Jose Ruiz

The manufacturing index published by the Institute for Supply Chain Management provided a positive surprise today. The index increased to 56.3 for August. A modest 0.8 point jump when it was expected to drop.

The news comes as the Peso continues to weaken against the Dollar and key indicators still point towards a slow recovery.

Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc., (Nasdaq:HSII) is the leadership advisory firm providing senior-level executive search and leadership consulting services, including succession planning, executive assessment and development, talent retention management, transition consulting for newly appointed executives, and M&A human capital integration consulting. For almost 60 years, we have focused on quality service and built strong leadership teams through our relationships with clients and individuals worldwide. Today, Heidrick & Struggles’ leadership experts operate from principal business centers in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific. For more information about Heidrick & Struggles, please visit www.heidrick.com

Economy, Mexico Executive Search, Mexico Recruiter Manufacturing, Mexico Executive Search, Mexico Recruiter, Mexico Recruiters

Q:

I understand the importance of branding and social networking; however, what I find difficult to understand is that any recruiter or C-level hiring manger can fully grasp a candidate’s brand through online presence. I could be wrong, but in my opinion it’s the recruiters who need to fall in love with a candidate’s brand because the hiring companies have their trust. How do we build our brand with recruiters?

JR:

There are three key things that must be considered:

1. Branding, by definition, is the creation of an identity for a specific product. You build your product and your brand through every element of your personal and professional experience. What you do with social media is present and promote the brand, but the key lies with you – your product.
2. What you do online and with social media will help attract the attention of executive recruiters. It is part of the initial selling point that should get you in the door. By no means will an online profile replace the evaluation process that will help a recruiter identify if you are the right fit for a specific position or a specific organization.
3. In direct response to the question, it starts with having an online profile that will provide visibility for executive recruiters to find you, but you will need to build a relationship in order to build your brand WITH them. Nothing can take the place of the relationship. Going back to the brand-product analogy: The recruiter needs to know, understand and, as you say, love the product to help you brand it for a specific client and a specific position. You don’t achieve this by just sending a résumé, selling yourself and calling every month to see if a position is available. It is built on valuable interaction regarding trends and issues that affect the disciplines and industries that you work in helping the recruiter stay on top of what is happening in that space. This level of interaction helps you and the recruiter build knowledge and expertise making the relationship valuable for both beyond the specific transaction of a single job opportunity.

ExecuNet.com

Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc., (Nasdaq:HSII) is the leadership advisory firm providing senior-level executive search and leadership consulting services, including succession planning, executive assessment and development, talent retention management, transition consulting for newly appointed executives, and M&A human capital integration consulting. For almost 60 years, we have focused on quality service and built strong leadership teams through our relationships with clients and individuals worldwide. Today, Heidrick & Struggles’ leadership experts operate from principal business centers in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific. For more information about Heidrick & Struggles, please visit www.heidrick.com

Career Development, Mexico Executive Search, Mexico Recruiter ExecuNet, Jose Ruiz, Mexico Executive Search, Mexico Recruiter, Recruiter, Recruiters

Q:

What is my better option when a job is posted on the company’s website and also advertised by the recruiter? Should I apply through the recruiter or on company’s website? 

JR:

Your chances are improved if you work with the recruiter and let him/her present your resume. These are the reasons:  

a) If it’s a contingent search the recruiter will not be paid if the client (company) already has your resume (obtained via the website). You might burn a bridge with the recruiter. 

b) If it’s a retained search the company will most likely not put much effort into reviewing resumes from their website.

c) You will have an edge if you talk to them, discuss the requirements and get a better understanding of what the company is looking for. You will get specific feedback on your resume and help grooming it to reflect what the company wants to see. 

d) Discussions with the recruiter will help you manage expectations and eliminate potential frustration if the position is not a true fit. It really beats sending your resume into the black hole that is a website resume database. 

This is assuming that your background and experience are a potential match for the position. You might not get the recruiters attention if they are far from what the client (company) is looking for. 

ExecuNet.com

Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc., (Nasdaq:HSII) is the leadership advisory firm providing senior-level executive search and leadership consulting services, including succession planning, executive assessment and development, talent retention management, transition consulting for newly appointed executives, and M&A human capital integration consulting. For almost 60 years, we have focused on quality service and built strong leadership teams through our relationships with clients and individuals worldwide. Today, Heidrick & Struggles’ leadership experts operate from principal business centers in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific. For more information about Heidrick & Struggles, please visit www.heidrick.com

Career Development, Job Market, Quick Hints Jose Ruiz, Mexico, Mexico Executive Search, Mexico Recruiter, Recruiter, Recruiters

For many years I wondered what the real difference was between being good and being great. How do you clearly define it? What is it that puts a person or an organization at a different level than the rest? And I did read Jim Collins’ book which addresses the subject but I got my simple answer in a Homer Simpson DUH! moment watching  TV. (How else to you come to a Homer Simpson DUH! moment?) Ironically it was a General Motors commercial that quoted: “Amateurs work until they get it right. Professionals work until they can’t get it wrong” Too bad it was just a commercial and far from being reflective of their company culture. GM would have benefited by putting into practice. It’s just a simple quote that can be considered inspiring but it defines the current competitive environment that all organizations face.

Business is getting tough. Customer are more and more demanding and it’s a simple fact: If you try to get into something that is not your core competence there is a good chance you will fail and it will cost you. You just can’t get it wrong and to achieve that level you need to become an expert in your field, a specialist with great depth and experience that can anticipate challenges and foresee problems.

These days it’s not enough to be smart, quick on your feet or a hard worker. That makes for a great fire fighter and problem solver and if you’re doing that today you are one step behind. It’s the era of the problem avoider not the problem solver.

And with that ladies and gentlemen the generalist is dead. Learning curves are unbearable and the current competitive environment is here to change the way we manage our careers and what is required to be a successful executive.

Let’s start with the root. Let’s start with the companies that hire these executives and how they are being forced to transform. It’s where it starts. Innovative, highly competitive companies need focus but focus has a price. Most of the time focus comes with a smaller sized market and that can mess up volumes and consequently profit margins. As a consequence most companies are seeking product and industry focus while expanding their regional reach to achieve their volume and profit requirements. Enter the global factor and the need for executives with international experience and a high level of expertise within niche products and industries.

This get’s very tricky from a talent and career management perspective. Lady experience makes it complicated because she is high maintenance and requires time. Ask anybody who is on top of their game. It does not happen by chance and it does not happen quickly.

Defining a career path and making career decisions is getting more and more complicated. You can’t iterate as much and a mistake can cost you precious time. Every position, every project, every international assignment (it’s almost a must now) is a building block that creates your personal product offering. Each element defines the depth of your expertise and your value as an executive. If you are thinking about your next position you must be clear on how it fits in the big picture as one of those building blocks.

A great career is no longer defined by getting some steps right you simply can’t afford to get them wrong.

Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc., (Nasdaq:HSII) is the leadership advisory firm providing senior-level executive search and leadership consulting services, including succession planning, executive assessment and development, talent retention management, transition consulting for newly appointed executives, and M&A human capital integration consulting. For almost 60 years, we have focused on quality service and built strong leadership teams through our relationships with clients and individuals worldwide. Today, Heidrick & Struggles’ leadership experts operate from principal business centers in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific. For more information about Heidrick & Struggles, please visit www.heidrick.com

Career Development, Leadership Jose Ruiz, Mexico Executive Search, Mexico Recruiter, Mexico Recruiters

The internal market remains sluggish due to high unemployment and uncertainty but that can change as industrial production continues to rise on surging demand in the U.S. which accounts to about 80 percent of Mexico’s total exports.

Industrial production in March rose the most in almost four years as output climbed to almost 8 percent from a year ago according the most recent report of the national statistics institute. The number is an unexpected but positive surprise over the 5.9 percent that had been predicted by the median of 17 forecasts compiled by Bloomberg.

The increase is directly linked to an 85 percent jump in automotive industry production as the sector in Mexico continues to recover.

This will most likely have a cascading effect boosting internal demand in the second half of the year as manufacturing drives employment, brings back purchasing power and consumer confidence.

  Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc., (Nasdaq:HSII) is the leadership advisory firm providing senior-level executive search and leadership consulting services, including succession planning, executive assessment and development, talent retention management, transition consulting for newly appointed executives, and M&A human capital integration consulting. For almost 60 years, we have focused on quality service and built strong leadership teams through our relationships with clients and individuals worldwide. Today, Heidrick & Struggles’ leadership experts operate from principal business centers in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific. For more information about Heidrick & Struggles, please visit www.heidrick.com

Economy, Mexico Executive Search Manufacturing, Mexico Executive Search, Mexico Recruiter, Mexico Recruiters, Production

At least once a week I get a call from a soon to be MBA graduate that is waiting for the diploma to get a management job: “I’m looking for a manager or director position because I’m about to finish my MBA”.  

It’s only a tool to perfect skills.  Achievements and leadership competencies coupled with knowing your way around a P&L statement as well as understanding how your and your team’s actions impact overall business performance is what will take you to the next level.

Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc., (Nasdaq:HSII) is the leadership advisory firm providing senior-level executive search and leadership consulting services, including succession planning, executive assessment and development, talent retention management, transition consulting for newly appointed executives, and M&A human capital integration consulting. For almost 60 years, we have focused on quality service and built strong leadership teams through our relationships with clients and individuals worldwide. Today, Heidrick & Struggles’ leadership experts operate from principal business centers in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific. For more information about Heidrick & Struggles, please visit www.heidrick.com

Quick Hints Headhunter Hints, Mexico Executive Search, Mexico Recruiter, Mexico Recruiters

By Jose J. Ruiz

In 1996, Dr Elisabeth Marx conducted a study, analyzing the backgrounds of the CEOs of the FTSE 100 Companies. In 2007, Dr Marx also explored the CEO profiles of the Fortune 100 Index, allowing for the first time a transatlantic comparison of top business leaders. This study provides a compelling snapshot of the top CEO’s in Mexico and compares the results to those obtained by Dr Marx.

These Chief Executives populate the financial and social pages of newspapers and magazines in the country. They make decisions that routinely affect millions of people, influencing economic, social and environmental outcomes. So who are they today and who will they be tomorrow? What are their common characteristics and how are those characteristics changing?

As the country continues to change rapidly, what is already defining the new breed of CEO’s in Mexico?

Two numbers are presented for Mexico’s CEO’s in order to identify current trends. We show the totals and have also isolated the numbers for the newest CEO’s: A group of 47 with 5 years or less on the job.

Broad Market and Industry Trends

In the past few years we have seen dramatic market and economic driven changes in the strategic direction of many organizations. The great recession and the intense competition have forced many companies to focus on vertical industries in order increase their level of innovation as well as product and market expertise. This

has brought consolidation in many industries and a need toincrease global reach in order to achieve the volumes required to provide competitive prices. These changes have shifted the focus from regions to industries demanding executive talent with specific industry and product expertise that can perform across borders. There are already instances o foreign companies in the Expansion 500 that no longer have a country managing director and instead have leaders for specific business units reporting directly into regional or global heads.

Talent Trends

Let’s look at how these broad trends are reflected in the results of the study and how they translate into current and future talent and leadership requirements for executives in Mexico.

Global executives

The term globalization has been thrown around for decades but it has never applied as much as it has in recent years as organizations become more focused and specialized within a specific industry or product and reach beyond their traditional regions of business. Just looking at the numbers can be a bit misleading. One can assume that the increase in foreign nationals running the Expansion 100 companies is a sign of Mexican nationals losing control. However it is clear that the new breed of CEO’s and executives in Mexico are better prepared and better educated in a global environment than ever before. 54% of the newest CEOs have performed assignments outside of Mexico and 53% hold Master’s degrees from institutions outside of Mexico.

Executives who have been successful in international assignments have usually excelled in understanding the environment, leading visionary change, leading results and mastering complex business problems. Competencies that coupled with already acquired industry expertise translate into a small learning curve and quick results.

Senior executives are a more diverse group than ever before and the impact goes beyond the leadership teams. Middle managers and staff members are being exposed to global management techniques, metric driven environments and matrix organizations that are preparing them to be the next generation of leaders in or outside of Mexico.

Increased focus on key industry and market expertise

One of the most surprising trends is an increase of CEOs in Mexico that are being promoted from within the company with great importance given to company culture,  industry specific experience and the leadership skills that are acquired while working abroad. It is important to note that internal promotions don’t necessarily mean internal to Mexico or the region.

The study performed in 2007 by Dr Elisabeth Marx suggests that:

”… the FTSE 100 Companies in the UK and Fortune 100 Companies in the US take a very different approach to CEO selection. Whereas Fortune 100 Companies seem to value wisdom, develop better internal grooming and succession planning and have higher educated CEOs, FTSE 100 Companies put greater focus on international experience, welcome foreign talent and give ‘young guns’ a chance”

Our results suggest that the Expansion 100 companies share a bit of both with a high value on wisdom as evidenced by an average tenure higher than both the Fortune 100 and the FTSE 100 and strong internal grooming and succession planning that begins early and includes elite foreign education and opportunities to gain international experience.

The Expansion 100 companies have more Super CEOs (45 and younger) than both the Fortune 100 and the FTSE 100 put together but they have been well groomed and prepared for succession.

Elite education playing a big role

There is no denying that advanced degrees from foreign institutions play a big role in the development of the new breed of CEO’s. 60% of the newest CEOs hold Master’s degrees or PhDs from foreign universities. The surprising trend is the rise of the PhD educated CEO. All of the CEOs with a PhD are part of the newest CEOs group.

Women on the rise

Perhaps the common trait between the US, England and Mexico is the one that we can brag the least about. A very small number of Women occupy the top job.

In Mexico only Nicole Reich (Scotiabank Inverlat), Carmina Abad (Metlife) and Grace D. Lieblein (General Motors) make the distinguished list in the Expansion 100 but Paula Santilli (PepsiCo Beverages) is not too far behind. Women are on the rise and while the numbers remain very low the trend is positive. All four were internally promoted and all four have extensive international experience with strong ties to Latin America.

Preparing for the future

The motivation behind the research presented in this article is part of our role as a leadership advisory firm providing senior-level executive search and leadership consulting services, including succession planning, executive assessment and development, talent retention management, transition consulting for newly appointed executives, and M&A human capital integration consulting. For almost 60 years, we have focused on quality service and built strong leadership teams through our relationships with clients and individuals worldwide.

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Career Development, Leadership, Mexico Executive Search CEO, Maquiladora, Mexico, Mexico Executive Search, Recruiter, Recruiters

For the first time in three year Bill Gates is not the richest man in the world. The top spot in Forbes list is occupied by Carlos Slim and not surprisingly the sentiment in Mexico is negative. People are mad. Why? What is wrong with us?

I know the arguments. The way Telmex was acquired and the fact that it’s a virtual monopoly that has been benefited by the state could be valid. But consider this: Telmex had revenues of 9 billion while America Movil (Telcel) was at 26 billion and Telcel was a late comer in the mobile phone market in Mexico. Yes, Telmex propelled him. But Telmex is not what is keeping him at the top of the Forbes list.

There is great merit to what the guy has done and I’m not defending him. There is probably a valid argument for everyone to be questioned. Nobody’s road to the top of the list is clean. Bill Gates is certainly not exempt. The Walton’s have their share of controversy. Walmart is not considered an icon of social responsibility. Yet we all want to read about them and probe into the details of their business success. Slim? No. Corrupt capitalist pig?

Why the animosity? The anger?

There is a tale told in Mexico of an old man who was walking on the beach with two buckets, one open and the other covered. A young boy approached him as he was walking, looked at his wares and asked, “What’s in the bucket?” The man smiled and responded, “Crabs,” to which the boy said, “I can see that, but what’s in the bucket that’s covered?” The man smiled again and said, “I told you, crabs! Both buckets have live crabs!” The baffled boy wondered why one would be covered while the other one would be open if both carried live crabs, so he asked. The old man’s voice cracked as he let out a deep laugh and replied, “Boy, the crabs in the covered bucket are Japanese crabs. They start climbing on top of each other and help each other out of the bucket. The open bucket, on the other hand, has Mexican crabs. They don’t need the cover. Once one starts climbing trying to escape, the others just pull him back in.”

 I know it rubs some people the wrong way but we really don’t show otherwise.  Don’t kill the messenger.

 About Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc.

 The world’s premier provider of senior-level executive search and leadership consulting services. The firm’s executive recruiters and leadership experts operate from principal business centers in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific. In Mexico, Heidrick & Struggles operates offices in Mexico City and Monterrey. For more information about Heidrick & Struggles please visit www.heidrick.com

Economy, Leadership, Mexico Executive Search Carlos Slim, Jose Ruiz, Mexico, Mexico Executive Search, Recruiter

A few years ago I had a conversation about change with Mike Osterling. My lean manufacturing mentor and consultant. The topic revolved around change management and how it became easier as an organization embraced constant change as part of its culture. My theory was that at some point there would be no need for change management if change became part of the culture and the operating environment. Mike respectfully disagreed.

At that point our discussion was focused on organizations that struggled with change and struggled adapting to a changing environment. A place in time where leaders had to nudged the members of their organization to rethink the way things were being done. Leaders pushed to reinvent the business and innovate. This was the period in time that made reengineering popular. The challenge of leadership was to make sure the team kept up with a changing environment.

Times are changing. Leaders beware: your challenge when it comes to change management is about to shift.

The generation that entered the workforce with the mindset of building a life long career with a steady hand in a corporation is at retirement age. Leadership positions are now being filled by the generation that challenged the status quo. A generation of leaders that learned to manage change and developed executive skills to push the previous generation towards innovation is gradually facing the challenge of managing a generation that does not know status quo. The dream of a culture of change has been realized. These coming generations are built on a higher rate of change.

Consider that everything we do is based on intervals. Everything we do is a cycle. From communication to our strategic planning. Those intervals are getting shorter.  Our main form of communication has gone from letters to emails to txt msgs. Our planning horizons are shorter. We are iterating faster. We correct faster.  Which is good right?  The next generation of executives is built on speed, multitasking and bursts. A generation that feels a phone call is restrictive because you can only carry one conversation at a time.

We are at the inflection where the challenge of change managment is going to shift from helping teams transition to keeping teams focused and helping them stay on track.

Am I getting old?

About Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc.

 The world’s premier provider of senior-level executive search and leadership consulting services. The firm’s executive recruiters and leadership experts operate from principal business centers in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific. In Mexico, Heidrick & Struggles operates offices in Mexico City and Monterrey. For more information about Heidrick & Struggles please visit www.heidrick.com

Leadership Change, Jose Ruiz, Leadership, Manufacturing, Mexico Executive Search, Recruiter, Recruiters

The manufacturing sector in Mexico is slowly getting stronger. Industrial production increased by 1.6% in December for the first time since 2008 fueled in great part by an increase in demand led by the U.S. which accounts for approximately 80% of manufacturing exports.

It is no surprise that the increase coincides with an improvement in the automotive industry that accounts for approximately 21% of Mexico’s total exports. In an interview with Bloomberg Ana Ruth Solano, the Economy Ministry official who oversees the automotive industry is predicting a 20% rise this year as local and U.S. demand rebounds after the great recession.

A big part of that increase might be coming from small cars. There is an increased appetite for smaller cars in the U.S and many of the car manufacturers are banking on the segment to help them through the next few years.  Mexico has been strong in the segment for many years and is well positioned to bank on the trend.  A large part of existing capacity is already focused on small cars and auto companies such as Fiat continue to invest.  Fiat Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne recently announced a 550M investment to produce up to 130,000 Fiat 500’s a year out of the Chrysler’s Toluca plant.

Solano also mentioned that Nissan is planning an investment to produce small cars, and may choose Mexico, but no announcement on the location has been made.

About Heidrick & Struggles International, Inc.

The world’s premier provider of senior-level executive search and leadership consulting services. The firm’s executive recruiters and leadership experts operate from principal business centers in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific. In Mexico, Heidrick & Struggles operates offices in Mexico City and Monterrey. For more information about Heidrick & Struggles please visit www.heidrick.com

Economy Automotive, Manufacturing, Mexico, Mexico Executive Search, Recruiter, Recruiters