Talking Talent

The old business model of fierce competition at all costs has passed and we are now entering an era of collaboration.  The ‘business is war’ mentality has made way for a model of business networks that reach out to global markets and boost sales as a unified force.

There’s no doubt that low cost and real time transfer of ideas, knowledge and skills over the Internet has made business collaboration easier.  Not only does the Internet provide a fast communication channel, but the wide reach of the Internet allows such groups to easily form in the first place, particularly among niche interests.

In today’s high-tech business world built in cyberspace, it is ‘collabronauts’ who are seeking out new universes and driving their businesses through the stratosphere.

The idea of the ‘collabronaut’ was coined by Harvard Business School academic, Rosabeth Moss Kanter, who describes pioneers of the new global economy as “astronauts who explore outer space, are explorers of cyberspace, explorers of new possibilities while creating links and connections, and explorers of the possibilities that can come through collaboration”.

In her book, Evolve!: Succeeding in the Digital Culture of Tomorrow, Kanter argues that “those willing to leave their home planet to bring back knowledge of strange new worlds and new civilisations” are masters of collaboration.

In order to deliver value to the customers, technology companies such as Microsoft, IBM, Cisco and Sun have created what Kanter calls “space stations for the Internet age”. These platforms enable everyone else to use the technology; but it’s an elaborate and complex relationship, because these companies themselves also work much more closely together.

“It is more than Wal-Mart working with Procter & Gamble as a supplier,” she says. “It’s joint planning; it’s developing technology together. It’s a daily interchange.”

Ultimately, the best collabronauts are adept at making connections - both human and intellectual.  They seek out new ways to benefit from joining forces with partners.  They bring organisations closer together, create links, foster relationships and initiate partnerships that may initially seem like joining two groups from alien planets.

I’ll finish with the words of anthropologist Margaret Mead, who asked “can a small group of people who see and respond differently to the world make a difference? Indeed, history shows it is the only thing that ever has.”

The race has never been more intense to acquire, develop, and retain long-term client relationships as the e-business evolution continues to redefine corporate models.

The last 10 years has spawned such buzzwords as: customer-centric, customer loyalty and client relationship management. While many companies are ‘customer-centric’ as a core value, I know of few that have ‘partner-centric’ as a core value.

And yet, partnering has proven to be one of the most powerful business tools for dealing with fast changing markets, technologies and customers. As the global economy speeds up, partnering is becoming the weapon of choice for today’s successful competitors.

There are, of course, many variations in partnering arrangements, from informal arrangements, through teaming agreements, outsourcing and joint ventures. Partnerships exist within and between industries and sectors – and are crucial in Australia’s highly competitive recruitment sector.

Being part of a globalised economy means doing things faster, cheaper and at world’s best practice. In order to be successful it is no longer enough to work within an organisation, we need to think outside in and develop relationships with key partners.

As companies across all sectors of Australia’s economy fight for their fair share of talent, recruitment agencies have risen to prominence in the minds of company leaders and HR professionals.  In a tight labour market, expert assistance is vital.

In the April edition of Human Capital Magazine, Iain Hopkins looks at what agencies do well, what they don’t do well, and what they need to improve.

He tells us that the most commonly heard gripes are unwelcome cold calling, putting forward inappropriate candidates, inexperienced consultants and recruitment cost blowouts.

But what does best practice in the recruitment industry look like?  Julie Mills, CEO of the RCSA, suggests that partnerships are the key.  Savvy HR managers need to look for other service offerings as part of the recruitment consultancy package, such as career counselling or business assistance.

“Recruiters have broadened their business offerings and part of that is because they want to be in partnerships. So ask: do they want to partner with you or are they talking to you because you are a person at the end of the service chain? The best recruitment company for your business is the one that mirrors your business standards,” Mills says.

The recruitment industry is certainly moving down the path of relationship and partnership building.  Good recruitment consultants work with a business to build solid long-term relationships and structures.  As the skills squeeze continues, and quality candidates become harder to find, recruitment companies and their clients need to work together to ensure they can source – and sustain - the very best talent.