In order to reach the next career level, certain requirements must be met. Do an employee's skills exceed their current job? Or are they willing to relocate if necessary?
To answer the last question, the personnel experts at HR Consult Group AG conducted a candidate survey with more than 10,000 participants to find out how willing our candidates are to relocate.
The evaluation shows that two-thirds of all candidates are willing to relocate. As many as 24 percent would even be willing to move internationally. Exactly one-quarter do not want to leave Germany because of the next step in their career. Only 18 percent want to stay in their current state.
This means that if you have a position to fill that would require a candidate to relocate, your access is limited to 67 percent of all candidates.
The remaining 33 percent are not willing to relocate.
After completing his studies in 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 world-renowned premium car manufacturer, where he was responsible for product marketing for Japan and South America as well as marketing strategy for North and South America.
In 1994, he decided to become self-employed and founded a personnel consulting firm 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 complements his areas of expertise, particularly in relation to human resources and management consulting. His dissertation deals with the identification and verification of typical personality traits of engineers and the definition of areas of development for a successful career.
These are scientifically derived and presented in the book "Eignungsdiagnostik im Praxiseinsatz" (Aptitude Diagnostics in Practical Use).
At the same time, he focuses on establishing networks and cooperation models as well as the continuous development of systems and processes in HR consulting.
Over the past 20 years in HR consulting, he has developed several brands that continue to operate successfully on the market today.
Experience shows that many companies do not include their business partners in their compliance program. This is a highly risky omission.
Legal provisions such as the Commercial Code or stock corporation law stipulate that companies, as well as individual bodies and employees, can be held liable for the unlawful conduct of business or contractual partners.
A practical example illustrates the fundamental problem: a company uses external sales partners who are remunerated on a commission basis. Their earnings therefore depend on the sales they generate. If a sales partner engages in fraudulent activities to successfully broker deals—such as bribing a potential client—the business partner's behavior reflects on the company, even if the company itself has not acted unlawfully. The company faces financial and criminal consequences as well as a significant loss of reputation.
Business partners are often not included
Many companies are inadequately prepared for this risk. The study "Compliance Management – the Business Challenge" by AGAMON Consulting GmbH (www.agamon-consulting.de) highlights the shortcomings of medium-sized companies in this area. In the majority of the companies surveyed, their compliance programs are aimed 100% at managers and employees. Suppliers and subcontractors are included at around 75%, while business partners are only considered at around 25%. It is well known that external parties are at least involved in around half of all economic crimes.
A frequently underestimated risk
The risks that can arise from business partners such as intermediaries, negotiators, and consultants should not be underestimated. Their compliance violations can lead to fines and claims for damages. Further consequences can range from exclusion from public contracts to criminal prosecution. Companies jeopardize their image and reputation if they do not select their partners carefully.
The compliance program of every company should therefore definitely include business partner compliance management as part of a holistic approach.
Eckart Achauer
Studied law and business administration, postgraduate studies leading to a Master of Business Administration (MBA). In-service training to become a European Quality Manager (DGQ), a mediator specializing in business mediation, and a Certified Compliance Manager (TÜV).
Eckart Achauer worked for around 10 years in the international insurance industry in various management positions at a Swiss insurance group (claims department, sales, assistance) before moving into management and management consulting in 1997.
As a consultant and managing director of various consulting firms, Mr. Achauer has specialized in organizational and process optimization as well as the development and implementation of management systems—quality management, risk and compliance management.
Mr. Achauer is responsible for compliance management at HR Consult Group. As part of compliance audits, he analyzes their organizational "compliance fitness," raises awareness and trains management, executives, and employees, and supports companies in setting up and implementing individual compliance management systems. In doing so, he always takes into account the specific risk situation of the companies. Thanks to his many years of experience as a manager and consultant, he is very familiar with the practical challenges of business.
Eckart Achauer, studied law and business administration, postgraduate studies leading to a Master of Business Administration (MBA). In-service training as a European Quality Manager (DGQ), mediator specializing in business mediation, and Certified Compliance Manager (TÜV).
He worked for around 10 years in the international insurance industry in various management positions at a Swiss insurance group (claims department, sales, assistance) before moving into management and business consulting in 1997.
As a consultant and managing director of various consulting firms, Mr. Achauer has specialized in organizational and process optimization as well as the development and implementation of management systems—quality management, risk and compliance management.
At Senator Executive Search Partners, Mr. Achauer is responsible for compliance management. As part of compliance audits, he analyzes their organizational "compliance fitness," raises awareness and trains management, executives, and employees, and supports companies in setting up and implementing individual compliance management systems. In doing so, he always takes into account the specific risk situation of the companies. Thanks to his many years of experience as a manager and consultant, he is very familiar with the practical challenges of business.
Would you currently be willing to change employers if you received an interesting offer? This is one of the key questions that recruitment agencies ask potential candidates, because willingness to change jobs is a core factor in day-to-day business. It is therefore hardly surprising that the personnel experts at HR Consult Group AG asked precisely this question in a recent survey. The aim of the study, which surveyed over 500,000 respondents, is to tailor the services offered by personnel consultancies as closely as possible to the wishes and needs of candidates.
The result: at 84 percent, the vast majority of survey participants say they are open to changing jobs.
New tasks as motivation for change
There are many reasons why employees are willing to change jobs. The most common reason (66 percent) is the desire for a new and exciting role. Improving their salary comes in second place (53 percent). Slightly less than half of the survey participants (48 percent) stated that they wanted to take the next step on the career ladder. If this is not possible in their current company – for whatever reason – the only option is to change jobs.
A shorter commute, the need for more flexibility, and other (personal) reasons follow at a considerable distance.
Changing employers is always a big step that needs to be carefully considered. However, times have changed. It is no longer common to spend several decades or even your entire working life with the same employer. Changing jobs and employers also offers potential for personal development. With every change, the candidate learns something new, whether it be the difference in company size and structures or national and international fields of activity.
After completing his studies in 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 world-renowned premium car manufacturer, where he was responsible for product marketing for Japan and South America as well as marketing strategy for North and South America.
In 1994, he decided to become self-employed and founded a personnel consulting firm 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 complements his areas of expertise, particularly in relation to human resources and management consulting. His dissertation deals with the identification and verification of typical personality traits of engineers and the definition of areas of development for a successful career.
These are scientifically derived and presented in the book "Eignungsdiagnostik im Praxiseinsatz" (Aptitude Diagnostics in Practical Use).
At the same time, he focuses on establishing networks and cooperation models as well as the continuous development of systems and processes in HR consulting.
Over the past 20 years in HR consulting, he has developed several brands that continue to operate successfully on the market today.
In the final part of our three-part series, we take a look at the right structure and the advantages of a change of perspective.
The negotiation itself
Negotiations often begin with one party submitting its negotiating position to the other in writing or sending it in advance. This document may be a pre-drafted contract or a summary of the key terms or basic terms of the deal. In the case of a company acquisition, for example, such key terms would include the purchase price and warranty provisions. In a license agreement, they would be the type of licenses, the scope of the know-how, the amount of the license fees, and the term of the agreement.
1. Researching:
Find out what the other side is thinking
Explore the interests of the other side
Often take the perspective of the other side
2. Communication:
Ask questions
Listen actively
Summarize statements made by your negotiating partners briefly in your own words.
Use examples and employ meta-level communication (this focuses not on what we talk about, but how we talk to each other).
3. The counterpart:
Consider possible personal backgrounds
Pay attention to how the person(s) is/are integrated into the company.
4. Individuality:
Ensure fairness
Use humor (appropriately and in moderation)
5. The argument:
Compare what is comparable
Argument of reciprocity – putting oneself in the other person's shoes and vice versa ("tit for tat!").
As part of the preparation for negotiations, we have already explained how important it is to structure the subject matter of the negotiations correctly. Now, at the actual negotiation stage, this offers another advantage: As a rule, the parties argue about the content, but not about the form, because the latter does not seem to raise any questions of content. Therefore, the other side is much more likely to agree to a structure proposed at the beginning than to be persuaded by something related to content. In this context, it is very helpful to go to the meta level and talk about topics, not content and details. This gives the topic formal control over the content and allows you to influence when certain topics are addressed. It is helpful to structure the negotiation into individual sections as shown in the figure below.
"Perspective taking"
There is a way to separate the two levels more easily: put yourself in the other person's shoes and view the negotiation from their perspective.
Perspective taking makes it easier to recognize
how the other side reacts to your offers,
whether their arguments are conclusive, and
whether what she says and what she really means are consistent or contradictory.
If you uncover contradictions based solely on the other party's presentation, they will find it very difficult to defend themselves against them. You beat them at their own game, i.e., with their own arguments, and thereby gain legitimacy.
In order to properly understand the other side's point of view, you should let them finish speaking and listen attentively. Listening and understanding does not mean agreeing with a specific opinion. Rather, it gives you the opportunity to transform personal attacks into a factual debate.
Listening attentively and letting the other side speak helps them to vent their aggression in conflicts. And this aggression disappears very quickly when met with interested silence. The other party expects to be contradicted, which they can then use as "ammunition." If this is not provided, even the sharpest attack quickly fizzles out. This prevents conflicts from escalating and channels and controls emotions.
Please remember: there are few other areas where so much can be gained, but also lost, as quickly as in international negotiations. In the next issue, we will use a case study on licensing to illustrate further relevant aspects of international negotiations.
This three-part series has provided valuable insights into successful international negotiation and highlighted the key factors involved. Please always remember: there are few other areas where so much can be gained, but also lost, so quickly.
Companies can have their compliance management system certified in accordance with ISO 19600. Whether and when this is advisable must be carefully considered.
The standard can be applied in both companies and other organizations. Small and medium-sized enterprises can also benefit from the standard, as the recommendations are scalable and can be applied to varying degrees depending on the size of the company.
The Compliance Management System (CMS) of ISO 19600 is based on five pillars, which can also serve as a "roadmap" for the introduction of a CMS:
1. Compliance and risk audit
The compliance audit serves to determine the status quo of the company with regard to its compliance activities. The risk audit serves to identify compliance obligations (risks). The result is a "compliance risk map" for the company. This analysis forms the basis for all further measures for setting up the CMS.
2. Leadership
The different roles, responsibilities, and competencies within the company are considered, especially those of company management. Management must make the decision to introduce a CMS, define the goals and framework of the CMS, and provide the necessary resources. The role model function of management is crucial here: if management is committed to clean, legally compliant behavior and thus to preventing and punishing illegal practices, and if it lives up to this commitment, then an important prerequisite for a CMS to function is in place.
3. Management and control measures
The control measures that a company must introduce include regulations such as a code of conduct, process descriptions, and instructions. These must be developed based on the results of the compliance and risk audit and should be designed specifically with identified compliance risks in mind—always closely aligned with business processes. Appropriate monitoring and control measures must be integrated into the processes.
4. Communication and training
Most rule violations are based on a lack of knowledge. Knowledge about the existence of a requirement and about the consequences of one's own actions is therefore crucial if compliance is to be achieved. The standard requires ongoing training to enable employees to understand compliance requirements and act accordingly. Intensive communication and awareness-raising contribute to the creation of a sustainable corporate culture.
5. Continuous improvement
Similar to quality management, continuous improvement of the CMS is one of the central tasks. This involves random and event-driven checks of compliance requirements (e.g., through internal audits). Ongoing monitoring of the legal environment and continuous updating of the risk analysis are necessary in order to constantly adapt the system to new circumstances.
Any compliance violations that are identified must be followed up by the company. This includes investigating the incident and determining the consequences of the misconduct identified (sanction). Corrective and preventive measures serve to prevent recurrence.
Certification of a management system is not always useful or necessary. Therefore, when setting up a CMS, this aspect should be carefully examined in advance: what are the advantages of certification? Is it required (by the market, by customers)?
Only if these and similar questions can be answered with a clear "yes" should certification be considered. In addition to certification, there are numerous alternative options available to the company for effectively communicating the existence of the CMS.
Eckart Achauer, studied law and business administration, postgraduate studies leading to a Master of Business Administration (MBA). In-service training as a European Quality Manager (DGQ), mediator specializing in business mediation, and Certified Compliance Manager (TÜV).
He worked for around 10 years in the international insurance industry in various management positions at a Swiss insurance group (claims department, sales, assistance) before moving into management and business consulting in 1997.
As a consultant and managing director of various consulting firms, Mr. Achauer has specialized in organizational and process optimization as well as the development and implementation of management systems—quality management, risk and compliance management.
At Senator Executive Search Partners, Mr. Achauer is responsible for compliance management. As part of compliance audits, he analyzes their organizational "compliance fitness," raises awareness and trains management, executives, and employees, and supports companies in setting up and implementing individual compliance management systems. In doing so, he always takes into account the specific risk situation of the companies. Thanks to his many years of experience as a manager and consultant, he is very familiar with the practical challenges of business.
It is not without reason that employer review portals such as kununu and glassdoor offer separate sections where candidates can evaluate the application process or job interview. If criticism is openly communicated, companies should take it seriously and respond accordingly—both in their external communications and in their internal processes.
Call on external expertise
But what can companies do? Often, the key to success lies in cooperation between HR managers and specialist departments. When specialist departments register their staffing requirements at very short notice due to high workloads in their day-to-day operations, or only provide feedback on proposed candidates after a long delay, this is understandable, but nevertheless disastrous for the recruiting process. Recruitment should not only be recognized by all parties involved as one of the decisive factors for the success of the entire company, but this recognition must also be put into practice.
This means that the specialist departments must also be aware of their responsibility within the recruitment process and set appropriate priorities. This requires the support of company management and joint efforts to find solutions. It is often helpful to involve a neutral party in the form of a personnel consultancy. External consultants are more likely to be listened to, can resolve points of contention, and work with all parties involved to define efficient and manageable processes. This applies to the use of technical systems as well as the mandatory definition of response times and rules for communication with applicants.
On this common basis, internal processes are then no longer a problem.
After completing his studies in 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 world-renowned premium car manufacturer, where he was responsible for product marketing for Japan and South America as well as marketing strategy for North and South America.
In 1994, he decided to become self-employed and founded a personnel consulting firm 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 complements his areas of expertise, particularly in relation to human resources and management consulting. His dissertation deals with the identification and verification of typical personality traits of engineers and the definition of areas of development for a successful career.
These are scientifically derived and presented in the book "Eignungsdiagnostik im Praxiseinsatz" (Aptitude Diagnostics in Practical Use).
At the same time, he focuses on establishing networks and cooperation models as well as the continuous development of systems and processes in HR consulting.
Over the past 20 years in HR consulting, he has developed several brands that continue to operate successfully on the market today.
