Totum Research
Talent insights to inspire better decision making.
Our research offering
As the premier business services recruitment company in professional services, we have deep knowledge of the industry, firms, individuals and trends that shape this sector.
Our research division enables you to access this specialist knowledge, revealing market insights and industry trends. Totum offers primary and secondary research, market mapping, data analysis, competitor analysis, case studies and profiles, surveys, desk research and market sentiment reviews including:
Bespoke research
We can produce reports tailored to the needs of individual firms. We work with business services leaders to find the answers to challenging market questions. We help inform decision making while also freeing up time for leaders to get on with their day job.
Quantitative research
We can ask the questions that firms need answering. We collect, review and analyse data to develop recruitment insights and inform strategic decisions for your team, department, firm or board.
Qualitative research/focus groups/case studies
As a business constantly engaged in the day-to-day business of recruitment, supporting firms in their organisational development, we are ideally placed to engage with the market, via one-to-one interviews, focus groups, networking meetings and events.
What we work on
Totum research is dedicated to developing tailored analysis and data insights into business services functions across the professional services sector.
We work across all business services functions, including business development & marketing, finance, general management & operations, knowledge management, people & culture, risk & compliance, technology and transformation and innovation.
Examples of recent themes include: compensation structures; hybrid working; employee benefits; bonus structures; developments in the pricing function; trends in the BD and marketing team, and analysis of business services leadership roles. We are also more than happy to discuss bespoke research projects with firms that might wish to gain recruitment insights pertaining to a particular team or function.
Why Totum?
Expertise
We are industry experts, able to handle any research project end-to-end. We work on industry reports (both hard copy and digital), live datasets, qualitative interviews, podcasts, editorial, focus group insights and webinars.
Totum offers specialist research expertise designed to help firms bridge the gap between knowledge requirements and limited internal resource.
Experience
Totum research is led by Head of Marketing and Special Projects Sarah Broad and Editor Karam Filfilan, both of whom have considerable experience in market research and more than 20 years in the professional services sector.
Sarah is CIPD-qualified and has led high-quality, cost-effective people operations functions across national teams, having worked in HR for two of the UK’s top five accountancy firms. She began her career in market research, managing projects from brief and questionnaire design through to final client presentations for major retail brands.
Karam is an award-winning editor and journalist focusing on leadership, future of work and people challenges. He has edited titles in the UK and Middle East, alongside running content strategy for HR conferences and events. He has had content published by titles including The Financial Times, The Times and Raconteur.
Service
We take a consultative approach to working with clients, offering both market-wide and bespoke solutions. We produce one-off reports on leading market trends, and can also work with individuals or firms on bespoke research projects. Our network is extensive, allowing us to tap into industry expertise to create compelling content that informs business decision-making.
Outcomes
Totum Research delivers projects that are always of the highest quality. The team know their market, are credible and have invaluable insights to share, based on their extensive experience across the professional services sector. Totum’s detailed data-driven reports have continued to support our management decisions and assisted me to understand the latest trends, make strategic decisions and take action. Having the external evidence for key market developments helps inform our decision making and has freed up my time to focus on other responsibilities.
Nikki Leatherhead
HR Director, Peter & Peters
Contact our experts
Research Team
Sarah Broad
Head of Marketing & Projects
Sarah is Totum’s Head of Marketing & Special Projects. She has worked with the Totum team for over ten years, focusing on marketing and communication, campaign management, digital strategy and a range of strategic projects.
Highly collaborative and solutions focused, Sarah enjoys working with colleagues across the business to shape practical, targeted marketing strategies – supporting everything from brand development to candidate sourcing. She is highly valued for her creativity and her ability to generate new ideas that help Totum connect with both clients, candidates and the wider community.
Prior to working with Totum, Sarah, who is CIPD qualified, held senior operations roles at BDO and EY. There, she developed high-quality and cost-effective people operations across national teams, gaining more than 20 years’ experience in areas including people and culture, recruitment, reward, and workplace strategy. This background gives her a distinctive blend of operational expertise and deep insight into the professional services sector.
Sarah also leads Totum’s annual business services reward survey, which now includes participation from around 50 law firms. She played a key role in Totum’s B Corp certification in 2023 and continues to oversee ongoing improvement initiatives linked to this work.
She began her career in market research, managing projects from writing briefs and designing questionnaires through to delivering final client presentations for major retail brands. These foundations continue to support her work on bespoke research projects at Totum.
Outside of work, Sarah has never forgotten her degree in dance and can often be found enjoying an evening of Latin American dance, particularly Salsa!
Karam Filfilan
Content Manager
Karam is Totum’s editor, focusing on building the organisation’s thought leadership, industry reports and external communications. Karam also supports the marketing team on campaign management, digital strategy and special projects.
As an experienced editor and journalist, Karam enjoys collaborating with the wider team to develop content strategy and partnerships. He helps people and organisations find the right ideas and words to inform, inspire and engage audiences through brilliant content.
Prior to working with Totum, Karam spent six years as deputy editor of an award-winning HR magazine, building the brand in both the UK and Middle East. As a freelance business journalist specialising in the future of work, he writes for publications such as the Financial Times, The Times, Raconteur and Sifted.eu, while also creating branded content and whitepapers for multi-national corporates.