Total Tools

Requirements:

EVP, Market Mapping, Executive search and recruitment across all of the key disciplines at all levels to support the incredible growth goals and continual evolution of the business including its recent sale to Metcash and move from a fully franchised model to one that is now a mix of franchised, corporate and joint venture stores.

Methodologies: 

National talent mapping and search, Advertising, Network relationships and Referrals

Organisational context:

For 30 years, Total Tools has operated as the ultimate tool shop, delivering the right tools and advice for their customers. They are the first choice for trade quality tools and best of all, most of their nationwide stores are locally owned and operated.

In 2020, Total Tools were proud to join the Metcash group, alongside brands such as IGA, Mitre 10 and Home Timber and Hardware (just to name a few). While continuing to operate as separate entities, they are working together on opportunities that generate long-term growth and value for the independent sector. Once a fully franchised network, Total Tools stores are now a mix of corporate stores, Joint Venture stores and fully franchised stores and their growth continues to outperform the market.

The pain points and challenges:

  • Growth since Total Tools inception has been incredibly rapid. Today they have well over 100 stores and are close to $1B in turnover. To sustain this type of growth, being able to attract, then secure the markets best talent for every part of their business has been key. Total Tools needed a recruitment partner who understood their business intimately as well as having the indepth networks of the top retail talent in the market across all the retail disciplines. In other words, they needed a partner who could tap into the volume and calibre of talent nationally from Buying/Merchandise and Marketing through to Network Development and Store operations. As the Total Tools brand does not have the heritage that other longer standing retailers have, educating the market on the benefits of being a part of Total Tools and positioning them as an Employer of Choice has been a key focus.

People Equity’s solution:

  • Our team has worked in conjunction with senior management and the executive team at Total Tools to identify resource gaps internally, to help formulate role briefs and then to talent map and scope the market to meet the ongoing requirements for such a rapidly growing and evolving business. To this day we continue to work tirelessly to seek referrals, to talent map, to assess the competitor market, and directly approach prospective candidates for all areas of the business.

Results:

  • People Equity has been able to attract and secure for Total Tools some of the market's best leaders and talent right across the business, in many circumstances with candidates, who had little awareness of the Total Tools business, its market impact and its vision. Close to 100 roles have been appointed, including General Managers/Heads of Merchandise & Marketing, Category Managers, Head of Network Development & Property, National Operations and Regional Managers right through to Digital Marketing and Loyalty Managers. This partnership has allowed the business to continue to move forward and grow with the right retail minds and expertise on the team, who are also a fantastic fit to the culture.
  • To date, we are continuing to search and engage with top talent to fill opportunities that support that continuing growth of the Total Tools business.

If you would like to discuss a talent pain point you are experiencing and how we can help, 
please call Gabby Symons, Director on: 
0432 261 116

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