ASIA FOCUS : Defining the right 'match' of talent

ASIA FOCUS : Defining the right 'match' of talent.

INNOVASIA

Character, intellectual curiosity and a passion for the business are usually found to outrank traditional attributes such as a candidate's previous work experience, say entrepreneurs who have scoured the market for management talent.

How and when to identify, attract and hire senior management talent - these considerations have become some of the central growth challenges for every Asian entrepreneur.

In INSEAD's survey of Asian entrepreneurs, specific "hard skills" or prior experience did not come out as key determinants in making decisions on hiring candidates, even in technology-focused companies.

Instead, 77.8% of respondents cited values and passion as playing the most important part in hiring decisions.

Most business founders (63% of the sample) tended to place a great degree of importance on the alignment of the candidate's work values and personality traits with those of the business and its founder.

In fact, perhaps inspired by their Silicon Valley origins, a significant number of entrepreneurs (16% of the sample as shown in the chart, 'When do Asian ventures hire management?'), across regions, reported hiring "the right candidates" as and when they identified one. In other words, their choice was not dictated by a confirmed project pipeline or anticipated growth.

In a certain measure, this emphasis on character and common values can be explained by what previous INSEAD research has described as the currently "low-trust" business environment of societies in transformation, such as China.

Certainly the more tangible attributes of a candidate's background such as formal qualifications, degrees, industry exposure, and so on, have so far taken a back seat to considerations driven by trust.

In addition, intellectual curiosity was cited as a crucial determinant of the candidate's commitment, i.e., a genuine interest was required in the venture's technology and/or business model, rather than the opportunity to create monetary benefits for the company. The latter, along with formal qualifications, degrees, industry exposure and so on, have so far taken a back seat to considerations driven by trust.

Finally, the majority of respondents said they wanted their new hires to be ready for a "roller-coaster".

Therefore, unsurprisingly, "passion for the venture", risk-taking, perseverance and enthusiasm - all key entrepreneurial attributes - were often cited as qualities that business owners wanted to see in the people they chose to drive the enterprise forward.

Integrity and trust were other key aspects of the candidate's personality that were equally important, they said.

Bangkok Post
Sunday January 14, 2007