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Head hunting consists of searching for personnel in the job market that are compatible with the needs of the client. It is considered a valuable consultancy activity by their management and is aimed at solving a specific requirement of the client.
Head hunters are so named because, within their specific market segments, they have a network of relationships that are essential for identifying highly qualified managerial profiles and contacting those individuals.
The search and selection of high-level management profiles is called an “executive search” or “head hunting”.
Head hunting is the best way to recruit highly skilled managers who are usually already employed and not necessarily looking for a new job.
The head hunter approach is very structured as it proceeds in distinct stages. The initial phase involves a targeted search for personnel in a specific area through consultation with the head hunter’s network of contacts. Usually, they search for potential candidates who already perform a specific job and meet the client’s professional requirements. After finding sufficient information to create a shortlist of candidates, they move on to directly contacting them. Subsequently, the head hunter will draw up a list of the best professionals for the client to consider. Companies that use a head hunter as an intermediate choose, in this way, to rely on a professional figure who has a thorough knowledge of the market segment in which they operate.
The search for personnel with the support of a head hunter represents an effective recruitment solution for companies, introducing them to referenced candidates who are really interested in the position. The head hunter is also entrusted with the task of assisting the client in the delicate stage of negotiation of the conditions of employment once the ideal candidate has been chosen.
The search for personnel is, therefore, an activity of considerable importance as the client has the justifiable expectation of recruiting qualified managerial staff who can immediately bring added value. The head hunter operates with the complete support of the client’s personnel team. Thus, maximum benefit is derived from connecting and matching the technical-professional skills of the candidates with the characteristics of the sector in which they are to be placed.
The work of a good head hunter is, therefore, rich in human capital, which is the result of cultivating various contacts. This is intelligently intertwined with the expectations of the various types of clients. The success in the search for personnel is thus combined with the efficiency of a fast service that is well-aligned to the situational needs of the client. This translates into cost savings as well as time savings, which are fundamental and critical aspects of every business.
Artificial intelligence radically changes the management of the entire personnel recruitment and selection process. As emerged from the research “The future of HR: Five Technology Imperatives”, it is necessary to adapt to changes in the labor market; and these technological innovations give managers new tools to cope with this type of transformation. Thousands of people have already been contacted on the phone by a robot. It says, “Good morning, I’m Vera a robot, are you still looking for a job?”. Many proceed to be interviewed by the robot which then emails the outcome of the interview. It’s like science fiction but it’s now a reality.
Vera is the best-known case of cooperation between recruiters and industry 4.0. Made by a Russian startup in April last year, Vera reached celebrity status when the furniture giant IKEA hired the system for its personnel selection. This is the best-known case but Vera also collaborates with more than 200 other companies to help select staff – and the numbers are constantly growing.
This type of intervention radically changes the way HR professionals are thinking about the entire recruitment and selection process.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning support recruiters in achieving two important objectives in selection personnel.
The first is to make the search for new staff more efficient. Companies require more and more specialised employees who are difficult to find using traditional methods. Now, recruiters can make a more targeted selection of personnel using AI computer tools that can analyse large databases quickly.
The second is to manage the entire recruitment process more efficiently. Pre-selection activities such as analysing CVs can be automated to simplify and speed up the process so that the recruiter can focus on the candidates that most nearly correspond to the selection criteria.
How can a recruiter make practical use of artificial intelligence? In reality there are many applications that are currently used, mainly for the initial selection of candidates.
CV parsing applications, for example, automatically analyse resumes by extracting the most relevant data. This type of software analyses texts for syntax and semantics, contextualising and comparing their content. This allows CVs to be processed more quickly and, more importantly, more precisely and meticulously. In this way, comparable data can be obtained and the most suitable candidates for each position identified.
It is worth stressing that, so far, AI applications only affect the initial stages of personnel selection. They are used to identify a short list of ideal candidates for the job position, who will then be examined by recruiters during individual interviews.
The new technologies applied to personnel selection provide companies with considerable advantages:
There is no lack of criticism of the use of artificial intelligence for personnel selection. One risk is that algorithms and automated systems can take personality away from the whole staff selection process.
We are convinced that artificial intelligence cannot totally replace recruiters. All systems are effective only in the first phase where they save recruiters time and effort.
No machine will ever be able to replace a good recruiter in personnel selection; it always takes a series of human judgements to evaluate the skills and competences of a candidate.
For this reason the hope is that the final phase of recruitment will remain entrusted to a good recruiter whose skilled contribution no machine will ever be able to have.
The research activity of managers and executives requires first of all the identification and choice of the right partner to whom to entrust the research and selection project.
It is our intention to provide in this article some basic advice to choose the recruitment company that can best meet the needs of those who are looking for qualified executives and managers.
The search for middle managers and executives can be supported by the employment of Head Hunters, i.e. by those professional figures able to assist companies in the difficult task of searching and selecting managerial profiles.
Not all companies involved in recruitment and selection of personnel are specialised in the search for middle managers and executives. In fact, there are companies that specialize exclusively in the search and selection of certain professional profiles or that operate exclusively in specific market segments or exclusively in certain geographical areas. Therefore, before entrusting any assignment, it is good practice to understand the professional experience gained by a recruiting company in the search and selection of managerial profiles.
After having identified the potential partner to whom to entrust the research project of managers and executives, it is appropriate to estimate and evaluate the characteristics and the extent of the network of relationships that the chosen recruiting company has cultivated over time operating within a specific market sector. The extension of the pool of potential candidates to be drawn on to complete a research and selection project is fundamental, especially when it is necessary to respect imperative deadlines, which should obviously be clarified as soon as possible.
Before starting any research and selection project it is essential to draw up a clear and comprehensive Job Description. Once this task has been completed, it is important to agree on the tools and selection criteria that will be used to identify the management profiles that have the professional requirements that best meet the Job Description. A comparison between the client and the recruiting company regarding the evaluation and selection tools and criteria to be used can be beneficial for both parties.
The experience that a headhunter has gained in a given market segment can facilitate the search and selection of qualified candidates. In fact, for the search of managers and executives with very specific technical and/or technological skills, it is necessary to evaluate the opportunity to hire Head Hunters who have acquired a background of experience or sectorial knowledge.
For further clarification regarding the professional figure of the Head Hunter, we invite you to read also this article: the search for personnel to invest in talent and skills.
In the hope that the advice provided has been useful, we remind you that we remain at your disposal for requests for quotation for any information.
The search and selection of qualified personnel are two moments that represent a critical phase of company life. It is, in fact, a matter of identifying those talents that can make an important difference within the organizational reality. Recruiters with proven experience know that the greater the relevance between the profile sought by the company and the characteristics of the candidate, the greater will be the company’s competitiveness. But how to effectively carry out the selection of qualified personnel by recruiting resources in line with the company’s values?
Recruiters with proven experience know that the greater the relevance between the profile sought by the company and the characteristics of the candidate, the greater will be the company’s competitiveness. But how can you effectively select qualified personnel by recruiting resources in line with the company’s values? Surely not by improvising and not relying only on one’s own perception but by using partners with specific skills, able to identify the workforce in line with the Client’s requests.
The phases in which the selection of qualified personnel takes place go through some decisive steps. First of all, the recruiter must carry out an accurate analysis of the required profile, trying to deepen not only the operational role but also what are the links that the figure will have with the collaborators and with the hierarchically superior figures. The company climate, the objectives, the changes underway and the entire organizational context are other factors that the recruiter must consider, bearing in mind that the figure must have specific skills. There must also be the potential that will allow the employee to evolve if the company needs a different profile over time. After the analysis of the role, the type of workforce that is sought must be defined. Educational qualifications, skills acquired and professionalism are part of the objective characteristics that the recruiter must evaluate, but an important part is also covered by the personality of the candidate. The motivations allow to understand if the subject is supported by a real interest towards the company while soft skills are transversal competences related to personality. Being able to adapt to a specific work context, being proactive and possessing communication skills are complementary to the technical dimension and are considered fundamental in the selection process.
The objective of the recruiter is the selection of qualified personnel who know how to interpret the required role and become bearers of added value for the company. A good recruiter or a personnel manager knows that after the screening, where the applications are skimmed, the delicate moment of the interview is reached. This is the step in which professional knowledge and subjective characteristics, i.e. hard and soft skills, are analysed. In this phase the recruiter must be able to grasp the characteristics that emerge, evaluate them and have a good listening ability without creating unnecessary tensions in the candidate that would lead him to assume attitudes of rigidity and defense. The professionalism of the recruiter will conduct the interview through macro-arguments within which he will be able to prioritize certain issues. In the selection of qualified personnel there are often requests to talk about yourself, your professional experience and why you want to work for the Company, but also what you know about the work reality for which you are proposed. How the candidate imagines himself in the future, what he expects from the Company and why he thinks it is the right job for him are other possible questions. The objective is to have a detailed picture of the person: the answers, filtered by the experience and professionalism of the recruiter, allow the best selection of qualified personnel.
In summary, we can say that the recruiter uses a structured method that starts with the screening of curricula and finds its central moment in the interview with the candidate. The research and selection phases of human capital must be supported by professionals able to collaborate in the growth of the company.
We are reliable partners and we operate quickly, providing a quality service: the choice of the best candidate for the Company-Client is our goal. We invite you to contact us: the competence, professionalism and specializations of our recruiters will allow us to offer you the best talents for any business sector.
The driving force of a company has always been its human resources capital. Talent, autonomy, strategic vision are all qualities that every company wants and that are a source of great added value for the achievement of corporate objectives. In order to attract from the outside through a targeted search for qualified personnel in line with these characteristics and to retain those already present within the organization, companies must and can exploit the potential of the web and the network to increase their image and appeal. All actions aimed at this purpose fall within a strategy defined as Employer Branding.
Employer branding is defined as the strategy that allows a company to increase and strengthen, in line with its own values, its image and appeal on the job market in order to attract and retain the most talented resources in the recruitment of qualified personnel, thus wresting them away from direct competition. Just as it happens in the purchase of consumer goods, where the brand often conveys value aspects of relevance and distinction by directing the consumer’s choice, so employer branding follows the same logic to direct the choice of the talented workforce towards the workplace. In fact, it is considered to all intents and purposes a real marketing strategy: as such, the strategic vision should not only be considered for the purposes of a specific search for qualified personnel, on the contrary, quite the opposite. It is to all intents and purposes a useful tool to increase the company’s image tout court in support of the broader brand management policies.
The retention and engagement actions aimed at maintaining the company’s talented human resources, defined as internal employer branding, together with attraction and recruiting advertising campaigns for the search for qualified personnel, with the aim of attracting the most interesting talents from the outside, are the two macro areas underlying the employer branding strategy. Using these two forms of marketing you will have the opportunity to exploit the enormous communicative potential in order to transmit more strongly the image and perception in the global market. The strategy as a brand communication must be developed consistently with the company’s brand identity, thus acting as a sounding board with an ambivalent advantage: an employer branding strategy integrated and in line with the company’s brand strategy will not only be a tool of appeal and attraction in the search for qualified personnel looking for work, but will also increase the brand’s overall vision in a virtuous circle with extreme development possibilities.
In order to address with strength and precision the strategic communication message of employer branding, there are employment agencies that, thanks to the know-how gathered in years of experience, are able to identify the best solutions according to the target and how to exit the market in the search for qualified personnel that the company deems appropriate. There are several methods that help to increase the company’s appeal in terms of employer branding: first of all, online advertising on recruiting and sector sites with the creation, for example, of a real advertising campaign and an ad hoc company page in which to report the company’s mission, values and shared objectives that identify the internal guidelines in greater detail. Not only: the exploitation of social networks or the participation and sponsorship of job career sessions can be a support to the targeted and successful activity for the search of talented qualified personnel.
The process of personnel selection through the use of IT resources and, specifically, the Internet is called e-recruitment. Over the last few years, companies and recruitment agencies have moved much of the process for the search of qualified personnel online, in order to make the entire selection process more efficient, thus increasing the speed of contact between company and candidates.
Through database and job posting technologies in the network, employers, through the intermediation of recruitment agencies, can meet their staffing needs more quickly, unlike traditional research sources. In addition, conventional recruitment methods are known to be highly expensive and geographically limited.
For this reason, companies that turn to a recruiting agency benefit from many aspects. As said, the communicative capacity of the network is fully exploited to get in touch with a multitude of candidates and their CVs. Not only: agencies for the search of qualified personnel use ad hoc software to support the recruitment activity. Very often these applications make it possible to manage the publication of advertisements in a centralized manner and targeted to the target audience, to coordinate the reception of CVs in order to speed up screening activities by focusing only on the profiles interested in joining the vacant position.
The assumption that time is money, thanks to e-recruiting, becomes concreteness. The shorter time needed for the acquisition of applications would already be a sufficient vehicle to shift the focus and investment from traditional forms of personnel recruitment to the more modern online forms. The employment agencies specialized in personnel search operate as a fiduciary filter, thanks to the know-how and expertise gathered in years of activity in the sector, which will allow to centralize in a more effective and efficient way all those activities necessary to support a valid and targeted personnel search. The possibility to use application forms designed thanks to the experience gained by the employment agencies allow the company to search in a targeted way for characteristics of importance for the professional figure of interest.
The choice by companies to turn to employment agencies is based on the possibility of using modern and structured e-recruiting tools to attract qualified personnel. This aspect is concretized in terms of savings, such as the possibility to reduce the time to hire or the real costs related to the search and selection of personnel, but not only. Agencies that use modern e-recruiting tools can offer an excellent visibility of ads, being able to exploit a vast network of channels on which to convey, with precision and punctuality, the wishes of each client.
We remain at your disposal to provide further information about the e-recruiting tools used by our company.
The methodology of personnel selection by recruiters is done in different ways using different instrumentation, especially digital. In addition to the procedures that can be defined as “classic”, there are also real innovative selection strategies, whose novelty lies in the interactivity of the research and the versatility of the instruments used. Social recruitment consists in the research, analysis and evaluation of candidates through the use of social networks.
What differentiates social recruitment from other methodologies is the interaction between the recruiter and potential candidates. The selection therefore involves both parties, each of which assumes a specific role aimed at achieving a single objective: to hire the best professional profiles to qualitatively increase the company’s activity.
Social recruitment should be only one of the many steps taken by recruiters in recruiting staff. Who is predisposed to the recruitment of professional figures in favour of a company should have access to a series of methodologies that are not limited to a single tactic. The best strategy would be to set the choice of candidates on various levels, so as to obtain as many resources as possible, which will then be skimmed during the various selection phases (advertisement publication, database analysis, social netowrk, use of dedicated advertising platforms, use of dedicated recruiting software, etc.). This is because not all candidates opt for social and “job-seeking” platforms.
Currently there are those who propose themselves through blogs, interacting on some social media not very famous for the people of the web, but also selling video courses and e-books or actively participating on some platforms (through answers, editing professional articles, etc. …). This is a slice of users looking for spaces that represent real niches for recruiters. Within these niches you can find valuable information, difficult to find elsewhere, as well as the possibility to see the professional preparation of the possible candidate.
The recruiter has the duty to integrate recruitment strategies by annexing the option of social networks, and does so by choosing the best platforms, those able to attract interesting figures. The time to be dedicated will represent an investment, to which should be added an adequate preparation in the digital environment to be able to proceed with the selection of personnel effectively and with the optimization of resources.
Social recruitment is not just about finding and selecting candidates. Social recruitment represents a real multifaceted activity that is expressed in different techniques implemented by the recruiter. He works on two fronts, one active and the other passive. On the active front he will look for resources by consulting social networks. On the passive side, the recruiter will use tactics such as to attract the best candidate. A company looking for a professional figure can propose job offers in different ways, using the same platforms used by candidates and improving the visibility of their social profile with attractive information. But if socials are a preferred channel for the recruiter, and for the candidate, the best strategy to select staff will be to create a strong brand identity. Those with the necessary skills are looking for serious and competent companies, able to provide opportunities for professional growth. Those who are at their first experiences are looking for companies that give the opportunity to take the first steps towards the acquisition of skills. Depending on the company’s needs, the recruiter will focus on the first or second tactic, but to do so he will have to set his search according to specific criteria, able to provide a clear message to job seekers.
In addition to recruitment, social recruitment requires interconnectivity between recruiter and candidate, who interact with each other in the same way as an interview, one (the recruiter) to ascertain the suitability of the candidate, the other to demonstrate their skills. In recent times, social networks are a way to shorten distances and speed up time, for example through the use of chats and video calls that allow for long-distance talking, or by creating video conferences able to involve the largest number of users. Currently, many briefings are held through live streaming, which can take place in a very short time.
The optimization of staff recruitment is just one of the different benefits that can be derived from social recruitment. This is followed by the efficiency of the selection, but also the possibility to set up a long-term strategy able to provide solutions tailored to the needs of the company. A valuable advantage is given by the possibility of drawing on different sources represented by social networks, blogs, platforms, websites. The opportunity to consult multiple channels, sometimes even different from each other, allows you to find that precious resource that would be difficult to find otherwise.
The fourth advantage translates into savings, both economic and temporal. If the Internet has broken down frontiers, social recruitment has facilitated the meeting of supply and demand in several ways: those who are looking for opportunities have the opportunity to know and be known in the different channels. Those looking for personnel can proceed to a careful selection thanks to the high competition represented by human resources.
Finally, the last advantage is the interaction between recruiter and candidate who are in the same position compared to the initial objective (selecting staff). There are no hierarchies and the level is almost the same, so everyone can obtain the information they want in a transparent, impartial and, above all, integrated way.
One must take steps to be sought by the candidates themselves, to become a point of reference for future professionals. The versatility of social recruitment requires preparation, patience, dedication and perseverance, but above all objectivity, empathy and a strong intuition: it is precisely the latter aspect that is most neglected. Resources are often hidden and it is necessary to have a good dose of cunning to ensure the best candidate.
The figure of the Temporary Export Manager has the task of accompanying the company towards new markets, which go beyond the limits of the national territory. This manager, however, in addition to an advantage from the point of view of increasing the company level, involves further details favourable to the company, which must be known to those who intend to pursue the idea of internationalisation.
The first real advantage in favour of the company is inherent in the very concept of Temporary Export Manager. Since this is a profession with a limited and fixed duration in a short period of time, the company will not have to bear the costs related to its recruitment.
The role of this emerging figure is to explore foreign markets that are appropriate and in line with the production strategy of the small and medium-sized enterprise he is assisting, which has neither the skills nor the resources to expand into these markets on its own. Sometimes export, also known as outsourcing, is not convenient for the SME, either because it is incompatible with the markets or because it is not inclined to this type of activity. Sometimes, however, despite the fact that there are all the prerequisites to work well also in relation to the foreign market, the compatibility between the company and Temporary Export Manager is not high and, therefore, the success and effectiveness of the operation may not be ensured. Precisely for this reason it is important to know how to choose well the professional figure of the Temporary Export Manager: he must be inclined to identify with the present company organization and follow its working method; on the other hand, the company must trust the choices and decisions taken by this particular manager, and be ready to explore unknown markets and innovative working methods. The TEM figure is a dynamic figure. This is why it is often represented by young graduates, who already have at least two years’ experience in this economic field. Moreover, as a fundamental requirement, the Temporary Export Manager should have knowledge of at least two foreign languages, one of which must certainly be English.
The working relationship that is established between the small-medium enterprise that has decided to make this step of internationalization of its usual activity and the Temporary Export Manager, as the wording itself says, is temporary. This means that TEM, within two years, or at most three, must be able to create a company office that deals with the management of the foreign market. This office, once it is well established, autonomous and functional, is completely entrusted to the company, which must be able to internalize it, both from a management and organizational point of view. If the company is healthy and willing, the implementation of this new office and the new working methodology could take place in a few months. Much of the efficiency of this sales office depends on the manager’s ability to provide useful data. His or her know-how, the databases he or she provides, the tools he or she needs and even partnerships must be tested by thinking about what is the best choice for the small-medium enterprise, and the method must be the most functional, efficient and adaptable to the working methodology already present within the company. Specifically, the know-how imported by the manager is already customized to specific sectors, while partnerships are very important for the small-medium sized company, both from a legal and logistic point of view, without forgetting the interpretation part and on them the basis for the construction of the relationship with the foreign market chosen to try the export approach. The Temporary Export Manager is also required to provide the company with tools to speed up sales processes. All these innovations and future possibilities would not be efficient, and perhaps not even possible, if managed directly from the headquarters of the SME, via remote connection. The work in the field in these particular situations, in fact, is fundamental to achieve the set objectives, to obtain a greater effectiveness of the implementation you want to outline, but above all to stay in close contact with potential future customers and know directly the potential competitors. Only in this way the manager will be able to study the best market strategies for the company, which must be implemented according to the various future economic scenarios that will arise, both for the acquisition of customers and as a response to the counteroffensive of competitors already present in the market itself.
The TEM figure, therefore, has the task of accompanying the company towards new markets, which go beyond the limits of the national territory. This manager, however, in addition to an advantage from the point of view of increasing the company level, involves further details favourable to the company, which must be known to those who intend to pursue the idea of internationalisation.
The first real advantage in favour of the company is inherent in the very concept of Temporary Export Manager. Being a profession with a limited and fixed duration in a short time, the company will not have to bear the costs related to its recruitment. The first advantage, therefore, turns out to be an economic saving for the small-medium enterprises not to be underestimated.
The second advantage, on the other hand, concerns the training and professional growth that is reflected in the company’s employees in following in the footsteps and methods of carrying out the work of this special manager.
To the figure of the Temporary Export Manager, of course, are connected not only positive aspects, but also negative ones.
First of all, the Temporary Export Manager in order to carry out his work in the best way, in order to obtain excellent results for the small-medium enterprise, requires to travel a lot. Business trips, from the headquarters of the company for which he works to the various customer sites or to the sales office abroad that is “pertinent” to the small-medium enterprise, are necessary, not to say obligatory. Naturally, the various travel, board and lodging expenses must necessarily be borne by the company. For a small business, this factor could have a negative influence on the annual budget, depending on the amount of income with which it has to face these costs. This negative scenario will increase if, in addition, the expected results of the export activity and the search for new customers for the company are not achieved.
The second disadvantage is found only in those small to medium sized companies that do not have a sufficient number of employees hired and, therefore, are not able to support any subordinate to the figure of the manager. In this case, if the MET results are positive, the company will be faced with a crossroad: will it hire the manager and continue the export activity that has benefited the company or will it finally complete this sector?
The term “onboarding” refers to the process of introducing new staff into a company, referring to one of the fundamental best practices for an optimal reception in the company.
A correct onboarding strategy must sum up a correct mix between traditional training and personal opportunities in order to be able to provide the newcomer with all the necessary tools to face his or her work path in the best possible way.
Integrating new recruits in a constructive way in the organization of a company of any kind is a problem of considerable importance. It seems a paradox if related to the great difficulties that new graduates are forced to face in the search for a job, but the problems of integration represent a reality as much underestimated as relevant. A correct onboarding strategy must therefore summarize a right mix between traditional training and personal opportunities in order to be able to provide the newcomer with all the necessary tools to better face his or her career path.
In the early stages of integration, the most significant role is that of the relationship between the newly hired and their manager, the most incisive and influential reference figure on the continuation of the contract. According to some observers: “You enter the company for the brand and leave for the boss”.
In fact, the entry into a working reality should not be considered as a process of homologation, but of integration between an individual and his peers. In this sense, the figure of the manager assumes a fundamental importance, because only if there is a mutual empathy, becomes feasible the best expression of professional potential, through the right know-how necessary to start the relationship.
Within many companies, a new reference figure for newly hired workers is spreading: the “buddy”, a mentor who is placed side by side with the newly hired in the first weeks of work in order to facilitate their insertion.
Onboarding carries out the important task of welcoming new recruits in the best way possible within a working reality, with a view to a lasting and satisfactory professional relationship. In the implementation of this strategy, it is necessary to invest time and human resources in order to pass on to new recruits all the useful skills and at the same time ensure that they are properly integrated into the operational management, guaranteeing the establishment of interpersonal relationships that make them feel an integral part of a team. An optimal placement ensures an incentive to productivity and therefore to company profits.
In order to set up a valid strategy, it is necessary to set some starting points, which are:
Usually it is necessary to estimate a time of at least three months to carry out onboarding that leads to tangible results, while still today several companies dedicate a few days to this process. By investing more time in managing staff recruitment, it is possible to create specific pathways that, taking into account the personal characteristics of new recruits, offer preferential ways towards better business productivity.
“Onboarding Strategy”, the strategy aimed at the correct integration of personnel into company management, is carried out according to successive stages:
It is a system that aims to increase the effectiveness of the insertion process by shortening the time required and boosting productivity. Many companies have taken this approach to improve their business by taking advantage of the following advantages:
According to numerous statistics, employees who have followed a well-structured onboarding program are almost 70% more likely to stay in the company for at least three years than those who have not completed such training. A suitably designed path therefore offers companies the opportunity to include new hires in their managerial staff, encouraging individual professional potential, with consequent advantages for both the employee and the company itself.
In the face of an initial economic investment, it is therefore possible to anticipate an advantageous return in economic terms, which usually takes place within a rather short time frame.
Within SMEs, the figure of the Temporary Export Manager is increasingly in demand, an expert who offers his knowledge and skills to allow companies to explore international contexts in order to find new opportunities and new markets within which to expand. As you can understand from the name, the Temporary Export Manager is usually a freelancer with a temporary assignment, for a period ranging from six to twelve months, renewable, in special cases, up to two to three years.
During these periods, the Temporary Export Manager will be able to put into practice all those internationalization strategies necessary for the company for which he or she works and which lack the skills to be able to proceed autonomously. Not always, in fact, the will to expand in a foreign market coincides with the real possibility to give life to such expansion: often the skills are lacking and in these cases the role of the Temporary Export Manager becomes fundamental, whose aim will be to evaluate all the variables and characteristics of the company and analyze what is its real possibility of investment and insertion in foreign markets.
In order to be able to carry out in the best possible way the role of Temporary Export Manager, it is necessary to be in possession of a series of requirements and competences, among which:
The role of the Temporary Export Manager is to internationalize the company. For this reason, his skills in the field of international marketing represent not an advantage, but a fundamental necessity, a sine qua non condition for carrying out the work in a correct, professional and, above all, successful way. The Temporary Export Manager must know how to study in depth the market towards which the company is aiming, understand its general and specific aspects, the points of insertion and the peculiarities that allow a safe approach.
The Temporary Export Manager must carry out his research, market studies and analyses in a short time, providing the company that hired him with concrete information on the possible success of the entry into certain international markets as soon as possible. All this, often starting from completely new information, i.e. not knowing the company reality in which you are working. The Temporary Export Manager must be able to carry out his work in the period defined by his work assignment and with the utmost precision and must also know how to manage a large amount of information and problems closely related to foreign markets. Precisely for this reason, in order to maintain the respect of deadlines, commitments, to ensure the correct evaluation of data and information, a highly professional and qualified person is needed, who knows his work and all the necessary methodologies to carry it out at best.
The success of the Temporary Export Manager’s work also depends on the company’s openness towards the methodologies applied by this professional figure and, precisely for this reason, the sharing of working methods, the continuous interface and trust become fundamental to obtain rapid and significant results. It should always be remembered, in fact, that the work of the Temporary Export Manager must be carried out together with the company staff, with whom the most suitable strategies, policies and lines of action are selected for the company, the tools at its disposal and its economic and human resources.
Among the main professional needs of a Temporary Export Manager there is certainly that of knowing how to manage communication in the best possible way, both towards the entrepreneur and all the company staff with whom he interfaces, and towards the outside, i.e. towards the markets to which he addresses himself. If on the one hand, in fact, the role of the Temporary Export Manager is to know how to carry out market analysis in order to recognize the possibilities of insertion and to carry out an in-depth study of competitors and potential customers, on the other hand, important communication skills are necessary to guarantee the correct flow of information to and from the company. When we talk about communication, of course, we do not only mean verbal communication, i.e. the correct property of language, both general and technical, but also all those aspects that allow us to get in tune with the company and its customers. Correct communication, supported by precise and up-to-date analytical studies, becomes in fact the key to increasing sales opportunities.
Closely related to communication skills are language skills. A Temporary Export Manager, in fact, cannot base his skills exclusively on the economic and marketing sector, but must also have high language skills and this for two reasons. The first is that he operates in foreign markets and therefore it is unthinkable that he can work and interface without knowing the language of the market in which he wants to enter. Certainly the knowledge of English is fundamental, being able in many cases to be considered a universal language; however, having mastered other languages, especially those spoken in the markets in which you want to enter, can ensure greater chances of success in sales, allowing a more correct communication. It should also be pointed out that most of the information relating to study and updating in the economic sector and, above all, in foreign markets, is written in English, so that knowledge of the language becomes not only an important tool for communication, but also for continuous study and updating.
We hope that this article has been to your liking and for further clarification you can always write to us: info@easytalent.it.
Within a company, regardless of its size and the product sector it deals with, the motivation of its employees plays a strategically important and often decisive role: a group of employees motivated to do their job makes it possible to maximize production and avoid errors and downtime during the performance of their duties.
The crucial issue is to interpret the question of staff motivation not so much from the point of view of the individual’s behaviour, but rather from the point of view of who, such as a manager, has to motivate the staff entrusted to him/her.
The first step in this sense is to match the interests of a company with the personal interests of its employees: in this way the team will move as a single entity, driven by the same strength and focused on the same target. This reasoning is even more valid in uncertain times like the ones we are experiencing: with a labour market characterized by extreme flexibility, having a motivated staff can mark the difference between an efficient company and a static company that suffers the market. It is precisely in this sense that we must read the question of staff motivation, it is a way to give competitiveness to the company.
In order to understand what the term motivation consists of and what it is actually meant by, we must first of all refer to the lexical composition of the term itself, deriving from two distinct words, motive and action. Thus decomposed the word suggests without too much effort that motivation is nothing more than the set of motives that drive an individual to take certain practical actions. In this sense motivation can be seen as the set of personal objectives that push an individual, in this case a worker, to commit to certain behaviours.
From this point of view, the picture of motivations is clear: first of all, they depend on an individual’s personality itself, on his or her ability to carry out actions with a sense of duty and responsibility: a good worker has always been a person loyal to his or her duty to his or her company. However, the increasingly flexible and jagged labour market imposes different motivational models, such as the ability and will to assert oneself professionally, and not least the economic side. In the history of mankind, money has always been a vehicle to motivate an individual, but the experience of employers shows that an essential element to motivate the worker lies in giving him happiness: a worker who in the morning will be happy to go and do his job, will be a productive and motivated worker.
If you want to motivate your staff and make them productive, you need to start first of all from the alignment of the company’s objectives and the worker’s personal goals: if you all go in the same direction you can give a bigger and stronger boost to your activities.
This need is made even more urgent by the world of work as it is structured today, in this sense the combination of flexibility and uncertainty weighs like a boulder on the motivational drives of workers. Thinking of working on a project, once the relationship with a company is over, is no small obstacle compared to the ability to motivate an individual. This model, in fact, clashes with the workers’ practice of thirty years ago, at that time in fact, the ambition of the worker was to make a career within a company, improving his role and his economic position.
It is precisely for this reason that it seems increasingly essential for companies to share with their staff a medium and long term goal, so that workers perceive that everyone is sailing on the same, famous, boat; that the success of the company is the success of the worker and that, even in case of interruption of the collaboration, the worker will be able to retain benefits from the experience.
The first step for a company manager is undoubtedly to set a good example: from what world is world the human being needs guidance, this need is even more urgent in times of serious crisis and uncertainty like the one we are experiencing. A guide, which through its behaviour can help to focus the image on how to behave within a company, can be seen as an example for workers to follow. A bit like children learning by watching their parents, a worker will also behave by following the example of his or her managers. Just to give a few examples if you want to have employees on time, you have to be more punctual than they are, if a worker sees his boss arrive early, he will take him as an example and repeat his behavior. Just as behaviours are extremely important, so is internal communication within the company: many managers still rely on outdated methods, forgetting that communication today is really worth a lot. Knowing how to communicate as a leader and not as a boss can make the difference with your employees: you need to be as linear and transparent as possible, and have a lot of tact with each person. From this point of view, it is very important to adopt a language appropriate to the situation, avoiding expressions that may induce fears towards employees, and instead looking for expressions that are as positive as possible.
We were just saying about the importance of aligning personal objectives with those of the company, in this sense for a management aware of its role and determined to motivate its staff, it is necessary to activate a feedback process with its employees, with which to provide the company information that is a consequence of the action and behavior of workers. This need derives from an innate characteristic of the human being, that is, to obtain feedback on one’s own actions: for a shrewd manager whose actions are aimed at motivating his or her employees, it is essential to provide them with effective and timely feedback on their work. Being aware of what you have succeeded in producing is an incentive to improve your work standards. In this sense, it is extremely important to communicate by always telling the truth: providing incorrect or distorted information is much worse than not communicating it at all. An employee who becomes aware of misinformation will have a very negative perception of his or her company and management, and will not be motivated to work harder and better.
It is important to motivate people also through small actions of public praise and through rewards that do not necessarily have to be an economic benefit: what is fundamental is to know how to involve the whole group in this system. Organizing small meetings in which the objectives are expressed and celebrating their achievement together with the entire team creates and strengthens the team spirit, avoiding jealousy and friction among the workers. In this sense it is useful to remember how a team that works together is decidedly more productive and motivated than a group of people where everyone does their part closed in their own room and without knowing the work done and the results obtained by the entire team.
In the hope that this article has been to your liking, we remain available for further clarification. If you need anything, you can always write to us at info@easytalent.it.
The Area Manager is a complex professional figure: those who apply for this role must be able to manage sales, face the competition, understand the needs of customers and match them with the company’s strategies and needs. That’s why the search and selection of an Area Manager represents a fundamental and delicate moment for the company, which must be able to recognize, among the different candidates, the one able to guarantee 360° skills in the sector.
One cannot, therefore, think of finding the right person for this role except with a targeted search, which aims to ascertain both human and technical skills. During the search and selection of a Sales Area Manager, in fact, the following requirements must necessarily be taken into consideration:
In this way, those who apply for this role will be able to plan, analyse, monitor and collect the results of a well-defined project, which is based on economic, statistical elements, experience and knowledge of the markets in which it operates.
The search and selection of an Area Manager must be based, among other things, on the evaluation of the organizational skills of the candidates. Talking about organizational skills may seem relatively simple but, of course, this figure must be able to operate in a different way according to the company’s needs. In fact, programming that can be valid and convenient for one company may prove fruitless for another. In other cases it may occur that the programming defined for a given period in a given company cannot be applied for subsequent periods, due to a change in company needs or strategies. Precisely for this reason, the Area Manager must be able to manage and recognize needs and variables and must always be ready to modernize a specific organizational plan according to the evolution of the company or the environment outside the company itself, i.e. competitors or new customer needs.
It may seem pointless and yet it is essential to stress that during the search and selection of an Area Manager the candidate’s managerial skills must be evaluated. This role, in fact, as a manager, requires people able to lead a group of salespeople, creating an environment that guarantees the human and professional growth of all those who work under its directives, promoting continuous updating and training activities. According to the needs of modern companies, the Manager will be able to understand the attitudes of its salesmen, stimulating their strengths to increase productivity and personal satisfaction. Leader and not boss, the Area Manager will be able to motivate his team to create a working environment where you can work in a serene and competitive way towards the outside, without stress and harmful competition or internal envy.
Today, any professional figure dealing with sales cannot fail to be updated and closely follow developments in new marketing techniques. When looking for and selecting an Area Manager you cannot ignore the candidate’s skills in this area, as well as the personal interests he or she shows towards the topic of marketing and sales. In fact, it should always be remembered that when we talk about marketing and sales we are talking about a rapidly evolving sector, especially in recent years, in which the network has become a quick and convenient way to sell and buy products and services. The ideal figure of the Area Manager is therefore the one who, in addition to showing a wide knowledge in the sector, is able to constantly update himself on the different sales and marketing techniques and its uses in order to always find the most suitable ones for the company’s needs.
It may seem pointless and yet it is essential to stress that during the search and selection of an Area Manager the candidate’s managerial skills must be evaluated. This role, in fact, as a manager, requires people able to lead a group of salespeople, creating an environment that guarantees the human and professional growth of all those who work under its directives, promoting continuous updating and training activities. According to the needs of modern companies, the Manager will be able to understand the attitudes of its salesmen, stimulating their strengths to increase productivity and personal satisfaction. Leader and not boss, the Area Manager will be able to motivate his team to create a working environment where you can work in a serene and competitive way towards the outside, without stress and harmful competition or internal envy.
Today, any professional figure dealing with sales cannot fail to be updated and closely follow developments in new marketing techniques. When looking for and selecting an Area Manager you cannot ignore the candidate’s skills in this area, as well as the personal interests he or she shows towards the topic of marketing and sales. In fact, it should always be remembered that when we talk about marketing and sales we are talking about a rapidly evolving sector, especially in recent years, in which the network has become a quick and convenient way to sell and buy products and services. The ideal figure of the Area Manager is therefore the one who, in addition to showing a wide knowledge in the sector, is able to constantly update himself on the different sales and marketing techniques and its uses in order to always find the most suitable ones for the company’s needs.
Of course, depending on the type of company and especially the presence of foreign customers, knowledge of one or more languages (not necessarily only English) may be required. In many companies operating with the new commercial powers, in fact, different language skills are required, such as Chinese, Russian, Arabic even if, as you can easily understand, English remains the passpartout for communication with almost the entire world of international trade. Precisely for this reason the selection of this professional figure cannot disregard the evaluation of the knowledge of one or more foreign languages.
In many cases it may seem superfluous to talk about computer skills when dealing with the search and selection of an Area Manager. Today, everyone knows how to use a computer and, however, having computer skills is different from simply knowing how to use a computer. What is required of such a managerial figure is the competence in the use of specific programs for sales (such as CRM) and specific programs for analysis and statistics that allow to evaluate sales data.
In the search and selection of an Area Manager one of the points to be strongly considered is the candidate’s previous experience. This managerial role, in fact, involves high responsibilities, dependent on a large number of factors, ranging from knowing how to organize and implement a business plan to knowing how to manage the activities of employees and salespeople, from monitoring and evaluation of strengths to weaknesses and much more. Precisely for this reason it is essential to know how to show not only a respectable CV, but also specific previous experience, especially when operating in niche or foreign markets. For this reason, in the search and selection of an Area Manager in some cases a greater experience gained in the field or in similar sectors may be more suitable than some additional theoretical knowledge but little practical experience. These are, of course, aspects to be assessed depending on the case, i.e. the candidates and the specific needs of the company.
We hope that this article has been to your liking and for further clarification you can always write to us at: info@easytalent.it.