Very few people are able of making changes
…and companies want them

Ignacio Bao, of Signium International, affirms that the question asked in the companies working in this environment was: How do we see 2010? Better yet. Where will director talent be demanded? In first place, China; in second place, the United States and in third place, Latin America. It is very surprising, because it has never been like this

Hugo Prieto

Ignacio Bao is one of the vice presidents Signium International, a firm specialized in talent search with headquarters in Chicago, United States. He is really a globe trotter who moves back and forth along the five continents. Between November and March, we takes care of the Americas markets; from March to June, Europe and the Middle East and from June to November, Asia and the Pacific. The core of Signium is strategic knowledge, which Bao summarizes this way: “our organization anticipates the entry or exit of a crisis six months in advance”.

The background of talent search goes back to the United States – in the 50s – when the corporate world began to relax. The formality of exchanging business cards became precise information about managers making business deals. But it was during the 80s when it became a sophisticated industry, with its own set of interests, marked by strategic plans and clear goals. Last January, Bao was in Venezuela for five days, before flying to Bogotá

–There is enormous concern to retain talent in the corporate world. Is this caused by the environment or the organizations themselves?  
–Since 2000 we have been living a war for talent. Let’s say that if two organizations can be equally financed, if they have access to raw materials or productive media just the same, why does one make money and the other one doesn’t? Simply because of the directive team. There lies the difference between one organization and the other. Unfortunately, very few people are capable of making the change. Very few. In the end, what the businessman wants is to have those people in his organization. It’s not about looking for the best manager in a crystal ball. That’s not how it works. This requires methodology, which could be simple if you know it, but complex, otherwise. What’s most important is how these people fit in the culture of the organization where they will be hired.

–What are the basic elements an organization should have for people to participate in that change?  
–First of all, there has to be a decision of the administration council that determines which plan will be followed and the path it wants to take. For example, there are organizations that want to become large in Venezuela or the Caribbean, or in the Americas or at a global scale. Where do you obtain raw materials? How is the financing going to be? All of this has to be included in the strategic plan of an organization. Once that is clear, then you can look for the person who will be able to do it. Do we want a powerful organization? And as part of that definition, market leaders or market niche? Only then can we look for the adequate person to reach that goal.

– How is that person identified?
–20 years ago it was difficult to know who was who; it was a detective’s job. Today it’s different. Social networks (Internet), which is an unstoppable phenomenon and the information published by the corporations themselves, generate a mass of candidates that is very easy to contact. Once they have been identified, the selection is made through a process where the decisive stage - apart from the evaluation of credentials and a personal interview – is the taking of references. What you do is take information from people who have known the candidate. Fundamentally, you would want to know: How is he/she as a boss, a subordinate, a workmate? What are his real successes, not that he/she has told you?  What have been his/her failures? It’s happened to me, for example and as a curiosity, with a person praised by his/her bosses as exceptional, wonderful, amazing and his/her subordinates and coworkers would call him/her miserable, an exploiter, and would be happy to see him/her leave. This is the case of a person who would do anything to get approval from the bosses. Is that good of bad? It depends on the culture, but one has to have a good, sincere conversation with the client: “this person is very good but will treat his/her subordinates as slaves”. The sum of those elements is what makes you look for a good candidate.

–What can you do when public policies go one way and corporate philosophy the other?
–In order for things to actually happen, governments should facilitate tasks. At the end of the day, jobs are created by the businesspeople. Those making the investment, the productive means and looking for reasonable benefits so that a part of the economy grows are the ones taking the risk. The government can facilitate things, with aid or through rules. What we need to understand is that nobody will improve a country if the businesspeople are against it. There will come a time when the public powers will be able to do certain activities, but they can’t do them all. Finally, it’s a matter of who can do what. All examples of planned economies have failed. Private initiative has to assume responsibility.

- What would you say about the Venezuela case?
–This country has always had talented professionals. In fact, we have examples of very good people directing corporations, large global capitals of Venezuelan origin who invest within and outside Venezuela, or the case of important executives leading US transnational companies  or regional subsidiaries. I believe that Venezuela, in addition to the talent it has within, which is a lot, should have the adequate means so that the talent that is outside comes back to develop a corporate project that is called, precisely, Venezuela. This has already happened in Mexico, for example.

The crisis has generalized throughout the world. What can a corporation do to retain personnel under those circumstances? And further, what can a professional do to take advantage of that crisis?
–First important fact: we are coming out of the crisis; second important fact: our organization anticipates the beginning or the end of a crisis six months in advance. Corporations spend 11,000 million dollars in hiring executives globally. So the question that we asked to corporations that move in that environment is: How do we see 2010? Where will directive talent be demanded? First of all, China; second, the US and third, Latin America. This is surprising because it had never been like this. It is also true that there are different realities in this region and one of the largest demanders will be Brazil. Precisely, one of the large sectors where talent will develop will be energy and natural resources.  

– What opportunities do you see in the Venezuelan case?