In terms of both substance and method, this is how the search and selection of managerial profiles is changing in the post-Covid era.
In terms of substance, because the pandemic has profoundly revolutionized the world of work, exponentially accelerating the digital aspect of even the most traditional businesses on one hand, and rewarding, on the other, all those companies already dealing with technology and big data, which in just a few months went from "innovative products" to "essential goods," or commodities.
Just think about how online sales have grown and refined for all types of businesses, or the boom of video conference providers and software for managing remote work teams.
The adoption of new technologies is already essential to maintain productivity, ensure growth, and foster innovation.
The candidate profile
In the long term, all major consulting firms agree that "there's no going back" and that the successful companies will be those:
- capable of having a strong corporate identity and purpose;
- smarter employees, with strong digital and transversal skills, with a predisposition for flexibility and problem solving;
- adaptive business models, capable of analyzing with big data the needs of an increasingly diversified and demanding clientele, and of developing rapid and personalized solutions.
These epoch-making changes bring with them the search by companies for professionals with technological and digital hard skills, with much more developed relational soft skills, to manage the new ways of working, and with a leadership style based on trust, delegation, and empowerment rather than control.
For this reason, in the search and selection phase, activities that complement the Executive Search service are increasingly important, with in-depth assessments of potential, emotional intelligence, leadership style, and all related aspects.
In addition, in many cases, the companies tasked with selecting managerial profiles will also be required to provide support throughout the entire onboarding process.
But that's not enough: in addition to new hires, head hunting companies will also be called upon to play a strategic role in the development of existing internal resources – so-called leadership services – with assessment and coaching activities to guide managers in their career development in line with new corporate expectations.
Executive head hunting
The epoch-making changes described so far also imply a shift in the methods of selecting employees. The first and most evident change concerns the use of digital tools and online interviews.
Candidates are faced with the need to engage with digital tools, and excuses about being unfamiliar with these tools are no longer acceptable.
Already today, the ability to use digital technology is one of the essential requirements, and those who are unable to do so risk being left behind.
This new selection method also allows for expanding the pool of candidates and broadening the geographic scope: with home working, employees no longer need to be physically present – except for some key moments – at the company.
In this new, more digital and fluid selection process, the managers already present in the company will be a crucial element: more involved and more present, the choice of their "right-hand person" will become even more critical to their success and the achievement of their goals.
The tools and content of head hunters' work are changing, but their relevance is set to grow for those who can accept the challenge of these changes.
As The Economist reminds us in an article, more than 80% of the companies on the Fortune 250 list in the United States or the FTSE 100 in the UK have paid head hunters to find their CEO or a top-level executive, despite the fact that, in most cases, the candidate is internal or already part of a network of relationships with the company's leadership.
At the core is the increasingly pressing need – also mandated by law – to ensure an objective and transparent selection process.
And, now more than ever, effective in meeting the needs of the market.
