Not Another Nine Box Grid Exercise

All our clients want us to help them find the “ideal” candidate for their organization but understanding what is ideal or what perfect “fit” really means is easier said than done.  Over the years, as a way to ensure we isolate what fit means for a particular role, we’ve developed a proprietary selection model that provides a framework for understanding the needs of the client along six different dimensions.  We don’t have a standardized set of questions we ask, instead we have a framework that guides us though the areas we need to explore with the client.

One of the dimensions in our selection process is called Environment.  Environment is a somewhat misleading term but it means all of the resources (people and financial) and tools (physical and technical) that are provided to the candidate in a particular position to help them achieve the desired results of the position.  As you can imagine, different positions have a different mix of resources and tools available for each position.  Moreover, companies provide different levels of resources and tools to similarly titled positions at other companies.  The importance of the position to one company relative to another company explains some of the discrepancy in the mix of resources and tools.  The life cycle of the company or specific product line can also explain varying levels of resources given.  The size of the company can also drive the level of resources and tools provided.

Candidates that have lots of resources at their disposal could be at a disadvantage working in a similar company without the same level of support.  While this may seem intuitive, we have found that few clients have a systematic way to take into consideration the level of resources and tools available as a factor in the search.  In fact, what we often find is a real misalignment in expectations between the results required from a position, the resources they initially believe they should provide to achieve the results, and the set of circumstances that candidates available in the marketplace have at their disposal to do their current job.

By asking lots of questions, we learn the strategic and financial importance of the position.  We then quantify the levels of resources and tools available given the size of the company and the lifecycle of the product/company to reduce any misalignment.  We then contrast what we have learned against what is available in the market to construct our search strategy.

The result of this analysis helps us identify the set of companies we can target to headhunt candidates from and helps us understand the potential pros and cons when evaluating the fit of the candidate to our client’s specific needs.  The diagram below, we portray our client’s position in the center and we evaluate the size of the target companies on the vertical axis and the scope/title of the position on the horizontal.

The resulting diagram highlights the various tradeoffs we need to consider when evaluating candidates for our client’s position.  We use this diagram and our Environment analysis when interviewing the candidates and discussing suitability of these candidates with our client.  Doing this as part of our selection process gives our client a more structure and objective way of evaluating candidates for the role.

Article written by Carl Denny, CFR Global Executive Search USA

Photo source: Pexels

Nueva normalidad empresarial a partir de la cuarta ola de COVID-19

Una nueva ola de contagios en Europa amenaza con un retorno al aislamiento en algunos ámbitos. Existe temor sobre un nuevo impulso en el teletrabajo, que parece ser la nueva normalidad empresarial.

No es nada sencillo para las empresas cambiar su dinámica de trabajo. Si bien muchas compañías pueden regresar al teletrabajo sin mayores inconvenientes, muchas otras requieren de la presencialidad. Es por esto qué un nuevo repunte en los casos de COVID-19 genera una gran preocupación.

Las predicciones no son para nada alentadoras. El diario alemán, Bild am Sonntag publicó las palabras del responsable regional de Sajonia, quien afirmó que la nueva ola eclipsará a todas las anteriores. Esto ha puesto a temblar a muchas empresas que ya habían retomado sus actividades con regularidad.

De vuelta al teletrabajo

En el caso puntual de Alemania, distintos medios anticipan que se regresará al teletrabajo próximamente. Esta realidad que se ha hecho común a lo largo y ancho del planeta puede convertirse en algo definitivo de ahora en adelante.

De hecho, distintos tipos de empresas se han visto incluso beneficiadas por el teletrabajo, reduciendo costos operativos. Así mismo, se han derribado algunos esquemas horarios y otras normativas a raíz de la pandemia que podrían permanecer una vez que se controle el virus.

El principal objetivo del teletrabajo fue mantener a salvo a los empleados en sus hogares y a diferencia de lo que muchos creen, los malos hábitos no están relacionados con el trabajo a distancia (sedentarismo y mala alimentación).

Las grandes empresas desarrollaron, en muchos casos, excelentes metodologías de trabajo para mantener a sus empleados en condiciones óptimas durante el aislamiento. En caso de regresar al home office, se espera que cada vez más compañías adopten este tipo de políticas que favorezcan el rendimiento desde casa.

Alerta en México

La Organización Panamericana de la Salud (OPS) alerta sobre la nueva ola de contagios, por ende, es necesario guardar la máxima precaución para que esta nueva ola no acabe en un confinamiento general como los que se vivieron en meses anteriores. De no lograrlo, el ámbito laboral también se verá afectado, ya que muchos negocios deberán cerrar sus puertas y el sector empresarial regresará a los trabajos remotos. Es fundamental que las lecciones aprendidas con el teletrabajo se aprovechen y se corrija lo que sea necesario en beneficio, tanto para las empresas como para los empleados.

https://www.eleconomista.com.mx/internacionales/Alemania-se-prepara-para-volver-al-home-office-ante-nueva-ola-de-Covid-19-20211114-0013.html

https://www.a24.com/mundo/europa-la-cuarta-ola-coronavirus-podria-causar-700000-muertes-el-invierno-n878771

https://www.forbes.com.mx/noticias-ops-alerta-cuarta-ola-covid-semanas/

War for Talent

Many companies, during the pandemic, did not know what the future would bring.  They acted with caution and stopped the recruitment and hiring processes all together.  However, the pandemic did not affect all industries on the same level. Some industries were impacted more and some less, and others experienced even better results than the previous/non-pandemic year.  And then they evaluated their business – do they need to restructure, do they have enough people, etc.?  Thus, the hiring process started again and, all of sudden, these companies realized that there was a shortage of available talent.

Candidates on the other hand were also facing uncertainty during the pandemic … would they keep the job, would they be made redundant, etc.?   And now when head-hunters approach them, they must calculate whether is it worth changing the job or keeping the one that helped them survive the pandemic.

How to find and attract the right people?

Many times, it is easier to hire a recruiter for the job. Firstly, if the search is confidential or the candidate works for the competitor. Secondly the recruiter has a lot of experience in finding and approaching the right candidates and usually acting as a middle man. It is easier for a candidate to open up to the external recruiter than to a future employer.

Make them interested

When the recruiter approaches the candidate with the right bait the candidate, hopefully, accepts and responds. Then the “process of wooing” starts. What is important to the candidate? An interesting position is not enough. For some candidates it is the employer branding, for others the vicinity of the company, and for others what about career development? What would be the next step in their career and would this be possible with the company? These are all the questions that recruiter needs to know the answer to. It is important to recognize the key motivator(s) and present it/them to the employer. Can the company offer them? If so, we can move forward towards closing a deal if not, let’s move to the next candidate. It is not as easy as this – the whole process is negotiations. When we reach a win-win situation that the hiring process stops.

After the contract of employment is signed

So, the company hires a new employee. Everybody is excited and they all live happily ever after? Well not really, then the process of how to keep him/her starts.

Article written by Jana Terčelj, CFR Global Executive Search Serbia

Lo que todo Directivo requiere para establecer y guiar con éxito la estrategia de la organización

Quien tiene una responsabilidad laboral de alto nivel ejecutivo, tiene al mismo tiempo una posición de liderazgo ineludible. Desde esa posición se deben trazar y alcanzar los objetivos estratégicos de empresas, entes o instituciones.

¿Qué es una competencia laboral?

La Organización Internacional del Trabajo (OIT) la define como “la capacidad efectiva para llevar a cabo exitosamente una actividad laboral plenamente identificada”. Y aclara que “es una capacidad real y demostrada”.

Así, la competencia laboral implica la capacidad de realizar tareas concretas, por un lado, y un conjunto de atributos personales, por el otro.

De allí se desprende la necesidad de priorizar por sectores, por tipo de personal y por diversas áreas de interés, tales competencias. En todas esas posiciones se requieren atributos y capacidades diferenciadas.

Para analistas y líderes ejecutivos como Scott Lewis -CEO for Spartan Investment Group, LLC- en lugar de elaborar listas interminables de atributos o competencias para el liderazgo ejecutivo, es preferible agruparlas.

Las competencias laborales deseables para todo ejecutivo de alto nivel

Tomando como base la división sugerida por Lewis (atributos v. competencias) se considera que, independientemente del área de desempeño de los altos ejecutivos, éstos deben contar como mínimo con tres tipos de competencias laborales, las cuales son:

Capacidad para liderar

Sus principios rectores incluyen tres premisas básicas, de acuerdo con Lewis.

• Primero: “no se trata de ti, sino de ellos”. El crédito por el éxito debe atribuirse al equipo y noindividualizarse.
• Segundo: “el equipo no está para servirte”, es al revés. El liderazgo no está en negar o dosificar recursos al equipo. El éxito vendrá en la medida que se dé al equipo todo lo que requiere paraalcanzar las metas y triunfar.
• Tercero: el líder debe hacer lo que dice. Respaldar sus palabras con acciones. En ese detalle está también su capacidad de influencia con respecto a su equipo de trabajo.

Capacidad para desarrollar

Para desarrollar su sector o área de responsabilidad los altos ejecutivos deben liderar con el ejemplo.

Lewis alerta: si el líder llega tarde, será señal de que tiempo y límites valen poco, lo cual pone en peligro el cumplimiento de metas trazadas.

Atributos como la facilidad para motivar a otros para el desarrollo propio y colectivo son importantes. El pensamiento crítico, igualmente, debe aflorar constantemente para cambiar lo que sea necesario. La creatividad ayudará a imaginar escenarios no convencionales. Y, el autocontrol servirá en este grupo de competencias para mantener el equilibrio adecuado entre las exigencias y los meritorios reconocimientos del trabajo bien hecho.

Capacidad para obtener resultados

Obtener resultados es la razón por la que existe una organización y por lo que se trazan tan cuidadosamente las estrategias a seguir.

Quien lidere de manera efectiva a su equipo sabrá guiarlo hacia el objetivo hasta lograrlo. Para ello es esencial la confianza, el respeto y la seguridad generada entre todos los miembros del equipo.

Atributos como la buena comunicación, capacidad para planificar, capacidad de negociación, e iniciativa, se incluyen en este grupo.

Lewis resalta esta confianza con un ejemplo. “El equipo sabe que si el líder le pide trabajar el fin de semana, es porque hay una buena razón para ello”.

En la actualidad, existe consenso en cuanto a que ya no es suficiente la experiencia, el conocimiento o la titulación académica para liderar exitosamente una determinada organización. Las competencias laborales en todos los niveles (incluyendo el segmento de altos ejecutivos) se constituyen, por tanto, en importantes componentes del proceso productivo y creador.

Fuentes:

OIT, https://www.oitcinterfor.org/p%C3%A1gina-libro/1-%C2%BFqu%C3%A9-competencia-laboral

Scott Lewis en Forbes:

https://www.forbes.com/sites/theyec/2018/11/26/three-leadership-competencies-for-successful-leaders/?sh=1bc8fc2ee8c7

ESAN; Perú,

https://www.esan.edu.pe/apuntes-empresariales/2015/05/10-competencias-que-todo-gerente-debe-tener/

Blog, https://possibleworks.com/blog/10-key-job-competencies-everyone-needs-to-know-about/

Blog, https://www.altonivel.com.mx/empresas/48790-6-competencias-que-debe-tener-un-ejecutivo/

The Organization´s success depends on the talent you hire, develop and retain (Part two)

Working for vs Being part of

There is a big difference between working in an Organization and being part of it. It is the difference of working with other people but individually, than being a key element within a team.

In a team, each of the members performs specific roles whose results impact the other members. It is essential to understand that the performance of each member is vital to achieve the objectives set by the leader of the team and that have been accepted by its members.

Talent Development

High performance teams are made up of Talents who perform their specialized functions, different but complementary, with expected performances of excellence or very close to it.

The Organizations formulate general development plans for the Talents that comprise them. They also generate specific development programs for each of the teams, including high-performance ones.

On the other hand, the Organizations also create individual development programs for each of the Talents that collaborate within them.

Talents who feel that they are important members within their team and within the Organization, generally coincide in one virtue: the positive attitude of wanting to learn, contribute, support, collaborate, both individually and as a team, achieve and exceed goals set for their periodic performance. Therefore, if you want to be part of the Organization, the person, if he/she does not know, learns; if she/he can’t do it, ask for help. Individual and team development is essential for the Organization and the Talents that comprise it to prosper.

In an Organizational environment with well-established dynamics of Talent development, people know what they must do and have to fulfill to grow personally and professionally. The Organization that offers positive results looks and makes itself known in the market, so the companies with which they compete, customers and / or suppliers, would like to attract the Talents that make up that successful Organization to their own companies. However, the efforts will be in vain, if the Talents are well paid, with development programs aligned to their expectations, that are aware and motivated by their contribution to the community to which they belong and to society in general, that perceive from within of their Organization a healthy environment of a true team, who feel the Organization is busy providing them with the necessary elements to achieve a good balance of personal/professional life, that note the Organization offers them the benefits of the home office and the different options of flexible collaboration; then they could hardly be tempted to leave the Organization.

Article written by Jorge Segovia, CFR Global Executive Search Mexico