More than two years into the global COVID-19 pandemic, the world is slowly, but surely, emerging from its many debilitating impacts.

Business organizations are now coming to terms on how the COVID-19 pandemic has become the greatest catalyst of workplace transformations of our lifetime.

In retrospect, what many business organizations did not envision was the extent to which employees would be working remotely from homes, and scrambling across back-to-back virtual meetings, while juggling the competing demands of home schooling. This evolution of work-life and the workforce has consequently impacted how HR professionals manage recruitment and talent acquisition. One of the more pronounced effects has been the increasing reliance on digital recruitment/search platforms (such as LinkedIn, JazzHR, Workable, Zoho Recruit, etc.) to source for viable candidates as fear of physical interactions through face-to face engagement peaks.

Can technology alone negate the relevance of retained Search services?

Is this true or just a perceived mental model in the post-COVID world? To answer this question, one needs to start with the endgame in mind. It is undeniable that the advent of technology will transform the way recruiters conduct searches on the way forward.

Artificial intelligence has been proven to be a capability multiplier in many aspects of work transformation.  As a case in point, technology has made job search a little easier to publish and search for employee resumes, facilitating virtual interviews online, breaking down geographical separation, and allowing HR professionals to cast their net wider. However, before one is led to believe that technology can replace the “man-in-the-loop” in talent acquisition, it is important to appreciate the limits of the current state of technology and the nuances of executive retained search.

The search for C-suite level and senior executives is fundamentally a people-centric process; something that search platforms alone cannot adequately fill. Correct job fit is not based merely on CVs and past work experience alone. There are tacit work characteristics such as personality match, cultural fit, team dynamics and personal aspiration alignment. To find that best candidate, current technology (even with AI and data science) cannot adequately address those information gaps.

A competent Executive Search professional will need to conduct a deep dive on job-based competencies:

• What specific capabilities will this job require over the next few years? 
• Will the focus be on growth or on engineering a turnaround?
• Does it require someone who is fundamentally an entrepreneur, technologist, manager, or a leader?
• If this is a stretch opportunity, can the candidate grow into the job?  
• What are the next jobs he or she is likely to move into, and what capabilities may be required for those positions?

Beyond the required job competencies, a successful Executive Search would entail team-based competencies:

• Does the candidate have the skills to lead his or her prospective team, and how do they overlap with other members’ skills?  
• How will the applicant manage resistance or political dynamics? 
• Will the individual need to hire additional people to build out the team?  
• If so, can he or she bring in other talented executives?

At the organizational level, talent search would require us to investigate organization-based competencies:

• How well will the candidate fit into the organizational culture?
• Will this person flourish with the resources (supporting talent, technology, organizational reputation, and so on) the organization can provide?
• If the person comes from a more resource-rich environment, can equivalent support be provided, or at least can the candidate be helped to adapt to less?

In essence, retained Executive Search services involve a meticulous process of human interaction that taps on the deep expertise of professional interviewers, whose skills and “gut-feel” have been honed over the years.

Securing candidates for top or strategic management roles (CEO, CFO, COO, CMO, GM, board member, etc.)  requires the “feel” for the candidate in that specific organization, industry, and market. It is very different from conventional recruitment and requires a human mind that appreciates beyond titles and responsibilities – someone who knows the market and the context in which the respective candidates worked, who can read between the lines, who understands the challenges, opportunities, and trends in the industry.

Why Friisberg & Partners? 

We pride ourselves in being a market leader in the above methodology of retained search for the following reasons:

We are a global Executive Search market leader.

We are one of the leading global consulting practices specializing in financial services and digital-age technological hires with 30+ years of experience in solutions for Fortune 500 companies worldwide aimed at retaining, developing, and advancing next generation technological breakthroughs.

We understand business needs well.  

We have an impeccable and consistent track record of delivering top talents that have been a perfect fit for advanced technology firms, global IT companies and start-ups. This is possible because of our proven methodology of  precise job profiling and multi-level deep investigative search.

The heart of all our searches lies in our detailed and deep investigative research.

We have breadth and depth. We have a team of experts and global networks with extensive market domain knowledge to help our clients secure top revenue generators, product developers, market leaders and investors; talents that are key to securing your next cycle of growth. With experts in every area of people and organizational development worldwide, we can help you envision, design, and build a truly inclusive organization.

Friisberg & Partners has been instrumental in helping our clients around the world establish strong foundations for sustainable growth.

Janet Tweed and Richard Khee Loon Foo

A resignation is a strategic career move, so do it right!

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.

Always leave on a high note. You never have a second chance to make a last impression.

Karen DelPrete
Partner, New York