One of Sri Lanka’s largest steel manufacturing companies approached Formix during a critical stage of organizational growth. The business had expanded rapidly across operations and production, but without an established internal human resources department. To support future workforce planning, compliance, and operational excellence, the company required both an experienced HR Manager and an Assistant HR Manager capable of building the HR function from the ground up. Formix, headquartered in Sri Lanka and operating across Australia, India, the Philippines, and more than 150 countries, was appointed to manage this confidential executive search assignment.

Challenge

Unlike a traditional recruitment assignment, this project required considerably more than identifying qualified HR professionals. Since the organization had no existing HR department, there were no internal job descriptions, competency frameworks, or hiring documentation available. Our consultants worked directly with the company’s executive leadership and legal team to develop detailed role profiles, define reporting structures, establish key performance expectations, and prepare comprehensive candidate evaluation criteria before the search even began.

Simultaneously recruiting two senior HR leaders while ensuring they complemented one another in leadership style, operational capability, and cultural fit required a carefully structured executive search strategy. Experience within manufacturing and industrial environments was considered essential due to the complex workforce, regulatory requirements, and operational demands of the business.