Should we recruit Rock Stars? – only if we can provide the right culture and leadership

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A little while ago, I was speaking to an associate of mine who is a leader in the venture capital world. He introduced me to Jeff Hyman’s book, “Recruit Rockstars”. He had read the book and was a firm advocate of its central theme. Initially, I was not so sure and felt that rock stars needed to be counter-balanced by more grounded, predictable people. My colleague sort of agreed with my views, but preferred the idea that the team should be full of rock stars, only for every lead singer and lead guitarist, there needed to be a bassist and a drummer; all rock stars, but with very different roles to play.

The Alex Ferguson approach

Shortly afterwards, I read an article in Forbes by Liz Ryan with the title,  “We Need a Rock Star’ is Idiotic (and False)”. Her conclusion was as follows, “Let’s stop talking about hiring ninjas and rock stars and talk about a simple and obvious topic. We can build cultures that will attract awesome people”. This led me to think about both these views; here are my thoughts:

In November 1986, Manchester United Football Club appointed Alex Ferguson as the club manager. Over the next 27 years, Sir Alex would become one of the most effective leaders in any walk of life. In that time the club won 13 League Titles, 5 FA Cup titles and 2 UEFA Champions League Titles. What I believe Sir Alex did so effectively, was to create a culture in which “rock star” footballers could flourish. Indeed, over the years he attracted the likes of David Beckham, Eric Cantona and Cristiano Ronaldo. The other side of that culture, however, was a huge team ethos, a clear vision and defined boundaries that his players must not cross. If any player, no matter how gifted they were, started to behave in a way that was detrimental to the culture of the team, they would be removed.

How to implement it

If we therefore transfer this ethos to an organisation of which I am more familiar (e.g. a biotech company, a VC organisation or, indeed, an Executive Search company), then I would suggest the following:

1. Agree the definition of a “Rock Star”. Certainly someone who is creative, will “think out of the box” and challenge the status quo. They are likely to have high energy and intellectual rigour.

2. Ensure that you have a culture in which they can thrive (a culture driven by process is unlikely to be attractive). This may include broadening the normal boundaries and accepting some initial challenges that allows them to thrive (but see 4 and 5).

3. Work out a recruitment process which can identify a “Rock Star” (unlike a football club, we do not see these people performing on a public stage, week in, week out). Remember the recruitment process is two way; this is our opportunity to showcase our great company. These people are likely to be in great demand.

4. Provide real leadership – ensure they understand the company’s vision and the absolute boundaries of acceptability are clearly understood.

5. If their behaviour prevents others from performing to the best of their ability – take action!

I suppose that my take home message is as follows: Rock Stars are great; Culture is even better.

Paul Edwards is the Managing Partner, Global Healthcare with Horton International, a leader in the Executive Search community.

 

The candidate you want or the candidate you need? The added value available from Executive Search Consultants

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At first glance this question might appear presumptuous. It is a fundamentally important aspect of how a strong relationship with an Executive Search Partner can benefit an organisation.

As Rob Briner, Professor of Organisational Psychology at the Queen Mary University of London’s School of Management, points out: “to say ‘we want the best person for the job’ subconsciously presumes some objective hierarchy of talent exists when it comes to the next executive superstar, rather than this being context-dependent”

Sometimes it is too easy to fall into the trap of simply upgrading the current candidate profile by adding extra elements that are seen as contributing to the next candidate being able to deliver a stellar performance. This is a largely context-independent approach.

To quote Professor Briner: “You have to stand back and consider whether you need the actual best person, which is a slippery concept, or someone who can do a really good job. Because they are –or can be (my addition) – two completely different things”.

That pushes the responsibility back onto people to decide: what is it we actually want here? This can be challenging, not only because it is not difficult to get distracted by the concept of the superstar vision, but also because it means that it is necessary to think not only about the role, but the context too.

How the Executive Search Consultant can add value

And this is where the Executive Search Consultant should contribute. At Horton International, our business experience underpins our client relationships. We work with our clients as partners. This approach demands significant investment in understanding the client, their business, culture, and what their real requirements are.

We have evolved a more strategic and holistic approach to our service. One that focuses on satisfying the real needs, not just the delivering of bodies for a shortlist. The experience and knowledge of our consultants enables us to have meaningful and constructive discussions with our clients. This ensures that there is mutual agreement, combining context and profile, on what the requirement actually is and to contribute to the subsequent definition of what the optimal candidate might look like.

Diversity in Executive Search

Elisabeth Kelan, Professor of Leadership and Director of the Global Centre for Gender and Leadership at Cranfield School of Management, believes that “Much executive search is still happening via cosy conversations in private members’ clubs over a huge glass of whisky,” This, she says, is why diversity is still so overlooked.

This is a dated concept of what Executive Search should be and comes into the “little black book” era of recruitment. Which, as Professor of Business Psychology at UCL, Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic points out “the executive search firm’s little black book of contacts looks increasingly obsolete”; it is not yet dead, but will be soon.

How we work at Horton International

At Horton International, we never compromise on our pursuit of excellence in all that we do. If our client wants to recruit a photographer, we do not put forward just anyone with a camera. Once the basics of the requirements are defined and agreed, we use all our resources to identify suitable candidates. We research internationally and do fresh research for every assignment. We do not recycle the same faces again and again, which has been a not uncommon characteristic of Executive Search in the whisky and black book era.

My plea for the UK government to protect the Erasmus student exchange programme

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In just over a month, my son, who is an undergraduate student at the University of Surrey (reading biochemistry) heads out to Stockholm, which will be his home for the next 10 months or so. He has been fortunate enough to gain a place as a work placement student at the world renowned Karolinska Institute. This has all been made possible by the ErasmusPlus programme, who will also provide grant funding.

For those people unfamiliar with the scheme, the Erasmus Programme is a European Union student exchange scheme established in 1987. Since its foundation, some 3 million EU students (including 200,000 from the UK) have taken part, with their grants paid for by EU funding. Under the scheme, students from one EU country have the opportunity to spend up to a year either studying or carrying out research at a university in another EU country.

The benefits of the Erasmus Programme

If I look at my son’s situation, the benefits of the programme are clear for all to see,

  • He will be undertaking a traineeship in neuroimmunology at a university ranked 7th in the world for Life Sciences and Medicine
  • He will have the opportunity to live and work in one of Europe’s most vibrant capital cities and be exposed to a new culture.
  • He will interact both socially and scientifically with people from across Europe and beyond
  • He will have the opportunity to learn a new language

He, and thousands of students like him, are being given a fantastic, life enhancing opportunity to complement their academic studies. They will complete their degrees as much more rounded individuals and with a cv that makes them more employable, or with the ability to undertake further studies in the international marketplace. It is clear why EU member states (and some countries outside of the EU) have been enthusiastic participants in the Erasmus Programme.

The UK’s participation in the Erasmus scheme after Brexit

The UK has been one of those enthusiastic participants since 1987 but sadly, next year may be the last time we sent students to, and receive students from, other EU universities. The triggering of Article 50 (the Brexit clause) leaves a huge question mark over the future of the UK’s participation in the Erasmus scheme once we exit the EU. It is not just an issue for UK students who want to study in an EU country; currently there are over 27,000 EU students studying in the UK, with their fees being paid by the EU. It is possible for the UK to negotiate a funding arrangement (much in the way that Norway and Iceland do) but to date, we have made no commitment. Indeed, if we look at the ErasmusPlus UK website, we see the following statement, “We cannot speculate on any possible future scenarios following the UK’s exit from the EU (also known as Brexit), but we note the Government position is that UK participation in some EU programmes may continue subject to the negotiation.” Hardly words of comfort.

“I hope UK students can continue to participate in the ErasmusPlus program and the reverse. We should avoid a trade off on this”

Dr Ceri Jones, one of the founding fathers of the Erasmus scheme was quoted in the UK press saying, “Erasmus will still flourish in Europe, but UK universities have been a powerful magnet, because of the English language. I feel bereaved by Brexit, and if it leads to the end of freedom of movement and exclusion of the UK from Erasmus, this would be devastating – a tragedy of staggering proportions for universities throughout the country, for the structured internationalisation of our academic institutions, which is what Erasmus is all about”.

I would therefore like to like to repeat the words of the European Parliament’s chief Brexit negotiator who has called on the UK government to retain membership of the Erasmus student exchange programme when he tweeted the following, “I hope UK students can continue to participate in the ErasmusPlus program and the reverse. We should avoid a trade off on this”.

The plea to David Davis (the UK Chief Brexit Negotiator) and his friends is as follows. Give us some certainty over this, and make a clear statement that the UK intends to continue to participate in the excellent Erasmus scheme.

Paul Edwards is the Managing Partner, Global Healthcare with Horton International, a leader in the Executive Search community

Paul Edwards MBE

Paul Edwards MBE

Managing Partner

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How expert executive search consultants can bring value to not-for-profit recruitment

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Not-for-profit organisations by their nature sometimes operate differently from other, commercial organisations, though, when it comes to recruiting senior level staff, many of the considerations are the same. Recruiting the best to the C-suite and senior management teams of charities and other non-profit organisations helps to deliver on their goals, and compromise in this respect, should not be an option.

Working with a professional recruitment consultancy can help third sector organisations to identify, recruit and retain the right calibre of staff, and the added benefits that experienced executive search firms bring can far outweigh any associated costs.

The shift to digital has made it easier than ever to identify and connect with prospective candidates, and, while the barriers to entry are low, getting it right presents a significant challenge. In cases where non-profit clients have internal teams, executive search consultancies can work with, rather than replace those teams, by leveraging the deep organisational knowledge of staff and combining this with the expertise of professional executive recruiters. In many cases, however, not-for-profit organisations do not have the luxury of dedicated, in-house talent acquisition expertise, and experienced search consultants can fill that gap.

The experience to get it right first time

In-house recruitment staff are, of course, perfectly capable of making great hires at the executive level, but it may be the case that an internal team lacks significant experience of recruiting senior managers. Getting it wrong can not only prove expensive, but the consequent lack of effective senior leadership for any period of time can be detrimental to an organisation. For medical research charities and government agencies, delays in getting critical senior level individuals on board can have significant consequences, but the tried and trusted processes employed by executive search firms can help mitigate such risks.

Sector knowledge with a broader perspective

Professional recruiters can support not-for-profit organisations with their expertise and extensive networks. Having a broader perspective allows executive search professionals to challenge expectations, and this can add real value to the recruitment process. Executive search consultants will use a combination of intelligent analysis, sector knowledge, rigorous process and sound judgment, to align candidates’ skills with the requirements of the role and the organisation. This will result in the identification of candidates who are not only a good fit, but who will bring experience, vision and leadership to the organisation.

Rigorous processes

Executive search consultancies already have tried and tested processes and methodologies in place, which will be tailored to the individual requirements of each client, in order to deliver the best candidates every time.

Consultants can help to define specific role profiles and job descriptions that align with organisational strategy, and well-designed candidate vetting and evaluation processes ensure that only the best candidates are put forward. This saves internal teams time and shortens the time to hire. Experience in contract negotiations can then enable a quick settlement that meets the interests of both parties.

Cost-effective services that add value

The cost of executive search services should not be a barrier to not-for-profit organisations, and this sector is increasingly realising the added value that these services provide, by helping deliver an excellent return on investment. Professional support will save staff time, but also ensures the right hire is made first time. With their extensive networks and established processes already in place, recruitment consultants can identify candidates faster and with a higher rate of success.

At Horton International Executive Search, we believe that the not-for-profit sector should have access to the best quality search and selection services. As such, we offer preferential rates, flexible fee structures and generous phasing of payments to charities and government agencies.

Read more about our not-for-profit executive search service or contact Jane Spillman for further information.

P = MK² and the ambitious Executive

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The library of information analysing the characteristics of successful Executives and CEOs is formidable but there are common themes that may be identified in much of the literature.

A recent report from a large, global head-hunter entitled Unleashing “ridiculous” ambition, which looked at characteristics of “high performers” noted that they are “fuelled by an intense desire to succeed”, or “ambition”. Amongst a variety of character traits identified, the correlation between high reward and high ambition and vice versa comes across strongly in the report.

A summary paragraph states, perhaps somewhat sententiously, that “Ultimately there’s no substitute for high levels of ambition — either on a personal or organizational level. The key is to align one’s deepest ambition (or an employee’s deepest ambition) with a pathway for attaining the Grand Prize. Creating this alignment can unleash that ridiculous ambition and ignite tremendous effort and achievement to change the world”

“The Grand Prize”!

International research from another global recruitment organisation on women aiming at the top, reported that money was the number one motivator for 57% of those canvassed. Is money the “Grand Prize”?

The answer is possibly both yes and no.

Much analysis of CEOs and the like, identifies common traits associated with the Myers-Briggs ENTJ personality type – the Commander – the personality type said to be the most likely indicator of someone who is likely to become a CEO. The generally identified motivators for the ENTJ include:

  • The desire to achieve
  • The desire to build something and
  • The desire for power.

And this is where P = MK² comes in

With apologies to Einstein and his elegant equation explaining that energy and mass are equivalent, P = MK² suggests that Power (P) and Money (M) are equivalents in terms of desired outcomes for highly ambitious people. It takes little imagination to observe the truth of this in business and public life. Wealth creates power and the access to power: refer to the Davos WEF attendance list and US Presidential elections for further clarification!

It is equally obvious that power even without high direct reward, is an enabler to significant financial advancement: see career paths of leading politicians, not just in Russia, and Civil Servants for examples.

K in this equation is a variable determined by the facility in a system for wealth to acquire power, K>1, or inversely, to enable wealth acquisition through the use of power, K<1. Just contrast the political situation of Russia and the USA.

Other attributes of the ambitious candidate

Another recent report suggests that common attributes across successful CEOs include:

  • Strategic yet tactical
  • Tough yet emotionally sensitive
  • Decisive yet inclusive

To which could realistically be added, relentlessly ambitious, which could be manifest in either power or money and might well be seen as conflicting with, and necessarily being predominant over, some elements of the previously described attributes. It’s nice to be nice, but it’s success to be powerful.

“21% of Executives had clinically significant levels of psychopathic traits”

An interesting indication of the attributes of some Executives is revealed in a study carried out in the USA in late 2016, which, and I quote, “found 21% per cent had clinically significant levels of psychopathic traits”. The rate of psychopathy in the general population is about one in a hundred. There is no comment on what proportion of the group showed strong, similar traits, although not to a clinically significant level.

Nathan Brooks, the forensic psychologist who conducted the study, said the findings suggested that businesses should improve their recruitment screening. “For psychopaths, it [corporate success] is a game and they don’t mind if they violate morals. It is about getting where they want in the company and having dominance over others.”

Keeping in mind that some of the key signs of such a disorder include a willingness to exploit others, lack of guilt or remorse for own actions, refusal to take responsibility for bad outcomes (blame someone else), whilst taking credit for success and refusal to let anyone stand in their way, perhaps we need to be more aware of personality traits as well as skills.

This is not necessarily an exclusion mechanism: we need to be realistic and recognise that, in some circumstances, a potential CEO with relatively high levels of psychopathic traits might be just what is required to achieve success.

At Horton International UK, most of our client relationships are long standing. This is due, in part, to the fact that we devote considerable time and effort with our clients to understand and agree exactly which character traits are essential, or at least most necessary, in the given situation and what the implications of recruiting such a personality are likely to be in terms of management challenge.

This is also a reason why, quite often, we are asked to recruit on a “term contract” basis. Someone who is required to address a critical business situation in a limited timescale, needs to have some highly driven, perhaps even ruthless, tendencies: they may well not be the person to then take the re-structured organisation to the next phase.

Horton International UK is a partner in Horton Group International with offices in over 30 countries worldwide.

Gender balance in the pharmaceutical industry

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Gender diversity is always a hot topic of conversation. It's something that we feel somewhat responsible for as an executive search firm. In 2017, there are more women on boards than there has ever been. A step in the right direction but there’s still a way to go for diversity, especially in the pharmaceutical industry.

How diversity can improve the pharmaceutical industry

Gender diversity is so important for any workplace and not just in the interest of equality. Bringing females into more senior roles, alongside men, can change the way a business is run. As well as how decisions are made. A study by McKinsey found that gender diverse companies are 15% more likely to financially outperform those that are less diverse.Ultimately, having a diverse team can increase a business’ chance of success and therefore their bottom line.

Research shows that women bring a wealth of benefits to an organisation. From increasing productivity, improving reputations and decreasing turnover, a diverse workforce is a stronger one. Balance broadens perspectives and adds a breadth of insight that non-diverse workforces lack.

Balancing out gender diversity can help you connect better with your audience. Your customers are diverse, so should the decisions makers be. Ian Wilcox at the Hay Group suggested that having men dominating the industry creates a ‘blindspot’ that, unintentionally, gives priority to health issues more likely to affect men.

Improving diversity in pharmaceutical executive search

So, how do we achieve a balance in pharmaceutical roles? More pharmaceutical executive search firms need to take responsibility for diversity within candidate selection. Having a pool of talent that includes diversity in gender, ethnicity and experience is key. Getting a diverse offering through the door for senior and board level roles is a definite push in the right direction.

In order to further increase diversity in top roles, companies need to make senior and board roles available for females. Internal training and mentoring should be provided to encourage women to aim for seemingly unattainable roles.

Teresa May was wearing a £1,190 Vivienne Westwood suit

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On the front page the London Times on Wednesday, I noted that Teresa May (the UK Prime Minister) arrived for a major meeting on Brexit wearing “a £1,190 Vivienne Westwood suit for the occasion”. As this article was on the front page of one of the world’s most prestigious newspapers, I suddenly became aware how important it must be to let people know what you are wearing – funny, I always thought that people in business and politics were judged by their ability to deliver value to stakeholders; seems I was wrong all along. So I’ve decided to use this article to put things right. Yesterday, I was wearing a pair of chinos (Marks and Spencer £40), a Charles Tyrwhitt shirt (a bargain as I bought four for £100) and a crew neck sweater from Crew Clothing (£55). I hope that impresses people, although, as I write this article, I’ve had it suggested, that this doesn’t apply to men – it seems that it is only important to make comments about the clothes that women wear.

I’m sure you understand the point that I’m trying to make. At a time when we should be taking steps to address the inequality that still exists in the workplace and the boardroom, crass articles, like the one in the Times, merely continue to perpetuate gender stereotypes. I was hoping, that in 2017, we had moved on from this. On this exact topic, I should point out that my colleague, Jane Spillman is currently putting together an article about the steps the Life Science industry is taking to increase the number of women in senior leadership positions. Please look out for it.

I’m sure Jane will be wearing a Versace dress!

Paul Edwards is the Managing Partner, Global Healthcare with Horton International , a leader in the Executive Search community

Successful Biotech companies – “It’s all about teams and people”

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Last week, Horton International Global Healthcare, sponsored the BioCity Annual Lecture in Nottingham, UK. This year, the guest speaker was Dr. Andy Richards CBE who spoke about his career in the industry, the lessons he had learned and his hopes and expectations for the future.

During the Q&A session, Andy was asked what the most important ingredient was when it came to building a successful bioscience company. He didn’t hesitate when he said, “It’s all about teams and people”. I could not agree more, but working out what the required skills and attributes are, then identifying and attracting those people, is a challenging exercise.

I have spent the past 30 years looking for just those people, firstly in my career with Genzyme and GeneMedix then for the past 12 years within Executive Search, where I have helped early stage bioscience companies to build the team that will make the company tick. I thought I would share my thoughts about the skills and attributes that I believe are needed in the emerging biotech sector.

Providing Leadership and setting the culture

The company CEO has to be an enthusiast, have a clearly defined vision, and be able to communicate that vision to all staff. This will help him/her to build the culture within the company; building the expectations within the organisation and setting the norms. The CEO has to have real credibility and be a true leader. Recruiting staff who share the enthusiasm and the vision is a must, if the cultural environment is to thrive.

Scientific and Technical Expertise

It goes without saying, that in a small organisation each person has to be able to contribute fully, and provide the scientific or technical skills that the role and the organisation needs.

Hard-Working

Emerging bioscience companies are not for people who are clock-watchers or like to work from 9-5. But it is not just about putting long hours into a role, it’s about working smartly and being able to put the extra hours in a peak times. It’s also about taking on tasks and getting things done, without necessarily being instructed. The final line in the job description may say “to undertake any task, as required”.

Hands-on and Flexible

A former biotech CEO, joining the company from big pharma, told me that he was left in little doubt that his role was going to be very hands-on, when he arrived at his office to find his desk in a flat-pack with a set of assembly instructions. An emerging biotech company is no place for people with a false feeling of grandeur; if a job needs doing, get up and do it!

Team player

The team element is so critical in a small, dynamic organisation. Everyone has to be an individual contributor, but most importantly, has to have a set of shared goals and values with the people around them. Working in a biotech environment can be stressful, and support from co-workers can be essential. Most importantly, however, is the desire to be part of a “success culture” rather than a “blame culture”.

Strong communicator

Probably essential in any key role in any industry.

Quick Learner

Within an emerging biotech company, there are usually tasks that need to be completed, without having the people with the previous experience of completing those tasks. This inevitably requires someone to learn the basics of whatever is required (and quickly), and be able to convince others that that they know what they are doing! Having self-confidence and the innate intellect to nimbly learn new skills, is essential.

An enthusiast

Having a strong belief in the goals of the company and the willingness to share in the successes and the challenges of the rest of the team. This is really a job for people with the “work hard / play hard” mind set.

In a nutshell, working for an early biotech company isn’t for everyone. For every success story, there are many more tales of clinical failures and/or the inability to raise new funds. So anyone entering the bioscience world has to be a realist, and has to be able to bounce back if they are knocked down. But the journey can be a fantastic experience; exciting and creative work colleagues, new and innovative science and the ultimate aim of addressing unmet medical needs.

Paul Edwards is the Managing Partner, Global Healthcare with Horton International, a leader in the Executive Search community.

Declan Haverty joins Horton International (UK)

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We are pleased to announce that Declan Haverty has joined the UK arm of Horton International, the international Executive Search Organisation, as a Partner.

Declan began his career with Price Waterhouse (now PwC) working across business sectors in technology management consultancy with a range of blue-chip corporate clients. After seven years, with experience of professional internal recruitment, he then joined Goodman Graham, a boutique technology search and selection firm, becoming Divisional Director of Norman Broadbent PLC after its acquisition. In 1999 he joined Protégé, a business accelerator / incubator, as VP Recruitment responsible for successfully hiring top-down across a portfolio of US-software companies about to IPO and launch internationally, as well as building Protégé to c. 250 staff.

In 2003, Declan founded Informed Decision, a hybrid search practice delivering mid-to-senior level searches internationally for a diverse range of clients across sectors, and also providing his deep recruitment experience as hands-on interim Head of Recruitment again for a range of clients.

In 2016 Declan was invited to join Horton International, where he specialises in areas including pharmaceuticals and healthcare as well as IT/technology and business and professional services.

Horton International UK is a leading boutique executive search consultancy with an international reach. Whilst active in a number of sectors, Horton International has specific specialisations in pharmaceutical, life sciences and biotechnology, transport and associated technologies and defence and aerospace. A Partner in Horton Group International Limited, Horton International UK is one of 40 offices in 35 countries worldwide.

Recruitment is a two way process – so don’t forget to “sell” your organisation.

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I came across a quote from Tom Peters the other day saying, “There is a dire talent shortage…….unless you are a great place to work”

There is little doubt that companies with a strong reputation in the market are more successful in attracting the best people, but I do feel that there are too many companies who forget to “market“ their organisation’s key selling points. At worst, some companies have the somewhat arrogant assumption, that people will automatically want to work for them, and treat the interview process as tool for vetting the candidates, assuming that if an offer is made he/she will immensely grateful, and sign the contract there and then.

Of course, the whole recruitment process starts a long time before the interviews ever get under way. Good companies try to ensure that there is an active pool of talent; people who are aware of the company, understand the opportunities that may arise  and see the company in a good light. As a leading Executive Search organisation, we try to help companies with that process, as we are only too aware of the challenges of persuading a top drawer candidate from a high quality organisation to join our client’s company. Here are some of the key issues that need to be addressed to prevent a contacted candidate from saying, “Thanks, but no thanks”.

The job content and on-going career development prospects

A person needs to fully understand what the job is all about, so ensure the role has been clearly defined and the key aspects of the role are clearly stated. This is where an assignment brief is very helpful; such things as job title, reporting structures and other relationships, financial responsibilities, location, and required experience should be included. The company can also be marketed in this document, but keep it pithy and to the point – ensure the potential candidate gets a good overview of the expected outcomes of the role.

The reputation of the company

When we make our initial calls to a potential candidate, there is no doubt that some company names are immediately attractive – possibly they have a very strong product pipeline, or they are a known expert in a particular therapeutic area or just have an excellent industry reputation that has been built up over many years. This isn’t always the case, however, as some companies may have been in the press for the wrong reasons or in the case of smaller companies, may not be well known to the potential candidates. Increasingly, people look at Glassdoor as a guide to a company’s suitability as a future employer. So if you have a good glassdoor rating, make sure people know about it; if you have a poor rating – do something about it! And don’t forget to let people know if you’ve had good press coverage or won an award etc.

If, however, the company has received some bad press or has a historic reputational problem, give some forethought how that will be managed with potential candidates.

The location of the company

A company has to be located somewhere, and it may just be that the particular location makes it impossible or undesirable for the candidate to take up a role in that particular country. Location is probably the biggest single issue when trying to attract talent , though there are certain things that can be done to address the problem – this was covered in an article I wrote last year Location; the biggest challenge to talent management

The remuneration package

This may sound simple, but when people are moving internationally, many issues will come into play. This can include things such as exchange rate fluctuations (e.g. in November 2015, a salary of £100,000 would have been equivalent to €142,000 – today, it would be €111,000), LTIs, company cars, bonus payments, contributory v non-contributory pensions. Then there are the different income tax rates (e.g. the top rate of tax in Denmark is 55.6% compared to 30% in Switzerland), and quite large variations in the cost of living (e.g. it is two and a half times more expensive to buy an apartment in Zurich than it is in Copenhagen). It is therefore important for a company to be able to present a candidate with a net/net calculation and to look at the impact of the cost of living. It is also important to look at the cost of living impact for the individual – for instance, will they require international schooling (and the consequent school fees) having had free schooling in their current country.

The overall recruitment process

This should be about slickness. Once you have a potential candidate hooked – don’t let them escape. I have seen examples when several months have passed between a highly regarded candidate being interviewed and an offer being made. This will often result in the candidate rejecting the offer.

I have also seen the process run very smoothly, with a company needing to attract a candidate from the UK into a Eurozone country – the candidate also had school aged children. The company help us to prepare a very attractive assignment brief, which immediately caught the candidate’s attention. We were able to interview him after a few days and make a recommendation to the company who invited him, and other candidates, to their site for a first interview.

Shortly after than a second interview was arranged, where the candidate was invited to bring his family with him. The company helped the family to look at housing, good neighbourhoods, schools and to answer questions about the cost of living and issues such as healthcare and travel. A salary comparison was prepared, and following the visit, a draft offer was made to the candidate. The candidate came back with a number of questions, which were answered within a few days. A final offer was then made – and the candidate accepted. The key things throughout the whole process was professionalism and speed, which gave the candidate a very good impression about the organisation.

My take home message from this article goes back to the quote from Tom Peters. Make sure you do everything in your power to ensure the candidates see your organisation in the best possible light.

Paul Edwards is the Managing Partner, Global Healthcare with Horton International , a leader in the Executive Search community.

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