 An interview with Andrew Tsui, Chairman, Korn/Ferry International (HK) Ltd.
Reproduced courtesy of The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups
Youth Hong Kong Volume 1 Number 2 (March 2009)
Among the many young people dealing with transitions during fallout from the financial crisis, the talented will be in the best position to recover. To hit the ground running when the worst aftershocks have passed, they will need to have learned from both good and bad experiences, be self-aware, proactive and loyal. And the real talent will have courage. That may mean the courage to be different.
Every determined job-seeker should take note of this sound advice from head-hunter Andrew Tsui, Chairman of Korn/Ferry (HK).
How did you become a head-hunter?
Andrew Tsui (AT): I qualified as a chartered accountant and after ten years I felt I was closer to the people side of the business than the numbers side, so I made a few transitions myself before landing on something I really like, which is people-oriented business.
Does Korn/Ferry's database include young people?
AT: We have a subsidiary called FutureStep and have done some recruitment of fresh graduates, but we usually look for people with a few years of experience who are still in their 20s and 30s.
What specifically do you look for?
AT: At the junior level we are looking for certain generic skills, attributes and potential. We have assessment tools, validation techniques and benchmarks that we apply.
What attributes do the top graduates possess?
AT: Courage to face up to adversity, inner strength. To think positive and be confident are very important attributes. People who do well, leaders, usually also have a social, participative and consultative outlook on life. They are exploratory and analytical in the way they make decisions.
Do you think people are born with these attributes?
AT: No, they have what we call learning agility. They learn from past experience, good or bad, can reflect on it, and internalize it. And if someone doesn't benchmark well it might be because of conditioning by the environment to behave in certain ways.
Do you find that the talented are, on the whole, 'people' people?
AT: Not necessarily, but in general a lot of talented people are confident in their talent and that's why it's important to engage in all sorts of activities so that they learn more about themselves, what effect they have on others, learn how to get along with others.
What advice would you offer to a youngster who was convinced that he or she had something to offer, but was not getting on as well as expected?
AT: A lot of people feel frustrated or rejected when they don't feel liked. They should ask themselves, "Why are these people reacting this way to me?" Ask ten friends, teachers, coaches, a representative sample of those you come into contact with, to say what they think you would be good at and what they think wouldn't be "you." You'll find a pretty consistent "you" emerges from what they say.
What about someone who is making a big career transition? How can they prepare themselves with the right skills for the crossroads ahead?
AT: Many people do what their parents and peers want them to do and after ten years or so they realize it's just not for them and they have to make a transition. There's nothing wrong in that. As for skills, good language and communication skills are very important, but non-verbal skills don't always go together with good language skills. Leadership skills too, taking the initiative, exploring new ideas and analyzing all the possible ways out, decision-making, courage.
For some, a big change and being out of work might mean more spare time but for those with jobs, in the present economic climate, do you think that work/life balance stands a chance?
AT: I think there may have been too much emphasis on wealth creation as a measure of success in the past. Maybe from now on there will be more work/life balance. The set of values here has changed over the years. More people are interested in the environment and having a balanced lifestyle rather than maximizing their earning capacity.
How could that work out?
AT: I think there are certain areas, such as disaster-relief, that could benefit from the talent pool created by lay-offs. Talented young people in a transition period could build experience in areas like earthquake-affected Sichuan that they never normally have time for because they are too busy at work. NGOs like the Federation could support the projects because they are credible, nimble, and could seek ways to get funding for such enterprises. Then they would need to spice it up as a great opportunity to attract talent, giving it a resume-building spin so that people know it's respectable and meaningful.
What do you think employers are looking for most at present?
AT: I think they want the initiative to go up to the management and say, "I can see a problem there. Can I help you solve it?"
Andrewˇ¦s message fits virtually all candidates. See a problem and suggest a solution. Itˇ¦s a key for successful employees, regardless of their talent.
Updated: Oct 2009
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