiple opportunities available to them.

A key part of Fortis' role has been acting as a brand ambassador for McKeon Group and Hereworks.

By developing a detailed understanding of the organisation, its culture, leadership team and growth plans, we have been able to communicate a clear and consistent message to the market.

This has helped attract candidates who are aligned not just with the role, but with the business itself.

What We've Learned

One lesson stands out above all others.

Recruitment works best when it isn't treated as a standalone function.

The strongest hiring outcomes occur when recruitment, leadership and business strategy are aligned.

That's what makes embedded recruitment different.

It creates closer collaboration, better decision making and a recruitment process that evolves alongside the organisation.

Looking Ahead

As McKeon Group and Hereworks continue their growth journey, the partnership with Fortis continues to evolve alongside it.

New projects, new markets and new opportunities will inevitably create new hiring challenges.

The goal remains the same as it was on day one: to ensure the business has access to the talent it needs to achieve its ambitions.

For us, that's what RPO and embedded recruitment should look like.

Not a supplier relationship.

A genuine partnership built around growth, accountability and results.