Anna Rudzińska and Dorota Serwińska, formerly of Korn/Ferry and Spencer Stuart respectively, started their firm in 2016 and this rebranding is timely both because of the rapid evolution of their firm as an increasingly respected provider of executive search in Poland, and also as the successful Warsaw office of an international firm working on cross-border assignments for global clients.
Whilst RSC was well-known in Poland, Anna and Dorota believe the time is now perfect to adopt a trading name which is recognised everywhere. Having been Partners of Friisberg for 5 years now, they were already entirely comfortable that Friisberg accurately reflects their own values, offers a range of premium client services and has real stature in the professional services and consulting sector. RSC and Friisberg are two strong brands synonymous with providing consulting-led executive search that their clients really value. Anna and Dorota have seen the success of Partners in other countries following a transition to the Friisberg name and the warm welcome that receives in those markets, so are they are keen to build on that yet further.
“Initially, Friisberg’s polycentric model allowed us to retain our defining characteristics as a partner-led search firm and all that meant to us, and our clients” explained Dorota, “while at the same time offering access to a broad range of national and now international expertise. However, we face a time of accelerated change and, more than ever before, we must be able to help our clients transform to meet and exceed the dynamic needs of the new normal. We are changing our name because the world around us is changing and it embodies our deep dedication to client success and relationships, wherever our clients do business. Friisberg has a determination to never stop leading the way in innovation and thought leadership, so recognising that we were already so well aligned philosophically with Friisberg, we are genuinely delighted to now be Friisberg Poland. There is a real sense of kinship throughout the Friisberg partnership, and we know that our like-minded, determined and professional partners can collectively enable the success of our clients.”
Anna continued, “This is a major milestone for us. As the Polish market accelerates this is a unique opportunity for us to better serve Polish clients as they expand elsewhere in the world, and equally for Friisberg to support international companies investing in Poland. In Poland we have noticed a significant and growing amount of cross-border work and positioning ourselves as the Warsaw office of a 40 year established firm with 40 offices around the world aligns perfectly with our abilities and ambitions. We are no less committed to our Polish clients, and they too will see that our reach, networks and expertise are enhanced on their searches.”
Zoltan Petho, Chair of Friisberg & Partners International, welcomed this rebrand, “Despite a global pandemic and economic crisis, Friisberg remains focused on its strategy to expand and innovate to connect clients to talent, internationally. We have made it our purpose to grow with our clients, as individuals and as a team, and Poland further strengthens our already significant presence in Central & Eastern Europe.”
Friisberg is embarking on a renewed expansion plan and hope to see the success of our firm in Poland replicated around the world at a time when other management consultancy firms are standing still, or even withdrawing from key markets. There is no doubt that Friisberg is becoming increasingly attractive to executive search professionals who want to become Partners in a firm that is succeeding for its clients.
Is it better to hire someone who’s a good match for your culture, or someone who can make it better?
Smart organizations are paying lots of attention to their culture, and for a good reason. There is a lot of evidence that organizational culture is a top driver of employee engagement. But due to human nature, hiring managers are often unintentionally biased and work with a definition culture fit - favouring candidates who would fit in well with the current team based on personal attributes. Feelings of “we can have a beer after work” may play important part in the selection process.
But as more companies strive for diversity and inclusion, the term “culture fit” is falling out of favour.
In contrast to the culture fit mindset and seeking to hire more of what is already working well, "culture add” focuses on gaining what the current culture lacks - it looks for people who value an existing culture, but also bring something different that positively contributes to the company.
Assessing for culture fit works well in small businesses but leads to homogeneous culture and at some point, the company needs people who experienced larger and more complicated systems and team members who look at the same problems in a different light - and with different ways of thinking emerge different interests and personalities.
With that of course comes more discomfort - but in the same way that exercise without discomfort does not lead to growth, a team without cognitive discomfort limits its own potential.
Diversity in viewpoints and ability to take different perspectives allows to debate different strategies and come to better outcomes. It is well documented that:
The most effective way to grow is to hire diverse executive talent.
Adding people with same ideas and approaches can create an environment where everyone thinks and acts in the same way.
Diverse teams may at first feel less comfortable, but that is why they perform better.
Andrea Chladkova, Partner
Mary Keane, Partner
Czech Republic
InPost is the largest logistics company in Poland operating in the e-commerce industry, offering courier services and deliveries via the nationwide network of Parcel Lockers. The company plans to become the leading European provider of automated 'out-of-home' e-commerce solutions and counts on significant growth opportunities, both in Poland and in key European markets, where recognition of parcel machines is growing rapidly as the e-commerce market grows significantly. InPost’s debut on Euronext has opened up the next phase of its international development, especially in Great Britain and Italy, and it is also considering expansion in France and Spain.
What makes a passionate HR leader with 18 years of experience in strategic and operational management in global corporation such as Sanofi or AXA join a Polish, privately owned company?
“Honestly, the fact that it was Polish, privately owned with a strong footprint of Private Equity was the biggest hook. After years of being a part of global organisations, mainly involved in reorganisations, optimisations, cost cutting run with accordance to some highest targets, and big not totally revealed plans, I really wanted to try something different. I wanted to be part of something I can truly co-create with my business partners.”
What do you like the most about InPost?
“Its corporate culture(!) -its speed, decisiveness, innovative approach, and its openness to learn and adjust according to the market changes. With this kind of approach the sky is the limit. The company plans international expansion and wants to become a significant international player, InPost is one of the fastest growing companies in Europe! It is great to be part of it."
Such a fast growth, development must create certain challenges for HR, am I right?
“Oh, yes! Bearing in mind the speed of the changes and need to adapt we have to work constantly on developing our competencies in terms of, for example, change management or leadership but also in terms of our knowledge, technical solutions and tools which are rapidly developing. We have got to be more tech and data savvy, use modern technology, and make decision basing on data analysis. We all, like many other companies these days, have to learn how to improve our action from quality, accuracy but also from a speed point of view. Thinking about international expansion we need to ensure we are a competitive and attractive employer.”
How about the planned expansion - what would be the main driver of it?
“E-commerce is growing, and that is good news for us. We want to grow in the market where e-commerce is well-developed. We still are not sure what the final governance framework for scaling-up our business might look like as we are still working on the details, however we know that well planned internal succession and access to external talent will be a strategic driver in HR. On one hand developing our skills, knowledge sharing, increasing our competencies thus building our potential internally, on the other we have to focus on top talent from outside and so Employer Branding will be extremally important. Fortunately a very important dimension of our business is a sustainability and we do limit our carbon footprint as we have parcel lockers which limits the “last mile”. We genuinely care about ecology and our planet. So, as you can see there are a lot of things which need to be taken care of.”
We would like to thank Agata for a very interesting conversation, and we wish you good luck in your new role.
Dorota Serwińska, Partner
Poland
You have both been Partners in Friisberg for a few years. What was the career path you took to get to where you are today?
We have been partners in Friisberg since 2018 - although we first started working with the organisation in 2016. Together we bring over 20 years of experience in Executive Search gained from our time with Korn/Ferry, Kienbaum, and Spencer Stuart.
What do you enjoy most about being part of Friisberg?
We are lucky to have observed a significant shift within Friisberg during recent years, not in terms of people because we always considered our colleagues from different countries to be the greatest assets of this Partnership, but the fact that we now cover such a range of different markets.
Our company is growing quickly with increased online visibility for clients and candidates.
The investment in Friisberg's AI diagnostic tool (FNA), is great!
It is a genuine pleasure to work with our Friisberg colleagues - to exchange knowledge and share best practice with those in different geographies.
It is also very refreshing that we cooperate so effectively - we do not suffer from a competitive approach which is all too often observed in other global firms. Our strategy is to be transparent and fair so we are always happy to benefit from each other's experiences.
What advice would you give to someone considering a career in Management Consultancy and or Executive Search?
Although the consulting/executive search industry has changed a lot over recent years, there are always unchangeable factors necessary for success. We operate in a very sensitive marketplace, so to become successful you must have an in-depth knowledge of the market, maturity/gravitas to position yourself as an equal partner while talking to your clients and you must be trustworthy. Besides that, the most important competence in consulting is the ability to convince your client that you can do the job, so one must have the ability to sell projects. Many people who try to succeed in this field forget about selling skills.
What qualities do you look for in a new consultant when joining Friisberg in Poland?
You must be trustworthy, a good communicator (as well as being able to actively listen), a good negotiator, resilient and have great sense of humour.
What has been the biggest change in Management Consultancy and Executive Search over the last 10 years?
The 4.0 revolution has been the most significant impact. The development of social media (e.g. LinkedIn) has made potential candidates available to almost everybody. Also, AI is a more and more significant part of the recruitment processes, but we still believe our human touch is irreplaceable, and we hope it always remains that way.
What do you enjoy doing in your spare time when you are not working hard?
We both have great families and friends. We love our country cottages and enjoy outdoor activities and sport.
Dorota Serwińska, Partner
Anna Rudzinska, Partner
Poland
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