Month: February 2021

February brings a new edition of our so beloved “The Spotlight Series”.
Tania Terrazzani, partner of INAC Italy, is our fifth guest and we are so excited to have her here with us.
Tania graduated in Philosophy summa cum laude from the Università Statale of Milan. Tania has extensive experience as an Executive Search in Banking, Insurance and Real Estate. She started her career as a Head Hunter, specialized in Banking and Insurance. She then went on to be a Deputy Head for Italy in a British Executive Search company dedicated to Banking and Finance. Nowadays, Tania runs the Banking, Insurance and Real Estate practice of her company.
When Tania is not working, she dedicates her time to some very interesting activities, some more radical, and some more spiritual, but none the less, very good choices!

Why Executive Search and If you didn’t end up in Executive Search, what would you ended up choosing instead?

I could say I stumbled upon Executive Search because after University I didn’t know what I would do. But – case or destiny – the truth is, that my philosophy studies could only lead me to a profession that is, in a certain sense, a meta-profession. I help others find their profession and face new professional challenges. It is a higher view – a look from above and philosophy teaches this (in its broadest sense). By the way, if I did not end up in Executive Search, I probably would have become an astronaut as this was my dream. But as you can see, this is another way of seeing from above.

Executive Search is all about meeting and establishing a connection with people. With so many years of experience, do you have any advice for the younger generation that is now starting to create their own path?

My suggestion is to love what they choose to do, whatever it is.
About this specific work, when you love this job, that is just really about making a connection with people (both clients and candidates), the people you meet feel this intention – it’s something like an “aura”. Be exactly where you are, just experiencing the moment, the intensity and the presence. There is nothing more.

In your day-to-day life you end up meeting top tier executives and highly motivated professionals with an impeccable track record. Given the current circumstances, do you believe that we may be facing a shift in terms of what companies and organizations are looking for in a candidate?

I think that organizations will seek more and more resources with an entrepreneurial spirit, more flexible and autonomous. The smart working that is imposing itself, also in Italy, requires it. Working towards goals and knowing how to organize oneself will be key skills combined with the ability to listen to others, even if they are far away, and to catch weak signals even in the distance. This is especially for leaders who will have to learn the art of guiding others without direct control. But on this point we are all on the way and we must be ready to question ourselves every time.

Besides Executive Search, what fulfils you?

Over time, I have learned to appreciate the journey more than the destination. So I’m sure I can always have some moments of happiness and contentment. Translated into our profession, the journey is meeting a single candidate today, while the goal is the conclusion of the research. So I try to stop in every conversation, enrich myself with it and the rest will come.

You have helped so many finding their dream job, do you feel that they have helped you find something in life as well?

It is always an exchange – the latin “do ut des”. The relationship is a flow between two elements, in our case, it’s us and the candidates. I think the most amazing thing was always giving a chance and not stopping at the first impression. Having more opportunities of confrontation with a candidate helps to see him/her in action and to grasp very useful weak signals.

INAC has been part of your life for so many years now. How has this “relationship” shaped your professional and personal path/growth?

INAC and the many partners represent a look at the world outside the domestic perimeter. Exchange and comparison is what I bring with me, in a reciprocal dialectic of enrichment.

What has been, so far, the biggest life lesson you received?

Good question… Stephen Hawking seems to have said that without imperfection we would not exist, and I think it’s a beautiful provocation, especially for the younger ones. Which means, not being afraid of making mistakes but always taking the opportunity to learn.

Which are the key concepts for the recruiting of the future?
Here are what seems to be the market trends in the sector – according to inputs collected by engaging with candidates, prospects and current customers.

BE BRAVE – it is the ability to anticipate and start the necessary Search & Selection processes right in the first months of the year, even if the uncertainty and changeability of the scenarios have not been exhausted. It clearly means taking risks, but it also means securing a competitive advantage over competitors. It’s important to be ready, to have the right people in the right place. Companies that already have managers on board capable of managing new uncertain contexts, of seizing new challenges and starting innovating projects will clearly have an edge.

VALUES IN ACTION – today more than ever, candidates are unwilling to accept a new job offer on the basis of job content, career prospects or salary alone. Candidates ask to be part of companies that have a clear value proposition, they want to know and take part in a corporate project that has a clear purpose, in which their contribution is evident. It is therefore important for those who manage the recruitment processes within companies, as well as consultants who work alongside them, to focus and describe in great detail the company’s mission and the meaning of its work, making it clear to candidates the values that the company embodies and its commitment in the social and sustainability fields.

LOOK FOR TALENT DIVERSITY – it’s time to change the paradigm linked to the concept of talent. We have often thought by cliché, linking talent to certain age requirements, educational qualifications, skills, etc. Today, more than ever, talent must also be sought in categories of people who, by age, culture, previous experience, qualification, do not necessarily fall within our traditional stereotype of talent, but who, precisely for this reason, can offer the company new skills, new approaches to solving problems, a new vision of business and life in general. It is a question of starting from the person and his or her value, reasoning from the point of view of “candidate centricity”. All this will probably require the use of more sophisticated assessment tools and methods in the Search & Selection phase, to attract attitudes, skills, motivational profiles and general characteristics of the candidates.

TAKE CARE OF ONBOARDING – it becomes even more crucial and complex to dedicate time and energy to the onboarding processes of new resources. For many new hires, the first approach to the new company will take place remotely, with no or little opportunity to attend company spaces without physical contact with the company managers. It will therefore be necessary to find new ways to transmit to the newcomer not only objective information regarding the company, business processes, regulations, but also the values, culture, job goals, company “style”, succeeding in making the newcomer feel part of a project, developing a sense of belonging, even at a distance.

BE AGILE – we already knew it, but now we have experienced it ourselves: everything can change in a week or a month, what was taken for granted ten days ago, today may no longer be. In recruitment processes it is therefore important to be able to continuously review objectives and contents, knowing how to modify and adapt them according to events and changes. This is, above all, true for consultants who must work even more closely with company interlocutors, in order to be ready to update and adapt the target and respond to new needs, and also knowing how to convey to the company what they are able to capture from the market and from candidates, so as to offer the client valuable contextual information that can be used to understand and manage the changes that are taking place.

By Tania Terrazzani – INAC Italy

“When your personal purpose connects with the purpose of the company, everything makes sense”

This quote from one of our candidates made us think even more about the reasons why someone accepts a job proposal… Is it the salary? The benefits? More free time? The brands? The truth is none of them. The real reason lies in leading with purpose, which not only makes candidates connect, be interested, and accept a job, but also differentiates an employer brand, engages, and retains talent.

79% of candidates consider the purpose of the company before applying for a position.
71% of employees would look for a new job if the culture deteriorates.
(Glassdoor 2019)

What is really the purpose? Many times, there is a confusion between vision and mission and even with social responsibility. It is not the company’s story or what it does or dreams, but “why it does what it does.” It is the motivation that connects with the “why” of the people, perfectly meshing the pieces– as our candidate mentioned – is what makes sense. It is the true nature of the company, that inspires and what gives meaning to life, to collaborate and to build together something that everyone can be proud of.

Leading with purpose is crucial to guiding, inspiring and enduring. A great example is LEGO, a six-generation brand, which over the years has encouraged children to think creatively and to shape their future.

After difficult periods and proud to list among their fans famous engineers and innovators who grew up with LEGO (including the founders of Google who once recounted that LEGO had shaped their minds), they decided to investigate its impact on children, and discovered that the secret to continue growing was in front of them … “Inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow.” A purpose that inspires and enables children to develop, think creatively, reason systematically, and release their potential to shape their own futures. That led to a reorganization to ensure that every aspect of the company was aligned with that purpose. That meant going back to its roots and pursuing the purpose over profitability. Currently, this purpose has had a positive impact on its image, reputation, and sustained double digit growth.

But how does leading with purpose benefits us to attract and retain talent?

• Helps to differentiate and attract talent that really cares about our purpose and wants to contribute to it.
• Allows everyone to emotionally connect with a common goal. When they are united by a cause in which they believe, they feel involved, collaborate, commit and innovate.
• Aligns the heart and mind of the team, promoting effective communication, problem solving and teamwork.
• Inspires greater transparency and responsibility, and acts as a compass to assure that everyone in the company is aligned with the values and principles.
• Builds a stronger organizational culture, from which everyone wants to be part of.

However, having a purpose is not enough to attract or retain talent. Leading with purpose means:

• Make them feel and live the purpose daily, making it visible and credible in their actions and communications.
• Be aware that motivations are changing, that everyone needs to know that they are part of something valuable, and that they demand more meaningful experiences.

Millennials and Generation Z – the letter stands out for its sensitivity and ethics with the world and the planet – they will constitute almost 60% of the global workforce at the beginning of the new decade.
(Manpower Group 2020)

• Take into account that internal talent is the window – in the eyes of the candidates – to the real nature of the company.

Leading with purpose is one of the most powerful forces in the company.

By Eduardo Balbín Buckley – INAC Peru

Silver economy, also called the economy of the future, is that part of the global economy linked to the demographic change produced by the aging of the population, whose reach is focused on the needs and demands of the senior sector.

Did you know?

The senior segment is large, and growing. The aging trend is probably the only certain demographic trend in Western societies. The data that corroborates different studies at global level have similar projections:
“They indicate that in 2050 there will be 2 billion older people. 22% of the planet’s population will be older than 70 years. One million people reach the age of 60 each month, 80% of them in developing countries” (Juan Carlos Alcaide Silver Economy. Mayores de 65: el nuevo target).

This undoubtedly has and will have a great impact on the decisions that the business, political and social world will implement in the coming years.

How do you perceive the development of Silver economy in Chile?

Collaborating is the new way to connect

It is important to understand collaboration as a process of mutual benefit, regardless of the position in which we are professionally, there is always the opportunity for professional and personal growth.

Part of the virtues that a collaborative space generates is to understand that each party puts its trajectory, knowledge and networks at its disposal. And that undoubtedly has a very important collective value.

Let’s open ourselves to collaboration regardless of cost/benefits, to building bridges of help to create bonds that in the future will translate into a Win-Win situation.

In the future, no one knows who will be across the street.

By María Elena de la Sotta – INAC Chile

This article is for those who are seeking a human perspective on organizational processes. This value-based approach focuses on doing the right thing. What is doing the right thing?

It seems quite simple: it is about establishing a sense of safety and recognition in the organization which enables people to develop their self-confidence, engage in long-term relationships, accept and grant responsibility in order to attain the organizational objectives (and the VN Sustainable Development Goals of course, but these are not the focus of this article). This is about finding the balance between the ‘hard’ organizational and ‘soft’ relational aspects of leadership.
We call this a culture of trust and most of you will acknowledge that this is important. But I rarely see leaders building such a culture! Why do we often fail to establish a culture of trust? And why do we often fail to restore trust once it is broken?
We fail to establish a culture of trust because we only notice the importance of trust once it is broken. Trust is like clean air – you only miss it when it is lacking.
And we fail to restore trust because we do not know what to do when trust is compromised. A situation which will often occur these days, living in a VUCAworld as risk- and compliance professionals call it (VUCA means volatile, uncertain, complex and ambiguous). To map the needs of tomorrow we have to deal with our uncertainties, anger and anxieties. Continuous learning and change more and more become a way of life. We require new solutions and make the changes we need to survive. Leaders need to create a resilient culture, flexible and based on learning, prepared for this future.

This requires new leadership-skills as new levels of perception and insight into both the realities of the world and into him- or herself. Self-reflection is essential!

Here we find the bottleneck: this learning-path is painful. It requires emotional strength to manage one’s own and others’ anxiety. Leaders must analyze their (cultural) assumptions and understand how to involve others and elicit their participation. No longer a ‘command and control’ approach but genuine interest and an open attitude, the power of vulnerability.
Once these skills are mastered, a culture of trust can be established when leaders display exemplary behavior, doing the right things. The steps to follow are:

• Creating clarity through defining a vision, mission, values and a clear strategy
• Organizing clear goals, tasks, delineating responsibilities and competences.
• Giving real attention to people: applying skills for communication clearly and conducting effective conversations on difficult subjects, ensuring that collaborators feel supported and experience a participative organization climate which leads to positive results.

Probably you think as a leader that you have these steps in place. And here I want to challenge you: are you sure your staff-members experience this participative and learning climate?

The challenge of our time is to create a culture of trust. Be prepared as a leader and start putting it into action!

By Pauline Voortman – INAC Netherlands