More and more frequently, our clients are asking us to go beyond the public domain when conducting background checks on executive and board candidates. While the intelligent search and analysis of public information is the foundation of background checking, some past controversies can only be found through interviews, especially interviews of former colleagues, who often have unique knowledge of a candidate’s personality, performance and character. We find these interviews helpful in identifying red flags — a valuable supplement to traditional searches such as criminal records, regulatory filings and social media. It can be useful to think of background checking as having two parts: searching the public record and interviewing. Each part is important, as even the most basic online checks can raise questions about a candidate. Here are a few recent examples from part one, public records and social media checks: Identity verification: The seemingly basic but critical step of confirming someone’s identity is not as easy as it may appear, and it should not be taken for granted. In one case, through comparative analysis of public filings, we found that a financial officer had conveniently borrowed an old friend’s date of birth on his job application; under his true [...]

In the second quarter of 2020, we have seen a global pandemic, historic rise in unemployment, and protests that began in the US have spread around the world. It is an understatement to call this a time of uncertainty! Is this any time to be talking about purpose? Purpose may be a luxury we cannot afford during a global crisis. Or it may be exactly what we need. STOCKHOLDER TO STAKEHOLDER The Business Roundtable startled many in August 2019 when it redefined the purpose of the corporation, moving away from shareholder primacy and toward promoting an economy that serves all stakeholders. Is this aspirational vision truly the future of corporations? For Eren Rosenfeld, Chief Human Capital Officer at Russell Reynolds and former Global Head of Talent Development at BlackRock, “I think the answer is yes. We’re seeing more and more companies turning toward this vision of sustainability. But there is a ‘rhetoric-reality’ gap. Over 90 percent of CEOs think their future success will be defined in some measure by how sustainable they are, but less than half are actually acting on it. Our new research with the UN Global Compact lays out exactly what it means to be a sustainable [...]

Remote Work in a COVID World The spread of COVID-19 and the consequent office closures and stay-at-home orders created a new world of work, with little warning. Executives and office workers have transitioned from corner offices to couches; cubicles to kitchen tables. What factors contributed to the successful transition, how can organizations sustain their cultures while social distancing, and where do we go from here? Alwin Brunner, CIO at Heidrick Struggles; Kathleen Fitzpatrick, CIO at Russell Reynolds Associates; and Brandon Johnson, CIO at Korn Ferry offer some answers, as well as additional questions leaders should consider as we move toward a post-COVID world. READY OR NOT! A report published in late April by Harvard Business Review looked at different countries’ state of readiness for remote work. Recognizing that moving to remote work requires adequate digital services, e-commerce, digital media and digital payment options, the report finds that “this crisis casts a spotlight on the gaps overall and unevenness of digital access,” and concludes an essential part of recovery “should involve the digital systems—the platforms, the digital payments, and the internet infrastructure—the lifelines during the period of socially distant work.” How did some AESC member organizations fare? "Heidrick & Struggles was [...]

Listed among the “Most Powerful Women Leaders” by FORTUNE India and ranked on The Economic Times “Women Ahead List 2018,” Anuranjita Kumar is a recognized champion of diversity and inclusion. She spoke with AESC’s Executive Talent magazine about her book Colour Matters? and the state of diversity and inclusion in organizations and the world, today. What inspired you to conduct this research and write Colour Matters? To be honest with you, I think the genesis was my experience in different parts of the world and different parts of the country; the fact that I have two children, where one is very American and the other is very British; and having experienced the intersectionality of color and gender myself, having worked in some global organizations. I found colour an often neglected topic, which led to the almost normalization of victimization and racism at work. People who are discomfited are too fearful to talk about it, lest they would be branded. As a result, everything that weighs on and pulls on people is just repeating. Can you give us a trend-line of diversity and inclusion in organizations? Unless we consciously strive and work towards changing attitudes, the well-known numbers around diversity in [...]

By Christian Coley, Account Executive, Invenias by Bullhorn Over the years, executive search has seen shifts and changes, but never at the pace, or unfortunately, with the global impact that we are experiencing today. We are living in an unprecedented time of uncertainty and economic upheaval. As we navigate through these difficult waters, running our businesses will require innovation, creativity, and increased efficiency, all with work and travel restrictions never before imagined. These challenges impact all stakeholders in a search engagement: the consultant, the candidate, and the end-customer. This has search leaders thinking, “How do we adapt to and support the terms of engagement to compete and stay productive during this ‘new normal?’” In February of 2020, Invenias by Bullhorn released its annual Executive Search Trends Report surveying 400 executive search professionals for the year ahead. While this survey was conducted long before the COVID-19 pandemic had spread globally, the key issues elucidated will impact executive search in all business environments. While respondents are excited about the possibilities provided by technology, they are anxious about how to maximize use of it. Digital transformation and candidate engagement all play significant roles in the day-to-day lives of their teams. Let’s take a [...]

"As disruption continues to hit with increasing speed and impact, business leaders more than ever look to trusted advisors for a competitive advantage in the markets in which they operate. It is imperative that AESC and its global members continue to operate at the height of the profession and be at the forefront of talent consulting on behalf of their clients." -Paul Benson, AESC Global Chair and Regional Market Leader for Europe, Middle East & Africa, Korn Ferry Future Growth AESC research published in State of the Executive Search and Leadership Consulting Profession reveals “2018 brought the best growth for the profession since the Global Recession. Executive search experienced 12% growth by year’s end and leadership consulting grew by 12.8%. We estimate that global revenues for the executive search and leadership consulting profession, across all lines of business, has now climbed to $15.6B USD.” Is that growth sustainable? What will drive continued growth in the profession, and how will the changing needs of clients shape the services offered and even the profiles of search and leadership consultants themselves? Members of the AESC Global Board of Directors representing 13 firms from nine countries consider the future of the profession, its drivers [...]

Companies that are winning the war for talent are providing meaning, value and purpose to their teams and their stakeholders. Their leadership, culture, and purpose inform how they are perceived in the market, drive rewarding employee experiences, and may even change the world. Purpose-driven organizations Purpose is a company’s reason for being. It drives the culture, directs strategy, and is often the glue that holds an organization together. Purpose, along with an employer’s brand and value proposition differentiate organizations competing for increasingly scarce and increasingly selective top talent. Purpose unifies management, employees, and communities. It drives ethical behavior and creates an essential check on actions that go against the best interests of stakeholders. Purpose guides culture, provides a framework for consistent decision-making, and, ultimately, helps sustain long-term financial returns for the shareholders of your company. Larry Fink, Chairman and CEO, Blackrock Investments 2019 Letter to CEOs Ynzo van Zanten, speaker at our 2019 European Conference, is Chief Evangelist at Tony’s Chocolonely, a company founded and focused on a single purpose: making all chocolate 100% slave-free, worldwide. That purpose has fueled tremendous growth and the fierce loyalty of employees, customers and the supply chain. Van Zanten explains, “For a company like [...]