Ulrich F. Ackermann - TRANSEARCH

aClaim to fame: The most influential
headhunter of the world (BusinessWeek,
2008). Can he get everyone on board?
As we know him: systematic, analytical,
and clairvoyant
Investment advice: Good degrees,
foreign languages, ’culture shock’, and
pampering of household talent.
THE MANAGERHUNTER
Ulrich F. Ackermann
headhunter, Board Member of TRANSEARCH
International plc.
Trained, open-minded, honest and passionate
– Ulrich F. Ackermann lists short adjectives
when asked about the traits of a top manager.
Building on first hand management experience
(which he gained at companies like Adidas,
Hugo Boss, and others) Mr Ackermann has
earned a reputation recruiting top managers for
global organizations. The board
member and expert of the European
based Executive Search firm
TANSEARCH, describes talent as a
crucial and mobile asset. If you do not
pamper your ’A-team’, he adds, the
investment you put into your colleagues will
bear fruit to competitors. Especially if Mr
Ackermann makes an appointment with your
challenge-seeking employees.
Culture shock
breeds the best
managers.
M
Nowadays, we hear more about the unemployed
struggling to find jobs than
about companies scrambling for new
staff. How fierce is the competition for
talent among global companies?
On our market, competition is definitely
fierce as we target top managers who can
conceive and execute strategies. We cannot
speak of unemployment in their ranks
as 90 pct of the people we engage already
hold important positions at big companies.
In fact, this kind of talent is in short
supply, therefore we have to focus on a
relatively small elite when scouting the
market.
What are the traits of the people in
the elite?
First, there are table stakes: a good degree,
excellent language skills and relevant
working experience. Beyond these we examine
possible candidates
from the client’s perspective as
we always seek the best people
for a given position at a company.
We have developed an
elaborate method to compare
the competences of candidates
with the requirements of a job.
We analyze four key aspects. First, we
scrutinize the corporate culture of the client
company and compare it to the environment
the candidates have been working
in so far. This is of crucial importance
given that the majority of managers do
not leave a company on the ground of low
salaries or work overload but because they
cannot embrace the management culture
of the firm. Second, we take the expectations:
what does our client expect the future
manager to deliver within 6-12-18
months? Does the candidate
feel confident about scoring
these goals? The third key
point is a complex set of management
skills and business
acumen. Finally, we look into
the department of the future
leader and ask: will the candidate
fit this team? We have all
the candidates file a self-assessment
along questions we prepare
for them. We examine
their answers and only present
the best candidates to the client.
We already know the answers
to nearly all the questions that
might arise during a discussion
between client and candidate.
All four areas of focus seem
pretty imposing. But how
do you measure the third
one which you called ’management
skills’?
We associate mandatory skills with four
symbols. The head marks all skills and
competences related to analysis and the
candidate’s ability to draw up strategies.
The second symbol, the hand stands for
his/her aptitude to execute these strategies.
Here we ask: how reliable is this person
when it comes to the realization of
corporate strategies? The top manager’s
third trait is the heart: their motivation
their commitment, and their sense of responsibility.
We call the fourth and most
important element fire: manager’s talent
and methods to motivate others in favour
of corporate goals.
What would you advise to young talents
looking for a good investment
into their future?
If you want to become a manger, you
will need a good degree. This is your
baseline asset. Besides that, you have to
travel the world and get an impression
of what we call a global market. This
means two things: you should learn
English very well and at least another
foreign language. If you do not speak
the languages of your markets, you
will not be able to build a successful
business. The third capacity you
should develop seems a bit more abstract
but no less important. I would
call it ‘social skill’ – the ability to understand
people and culture around
you and to utilize their energies
through efficient teamwork.
The majority of
managers do not
leave a company
on the ground of
low salaries or
work overload but
because they
cannot embrace
the culture of
the firm.
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Anatomy of a top manager HEAD
Centre responsible for creating
strategy and vision. The top
manager’s mindset is shaped
by analysis and planning.
FIRE
Motivating, stimulating,
galvanizing – a top manger
does never bite a challenge
as a lonesome warrior but as
the captain of an
eager-to-win team.
How much does formal education harness
these abilities and promote a global
scope of interest?
We see students turn into jet-setters as
ever more of them take the adventure
to study and live in foreign countries
and continents. This experience alone
will not make you a top manager but it
comes in handy through-
out your career because it
teaches you how to understand
and embrace
different mindsets. However,
modern youngsters
may face a problem during
their career: social
inaptitude. Our children
and grandchildren tend
to communicate less and less directly,
preferring chat, facebook, twitter, and
other online platforms. As a result,
they become less and less able to spot
the chances and the pitfalls in direct
interactions. Such a slackening of social
skills will take its toll in a world
where negotiation in persona remains
a crucial part of clinching deals.
How much are companies willing to invest
into their human capital these days?
More and more companies recognize
the strategic importance of human
capital. The best companies keep
training their employees. Adidas has
set a good precedent by opening its
own academy in 2006 and sending its
people to work and learn on different
locations all around the world. They
know that culture shock breeds the
best managers. Humans learn most
from experience – even from the negative
ones. The more a manager can
adapt to different environments the
better s/he will do in business. If
The key trait of a
top manger is fire:
the ability to
motivate others.
something goes awry, s/he will deliver
solutions –and this is where the
company’s investment pays off.
In the wake of the financial crisis,
companies are slashing costs. Where
does talent stand on the list of „disposable”
assets?
If you have to streamline, you have to
lay off even some of those you really
do not want to. But if it becomes necessary,
you want to do it sagely. Try to
keep in touch with the dismissed and
stress that you might count on them in
the future. Even if you are not downsizing,
you need to establish who your
best teammates are. Pamper these colleagues
with good working conditions
and new challenges. This pampering
is the best investment you can make. If
you miss out on it, your best colleagues
might feel unimportant and
they will just leave. And if they leave,
they carry all the know-how and motivation
to one of your competitors.
HEART
A manger’s
motivation is
funded upon their
firm commitment
to a company’s
strategic
objectives.
HAND
The CEO as ‘Chief Executive
Officer’ is not only a dreamer
– s/he is able to execute as well.
S/he holds together and steers a
team with upmost confidence.
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