Temporary managers: Is that what candidates want?

Companies that need support in crisis management or need to fill a vacant management position on a temporary basis often fall back on so-called interim mandates. One area of application is project work when the capacities or project management know-how of the respective company are insufficient. Other possible applications include special topics for which a company does not need to have one or more experts on staff on a permanent basis.

But how willing are specialists and managers to accept such interim positions? This was one of the questions asked by the HR experts at HR Consult Group in a survey of over 10,000 participating candidates. The aim of the study is to get to know the wishes and needs of candidates even better in order to tailor the services offered by recruitment consultancies as precisely as possible.

Back to the initial question: Do candidates even want to accept temporary management positions?

Yes, they want to!

When asked about interim mandates, the vast majority of respondents (60%) were willing to take on such positions. Of these, slightly less than a fifth of respondents (18%) stated that they were prepared in principle to fill an interim position. In doing so, they consciously accept the short-term nature and the special challenges that such jobs entail. At 42 percent, a large proportion of participants would accept project-based interim positions, thereby defining a fixed (thematic) scope of activity from the outset. However, 40 percent of candidates would not want to take up such a position.

Interim positions are often associated with rather difficult and sometimes unpleasant tasks, such as restructuring or the closure and liquidation of a company. It is therefore not surprising that many of the candidates surveyed are not interested in such a position. Particularly ambitious jobseekers, on the other hand, can find fulfillment in the often tricky problems. Once the case has been solved, the next challenge awaits the candidate in the form of another interim position.

About the author

Dr. Armin Betz

After studying automotive engineering and industrial engineering, he began his professional career in the automotive industry in the areas of sales, development and marketing and also spent a year in Japan with one of the largest automotive suppliers.

He then moved to a globally renowned premium car manufacturer, where he was responsible for product marketing in Japan and South America and for marketing strategy in North and South America.

In 1994, he decided to become self-employed and founded a personnel consultancy in Munich, where he has been driving development and expansion for over 20 years. As Managing Director, his industry focus is naturally on the automotive world as well as mechanical and plant engineering.

His doctorate in the field of aptitude diagnostics ideally rounds off his areas of expertise, particularly with regard to personnel and management consulting. The dissertation deals with the identification and verification of typical personality traits of engineers as well as the definition of development areas for a successful professional career.

These are scientifically derived and presented in the book "Eignungsdiagnostik im Praxiseinsatz".

At the same time, his focus is on the development of networks and cooperation models as well as the continuous further development of systems and processes in personnel consulting.

Over the last 20 years in personnel consulting, he has developed several brands that are still operating successfully on the market today.

Die Erfolgreichen einer Berufsgruppe sind in der Ausprägung ihrer Persönlichkeitsmerkmale nahezu identisch

Nicht allein die fachlichen Kenntnisse, wie z. B. Qualifikation, Berufserfahrung und Branchenkenntnisse, sind für die erfolgreiche Ausübung einer Position entscheidend. Vor allem Softskills, berufliches Interesse, Motive, Werthaltungen und soziales Verhalten müssen berücksichtigt werden.

Es wurde die These aufgestellt, dass die Erfolgreichen einer Berufsgruppe in den Ausprägungen ihrer Persönlichkeitsmerkmale, den Softskills, nahezu identisch sind. Jedes Norm- oder Best-Practice Profil bildet ein eigenes spezifisches, für die jeweilige Berufsgruppe typisches Bild.

Folgendes Phänomen war bei der Definition von Persönlichkeitsmerkmalen für typische Gebietsleiter zu beobachten:

Bei einem namhaften Automobilhersteller gab es Personalbedarf im Bereich Vertrieb. Dabei kam die Frage auf, wie die vakanten Positionen besetzt werden sollen.

Entgegen dem bis dato üblichen Prozedere bei einem Persönlichkeitstest neue Kandidaten mit einer demografischen Gruppe zu vergleichen oder sich auf spezielle von den Vorgesetzten gewünschten Eigenschaften zu konzentrieren, wurde hier ein Referenzprofil von Personen des gleichen Berufes angefertigt. Somit lässt ein Vergleich bereits weitaus aussagekräftigere Schlüsse ziehen.

Zur weiteren Optimierung hat man ein Best-Practice Profil erstellt, so dass nicht lediglich die Aussage getroffen werden kann, ob ein Kandidat die für die Position erforderlichen Merkmalsausprägungen mitbringt, sondern auch, ob er zusätzlich auch noch mit hoher Wahrscheinlichkeit erfolgreich agieren wird.

Zur Verifizierung dieses revolutionären Vorgehens hat die HR Consult Group AG daraufhin von 1.400 Verkäufern die besten 10 Prozent des selben Premiumautomobilherstellers getestet und ein Best-Practice Profil (BPP) erstellt. Erstaunlicherweise war auch dieses BPP sehr eindeutig. Die Merkmalsausprägungen der Schlüsselkompetenzen und somit die Profile der besten Verkäufer gleichen sich wie ein Ei dem anderen, ungeachtet vom Alter, der Region, ethnischer Herkunft oder der Landsmannschaft.

Um einen weiteren Beleg für die Richtigkeit und den Erfolg dieses Vorgehens zu bekommen, wurden die erfolgreichsten Verkäufer eines weiteren Premiumautomobilherstellers befragt. Das dazugehörige BPP zeigt, dass auch die besten Verkäufer dieses Herstellers nahezu deckungsgleich waren.

Ein Beispiel für eine nahezu identische Übereinstimmung bei den Schlüsselkriterien ist in folgender Abbildung zu sehen:

Daher besteht die Überzeugung – und für diese konnte auch der Nachweis erbracht werden – dass erfolgreich agierende einer Berufsgruppe Persönlichkeitsmerkmale mit hoher Übereinstimmung in den Schlüsselkompetenzen aufweisen. Diese kristallisieren sich in den Best-Practice Profilen weiter heraus. Sie stellen diejenigen Persönlichkeitsmerkmale dar, die tatsächlich für den Erfolg im Beruf ausschlaggebend sind.

Aus den Differenzen von Kandidatenprofil und Normprofil lässt sich der Bedarf an Personalentwicklung in Form von Schulungen oder Weiterbildungen ableiten und umsetzen.

Die zentrale Erkenntnis ist, dass die Erfolgreichen einer Berufsgruppe in den Ausprägungen ihrer Persönlichkeitsmerkmale, den Softskills, nahezu identisch sind. Jedes Norm- oder Best-Practice Profil bildet ein eigenes spezifisches, für die jeweilige Berufsgruppe typisches Bild.

Im nächsten Beitrag dieser Themenreihe wird beschrieben, wie ein Best-Practice Profil erstellt wird.

About the author

Dr. Armin Betz

After studying automotive engineering and industrial engineering, he began his professional career in the automotive industry in the areas of sales, development and marketing and also spent a year in Japan with one of the largest automotive suppliers.

He then moved to a globally renowned premium car manufacturer, where he was responsible for product marketing in Japan and South America and for marketing strategy in North and South America.

In 1994, he decided to become self-employed and founded a personnel consultancy in Munich, where he has been driving development and expansion for over 20 years. As Managing Director, his industry focus is naturally on the automotive world as well as mechanical and plant engineering.

His doctorate in the field of aptitude diagnostics ideally rounds off his areas of expertise, particularly with regard to personnel and management consulting. The dissertation deals with the identification and verification of typical personality traits of engineers as well as the definition of development areas for a successful professional career.

These are scientifically derived and presented in the book "Eignungsdiagnostik im Praxiseinsatz".

At the same time, his focus is on the development of networks and cooperation models as well as the continuous further development of systems and processes in personnel consulting.

Over the last 20 years in personnel consulting, he has developed several brands that are still operating successfully on the market today.

Rules of the game for conducting international negotiations (Part 1)

As part of our series on internationally relevant topics by our author Sergey Frank, we are devoting a 3-part article to the extremely important question of how to conduct successful negotiations on the international stage.

Negotiations play an important role in any business, including at international level, and are rarely uniform. Internationally, complex situations often arise, for example due to the different language levels of the negotiating parties or divergent cultural and value views. Talks are usually held in English or in third languages, often with the help of interpreters, as described above. In addition, there are differing priorities and ideas about time.

These aspects are complex and harbor considerable risks that can result in misunderstandings, loss of time and frustration. In order to prevent this and at the same time improve communication and understanding between the negotiating partners, certain rules of the game must be observed.

These rules include a clear negotiation process in four steps: opening and defining the key milestones (part 1), communication and exploring the interests of the other party (part 2), the actual negotiation (part 3) and agreement and ideally conclusion of the contract (part 4). The result of a negotiation can initially only be a partial agreement before the other issues are negotiated in a further round. The process of understanding, listening and negotiating can also be repeated several times. Particularly in people-oriented cultures, such as in the Middle East, Asia or Russia, negotiations can drag on over a longer period of time.

In many countries, the personal level is perhaps even more important than the factual level. In order to avoid serious conflicts, it is therefore important to keep the two levels separate. The partner is often not seen as a representative of a company, but as a person. Displeasure over an unpleasant situation can therefore lead to anger being taken out on the other person. To avoid this, it is better to separate relationship elements such as understanding, respect, affection, fear and anger on the one hand and factual elements such as prices, specifications, competitive advantages, payment and delivery terms on the other. You can always negotiate your interests consistently, but at the same time treat your partner politely.

The goal

Personal appreciation and integrity are essential components of any business relationship, whether national or international. In this context, it is impossible to provide a patent recipe for successful negotiation at international level. Furthermore, it is not the intention to teach rhetorical tricks that may "trick" or "bamboozle" the other party. The following is about conscious negotiation, i.e. how to act objectively, rationally and structurally. It is in the negotiator's primary interest to 

• negotiate effectively and professionally
• avoid ineffective conflicts
• to achieve appropriate results as quickly as possible
• to achieve commitment in an intercultural context.

 
After thorough preparation, including a clear definition of what you want, the actual negotiations can begin. In principle, negotiations follow the pattern shown in the diagram below, whereby the process of understanding, listening and negotiating can be repeated several times. The final contract is often reached in the form of partial agreements.

The figure above clearly shows the overall constellation and also the dynamics of contract negotiations. In principle, these are based on good preparation for negotiations, the achievement of partial agreements and the subsequent continuation of negotiations. In the end, the overall contract is concluded (or not).

The following considerations can be made regarding the individual steps:

Preparation

Before the actual negotiations begin, you should try to familiarize yourself with the respective partner. The more you know about them, both professionally and personally, the better. It is therefore very important to create a positive atmosphere at the start of a negotiation.

Courtesy and hospitality are self-evident in this context. In addition, interest in the person of the partner, open communication, friendly eye contact and, last but not least, a sense of humor. National customs also play a very important role in international negotiations.

It is generally advisable to allow sufficient time for negotiations. Many negative results are achieved under time pressure. The lack of time often becomes a means of exerting pressure, especially in international negotiations.

If you precisely define the topic for a negotiation in advance, you can be sure that the negotiation will proceed according to plan and not get out of hand. This can be achieved by dividing the negotiation into main topic, secondary topics, main arguments and secondary arguments. An issue that initially appears complex is thus structured and comprehensible, both in itself and for the partner. The following points should be noted:
  

• Agenda - structure the negotiation topic
• Definition of key terms, as it is often important to define terms precisely, ideally together with the other side
• Developing a negotiation strategy and preparing for your own goals, but also reflecting on the priorities of the other side
• Flexibility - looking for options and considering possible concessions
• A step-by-step approach - from small to large in the course of negotiations

The argumentation

In addition to personal aspects, the procedural approach is also relevant and a clear structure for the discussion is essential. With regard to the argumentation, care should be taken not to start the negotiation too coldly and too soberly. This form of negotiation with high starting positions and negative stipulations such as "this far and no further" is seen as far too demanding in many countries. You also run the risk of losing face if you give in to expectations during the course of the talks.

It is therefore important not to establish positions that are too high from the outset, but rather appropriate ones. Factors such as saving face and interest in the other person's culture and personality are generally of great importance. Therefore, negotiate less about positions and more about upstream interests. If you can successfully summarize the other party's position and then explain your own point of view, you will significantly improve your own chances of success.

A clear and consistent argument should be well prepared. This usually takes some time to prepare. It is advisable to check your own point of view and any changes to it for consistency. At the same time, as many options as possible for the negotiation objective and strategy should be developed in advance.

It is no less important to consider the other party's objections, insofar as they are foreseeable, in order to be able to respond to them quickly and appropriately.

In reality, there is often a lack of such preparation, particularly due to time constraints. The parties usually go into the negotiation unprepared and with what they believe to be the correct and therefore infallible solution; conflicts are then inevitable.

Please bear this in mind: In few other areas can so much be gained, but also lost, as quickly as in international negotiations. In the next part, we will look at the right structure and show how helpful a change of perspective can be here.

To the article Rules for conducting international negotiations (Part 2)

To the Article Rules of the game for conducting international negotiations (Part 3)

Strong willingness of candidates to maintain their profile

Recruitment consultancies are constantly receiving interesting new vacancies from their corporate clients and then check which candidates from their career pool might be a good match. If the candidate's qualifications match the requirements of the company looking for them, this is a match. The more precise a candidate's profile details are, the better the match will be in the end.

It is essential that the data provided is up to date. For example, if a candidate has indicated that they are willing to change jobs, but this information is not up to date, this will ultimately result in disadvantages for both sides. On the one hand, the recruitment consultant contacts the candidate in the hope of being able to place them and is unsuccessful. On the other hand, the candidate receives supposedly unwanted calls or emails from the recruitment consultancy.

The cooperation of candidates is therefore essential to ensure that candidate pools are kept up to date. The HR experts at HR Consult Group AG conducted a study with over 10,000 participants to find out how willing candidates are to do this.

More than half would like to be reminded by e-mail

In principle, the majority of respondents (57 percent) are prepared to check their candidate profile regularly and update it if necessary. Over half would like a reminder by e-mail, while 17 percent would update their profile every six months. 13 percent of candidates said they would update their profile once a year. By contrast, 13 percent are not prepared to update their data themselves.

We are very pleased with this positive response from respondents. Keeping the data in our candidate pool up to date is one of the keys to our work. Only with up-to-date data can we guarantee precisely tailored placements and thus help both our clients and our candidates to take the next step in their careers.

About the author

Dr. Armin Betz

After studying automotive engineering and industrial engineering, he began his professional career in the automotive industry in the areas of sales, development and marketing and also spent a year in Japan with one of the largest automotive suppliers.

He then moved to a globally renowned premium car manufacturer, where he was responsible for product marketing in Japan and South America and for marketing strategy in North and South America.

In 1994, he decided to become self-employed and founded a personnel consultancy in Munich, where he has been driving development and expansion for over 20 years. As Managing Director, his industry focus is naturally on the automotive world as well as mechanical and plant engineering.

His doctorate in the field of aptitude diagnostics ideally rounds off his areas of expertise, particularly with regard to personnel and management consulting. The dissertation deals with the identification and verification of typical personality traits of engineers as well as the definition of development areas for a successful professional career.

These are scientifically derived and presented in the book "Eignungsdiagnostik im Praxiseinsatz".

At the same time, his focus is on the development of networks and cooperation models as well as the continuous further development of systems and processes in personnel consulting.

Over the last 20 years in personnel consulting, he has developed several brands that are still operating successfully on the market today.