Hays plc (HAS) Q4 2026 Earnings Call

Investor webinar replay

Replay transcript excerpt

Good morning and welcome everyone. I'm Mark Durnley and I'm excited to present my first set of results as the new CEO of Hayes. Our agenda today is slightly different from the usual format because we are announcing our new momentum strategy. We'll focus on this initially and then I will hand over to James to run through our financials. This is my first opportunity to meet you after my appointment as CEO. So please allow me a moment to share a few initial thoughts as we introduce our new momentum strategy to you today. Hayes has a tremendous heritage, an excellent client portfolio and deeply expert consultants. I have travelled extensively over the last few months to meet colleagues across the globe and many of our clients. I would like to thank our colleagues, candidates and clients for openly sharing their views, from which I draw two main conclusions. Firstly, a consultant-led approach enabled by advanced technology is an important element that clients wish to retain. And secondly, my colleagues at Hayes are genuinely excited by our new momentum strategy. I have four key messages for you to take away from our presentation today. To deliver improved market share and profitability, we will become a more focused specialist recruitment business. And we have already been taking decisive action to achieve this. We and our clients believe the consultant is key. A human in the loop, supported by great technology, is critical to the best hiring outcomes. Thirdly, momentum is first and foremost a growth strategy. We have already made a good start returning to year-on-year profit growth in the second half of FY26. And finally, over time, we will increase consultant net fee productivity by more than 50%, return Hays to a 25% plus conversion rate, and deliver superior returns f...