For most employees, home office means having flexibility and freedom and many are reluctant to give these up. However, if studies by the Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research in Mannheim (ZEW)* are to be believed, they don't have to. Many companies plan to stick with the home office arrangements beyond Corona. In 2020, 64% of companies in the information economy wanted to continue to allow working from home at least one day per week. In 2021, it was already 74 %.
Leadership is becoming much more demanding
The fact is that in the last couple of years, many employees were allowed to work from home for the first time - and it was also a new experience for many supervisors. If it now becomes the rule that employees are predominantly at home, this also requires a rethink in terms of leadership. Leadership, already an often underestimated management discipline, becomes even more demanding. Without the chance encounters in the corridor and the short chat at the coffee machine, supervisors will have to invest more time in the future to stay in touch with their employees. Keeping this connection, even over distance, continuing to provide guidance and coaching requires a high degree of empathy. This is a quality that is much more in demand in Executive Search today than it was before the pandemic.
'New Work' means rethinking work
The much-used buzzword "New Work" tries to give a home to the megatrends in the world of work such as digitalisation, work-life balance, globalisation, etc. It is also a way of thinking about work in a new way. Those who understand how complex the topic is are rethinking work: starting with recruiting and training new employees, to leadership and employee retention. Employer benefits related to the office are losing importance - and also attraction.
What connects employees of a company, how do they become a team?
A practised corporate and leadership culture, shared values and work that is defined by the value delivered are becoming more important than ever. At the same time, the boundaries between work and private life are becoming increasingly indistinct. The risk of being overwhelmed, of restlessness is increasing, because work is omnipresent with the increase in home offices. This is yet another argument for the importance of empathic leadership.
Motivation and willingness to perform - the inseparable partners
Then as now, motivation and willingness to perform are closely linked. Employees want recognition for their performance. Company leaders have to ask themselves: How is it currently working in my organisation? How much room is there for new ideas? What about the culture of error? How regularly does exchange take place between managers and employees? Companies that see the current situation as an opportunity to take a fundamentally new look at the topic of leadership and to set fresh impulses in the design of their working and organisational world will benefit from this in the long term.
A plea for personal contact
Despite all the possibilities offered by new digital media today, I am convinced that inspiring leadership distinguished by empathy cannot do entirely without personal contact. For me, this is not a question of an old or new economy, or of trust and mistrust. It is therefore understandable that many companies specify at least one or two days of presence in the office.
Decisions in favour of a higher proportion of home office are mostly CFO-driven. Some companies have used the absence of employees due to the pandemic to sell office space. Such cost-driven decisions may be good for companies in the short term, but not in the medium to long term.
Motivation boost Corona pandemic?
In May 2020, the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering (IAO) surveyed 500 companies from various sectors on the topic of working in the corona pandemic**. Around 70 % of the participants stated that they had largely switched to home office. Half assessed the performance of their employees to have remained the same during this time - 30% even recorded an increase in productivity. Decreased productivity mostly resulted from the reduction of working time accounts, short-time work, etc.
The study results also show what a strong impulse the Corona crisis gave to develop innovative solutions together - to overcome an existentially threatening situation together.
How long will this last?
When will motivation also decline at the home workplace and with it productivity and efficiency? To prevent this, leaders must now build up and expand their virtual leadership skills and find the right mix in delegation, team organisation, personal responsibility and duty of care. The experiences of the last few months are too important not to be used systematically.
*Source: "Home office in times of Corona", Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research in Mannheim (ZEW).
**Source: "Working in the Corona Pandemic - Towards the New Normal", Fraunhofer IAO in cooperation with the German Society for Human Resource Management DGFP e.V.
Matthias Zühlke, Partner
Hamburg, Germany
Laurence has joined Friisberg from Transearch International as a Senior Consultant and will be based in both Paris and Strasbourg where she will focus on Executive Search and Talent Management. With an extensive experience of Executive Search and Management Consultancy, with a range of clients, industries and geographies, she considers each project to be an exciting and complex challenge, combining active listening with a thorough understanding of the company culture.
She has in depth knowledge of the French economy as well as many international firms including those in Consumer/Retail, IT/Digital, Life Sciences and has worked with private clients, private equity firms and family offices for over 15 years.
A graduate of the Strasbourg School of Management, she has a specialisation in industrial project management, and has developed an interest in international culture and languages speaking French, English, German and Spanish.
Her career began as a Business Manager in an IT and engineering services company in Paris and then in Strasbourg, where her main activities were business development, recruitment and management of engineers, focusing on the success of clients' projects. She then moved into Talent Acquisition, developing a new subsidiary of an engineering group.
Laurence lives in Strasbourg with her family and is passionate about sport including figure skating, running, skiing, biking and travelling.
The tiptoeing phase is over, and the time to start building is now. An avalanche of stimuli is about to be triggered in the global markets, and this is also becoming apparent in businesses’ expectations of strong growth.
How did we get here?
When COVID-19 struck, development, consulting and purchased services were minimised and cash resources were secured. Now businesses once again have more leeway to implement their strategic plans. Success however may require new competences and new profiles – the CEO or the members of the management team may even need to be changed.
A new CEO from outside the family business?
Many external candidates have reservations about joining family businesses because every family business has its own unique cultural heritage - and this is often not openly discussed. The way the family make decisions, discuss matters, approach things and perhaps even how they operate outside formal structures - as well as all the unspoken values and powerful characters operating from within the family.
Recruiting a good CEO from outside requires the family to be transparent and clear about their organisation’s culture.
What do external candidates look for?
Someone joining a family business needs to be genuinely interested in its story. In addition to the business operations, there may also be something attractive about the family business’ values or ways of working. Some are looking for a lifestyle change and perhaps a company that commits to a long-term vision in their business operations instead of quarterly optimisation.
Family businesses must give external executives room to work and breathe.
How do we ensure compatibility with the family?
Objective methodology is vital.
Competency profiling and cultural profiling with candidates is at the heart of the process. It’s extremely important that the outsider is compatible with the culture of the family business.
The biggest risk is taken if an executive is recruited on the basis of a recommendation by an acquaintance or family member. A “good person”, as recommended by an acquaintance, may not necessarily work as the impetus for change - plus familial relationships can easily be ruined.
A successful management team
The COVID-19 era may also bring about a need to update the management team. Listed below are four typical situations where it’s a good idea to determine whether there is a need to make changes to the existing management team:
Mika Rossi, Partner
Finland
The phrase “Turnover Tsunami” is becoming slightly overused, but it is accurate - and there is no doubt it is happening.
I was speaking with a CEO yesterday about why he is experiencing such high staff turnover rates, even at senior level– and by that I mean voluntary departures and resignations.
Recruiting, hiring, and training is expensive - not to mention the time spent behind each phase of onboarding. More than that though, companies are potentially losing a valuable resource - someone with years of institutional knowledge.
Embrace the idea that business strategy and workforce planning will look different post-pandemic and to get started on identifying the talent, skills and roles that will be necessary to prosper once the health crisis passes.
Lorri Lowe, Partner
UK
Over the last two years, the Covid crisis has elicited stark changes within multiple business areas and Executive Search is no exception.
In my opinion, there have been two noticeable structural changes to our industry:
The wider use of video conferencing allows us now to significantly reduce the lead time to a first interview between a consultant and a candidate, or a client and a candidate. Arranging in person meetings, with all the diary negotiations that necessitated, was always problematic and in many ways life seems to have become more fluid. However, this ease of business is not all positive.
I have observed an increasing volatility of candidates within selection processes. Indeed the 'plug and play' aspect of video conferencing appears to result in many candidates committing to the process much less than in a face-to-face as the former requires a far lighter logistical input than the latter.
Some candidates engage in a recruitment process without any sincere motivation for making a professional change. And even if motivated, some candidates also would consider video interviewing a lesser process, versus face-to-face, and so sometimes do not give it the necessary preparation, time or attention. Some may even unconsciously believe they will be given a later opportunity to have a 'proper interview' but actually they adversely impact their chances to even qualify for the next step.
Video interviews can limit our capacity of thoroughly assess an individual as traditional paralinguistic nuances are distorted such as waving, opting for a blurred or fake backgrounds, poor connectivity etc.
There is no doubt that the rise of remote working has shaken up organisations by giving a reduced focus on where people decide to live relative to the the location of the company. This recent change elicits a larger pools of relevant candidates and consequentially a higher quality shortlist. This new WFH culture needs to be supported and lived by our clients - either through their own culture and conviction, or by mere pragmatism in reaction to what is a hugely competitive Talent market.
In spite of all the recent changes imposed upon our ways of working, effective Executive Search remains strongly based on the basics - simply finding the very best leaders or problem solvers for the benefit of our clients.
Julien Wilhelm, Partner
France
And are female managers committed supporters of women?
In my conversations with female managers, I like to ask the women whether they have actually received support over the course of their careers. Many confirm this by saying that it couldn't be any other way: you need a manager who recognises your potential and pushes you forward, or delegates new tasks and ultimately promotes. And in every new team and / or department it is important to make contacts again and ideally find sponsors. In the best case, it is possible to establish a good relationship with board members and managing directors, who are also successfully following their path and promoting and developing potential. Leadership programs for young talents also help to gain visibility, but such programs are not available everywhere.
Very few women say they made it without a sponsor. They also recognise that further development, with support, would have meant fewer detours and would have been faster. In most cases the sponsors are male. This may be due to the fact that there are fewer women than men in management.
But the question also arises, to what extent do women actually support other women?
In the interviews I have experienced two “extremes”:
On the one hand, there are women for whom, the quota is (unfortunately) a necessary intervention by the legislature in order to correct past mistakes. It is very important to them to support other talented women and to be available to them as mentors - even keeping lists of potential female executives to promote.
Then there are women who do not even want to be associated with the “gender issue”. They neither want to be a quota woman, nor do they want to attract attention through the special promotion of female executives. They are of the opinion that only experience and knowledge should be deciding factors regarding promotion.
Does that coincide with your observations?
How do “quota women” feel in companies? Do we see legislative intervention as an opportunity for all women to bring change in the male-dominated boardrooms?
Meltem Ay, Principal
Frankfurt
In theory, meetings should be small enough so attendees could be fed with two large pizzas to discourage Groupthink and HiPPO, ('Highest Paid Person's Opinion').
Virtual meetings have necessitated (mostly) a reduced number of attendees: “I’m sorry, you go…”/ “No sorry, I was just saying..”/ “What were you saying?”/ “Sorry, we missed that” / “Did you say something?”. Six people suddenly speak at once. Silence. Repeat.
Now that many of us are starting to return to the office, increasingly in-person meetings are going to become part of our daily lives once again. And I am looking forward to it. We are hardwired to pick up on the subtle conversational nuances of hand gestures, facial expressions, posture and even physical touch like a handshake. Body language is an indispensable part of communication.
Smaller meetings can generate a feeling of intimacy which often leads to bolder and franker discussions. Fewer participants also mean more time to listen to and consider another perspective. In turn, the group members feel heard and respected, making them more productive.
So, when you are invited to that in-person meeting, (apart from eating the pizza), what can you do to make an impact?
But, with all the excitement of actually being with real people once again, don’t hog the floor. Be a thought-leader - articulate your expertise and express your point of view, but don’t try to be the smartest person in the room - you don’t want arrogance to be your most memorable trait.
Lorri Lowe
Partner, London
Before writing this article, I had one of those “Blah” days when I felt low and could not put my finger on why. For those who do not know what this is, there is another word for it - languishing. Languishing is a sense of stagnation and emptiness, and if you would like to learn more, I can highly recommend you read Adam Gratton’s article, as posted in the New York Times.
My “Blah” day however, was lifted by a quote that I found by Sonya Renee Taylor:
"We will not go back to normal. Normal never was. Our pre-corona existence was not normal other than we normalized greed inequity, exhaustion, depletion, extraction, disconnection, confusion, rage, hoarding hate and lack. We should not long to return, my friend. We are being given the opportunity to stitch a new garment. One that fits all humanity and nature "
I am far from an expert in diversity, equality, and inclusion. Still, I have researched the topic during my years working within the talent and leadership profession. As a result, I am passionate about how we harness differences in our workplaces and create a fair playing field for everyone.
I live in Sweden, ranked 1st in the EU on the Gender Equality Index, yet we are still lagging in gender balance regarding our leadership positions. Research from SCB (2020) shows that 41% of Sweden’s total leaders’ population are women and 59% are men - however, only 17% of Sweden’s CEOs are women.
A recent Di Digital survey reveals the investment distribution to privately-owned technology companies in Sweden. 1% of investments was granted to companies founded by women in 2020. In addition, the share of investment value given to mixed founding teams increased to 11%.
The relationship between diversity and business performance persists and continues to grow, so progress is being made.
Fredrik Hånell, an entrepreneur and investor who currently works as a “business creation director” at EIT Urban Mobility, stated in the Di article, “If entrepreneurs cannot build a gender-equal team, they lack one the most important components for building a successful company. Soon I hope that all start-ups we work with have a female co-founder.”
Gender is only one aspect of equality. As Pride month has come to its end, I reflected on how we, as executive talent consultants and business advisors, can actively support our clients with their diversity, equality, and inclusion agendas.
As a business, you must have an inclusive culture. Research shows that diversity is not just a metric for which to to strive, it is an integral part of a successful revenue-generating business. This does not mean simply having colourful posters throughout your offices stating your values, instead, it is a business strategy and mindset, a commitment and responsibility of all leaders and embraced across the whole organization.
At Friisberg, we:
DE&I matters, and we bring the thought of diversity into our board services assignment or when conducting management audits.
"We are committed to serving our clients by finding diverse leaders and providing an unbiased thought process throughout our consulting process. We have improved our knowledge, by running internal programs such as Reverse Mentoring and Unconscious Bias training." Michael Rooslien, Partner, Sweden.
Social and technological changes will continue to transform the landscape in every industry.
Organizations who don’t embrace DE&I will potentially risk earning potentials and falling behind their competitors.
I believe, the companies who create a workplace for everyone will cultivate tremendous value from their people’s differences and thrive.
Yvonne Erlandsson
Snr Talent Consultant, Sweden
The UK government recently updated the UK Department for International Trade Support Directory.
Friisberg has been recognised as a company that has the skills and experience to help overseas businesses establish themselves, or expand, in the UK.
At a time of both political and economic uncertainty, companies need trusted, professional advice on how to promote and grow their businesses. We already work with investors across the globe and the DIT has now made it even easier to access our multi-sector expertise.
We are delighted to have been included and recognised as a specialist Management Consultancy firm for FDI. This demonstrates that Friisberg enjoys a reputation as a game changing and an authoritative firm providing leadership and recruitment advice to UK and international companies, ranging from start-ups to global corporates.
We always work closely with our clients, offering bespoke recruitment strategies, training insights and estimated salary projections that could be essential to the success of your business.
Sooner or later most of us face a resignation.
Resigning is never easy, especially when you’ve worked at a company and become a part of a team, but I always recommend that you leave your employer on a positive note. If you have given your best to the job, you will be missed, especially by those most inconvenienced by your leaving.
Go straight to your boss. Your immediate supervisor should be the first person you tell about your decision to leave the company.
Give the news in person. Tell your boss that you have accepted a new position and let them know your effective last day at work.
Try to give as much notice as possible
Put your resignation in a hard copy letter that includes your last day and any transitional agreement. Keep a copy.
You also need to be prepared to leave right away- some companies require it, so if you have any personal information on your work devices, be sure to clear it off before you give notice.
Resist accepting a counteroffer. The factors that caused you to seek an opportunity outside your current employer are likely to remain in force. Aside from that, your current employer will probably lose trust in your loyalty.
Karen DelPrete
Partner, New York
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