Hays CEO sees digitalization as jobs catalyst

How do you help your clients to attract overseas talents to work in China?

We have massive databases of people. So we can quickly know if we have anybody who's got the required skill set and the appetite to move overseas to China for this particular job. And I think that's one of the advantages of working with Hays. You're not just working with us here in Beijing or here in China. You've got access to our entire world network, and all our talents and relationships worldwide.

We can also help organizations think through what they are offering potential employees to attract them as we understand them better. Traditionally, that would be money. But today, particularly for younger people, there are other things as important as money. They also look at career progression, what the company does and if the company has a purpose that they have an affinity with.

How do you identify talents?

One thing I value very much, among other professional and interpersonal skills, is open-mindedness. I want my people to be open minded, to be able to try new things, and when things don't work out, learn from that and do better next time around. I'd rather have people like that instead of those unwilling to adapt and change as the world around them changes. I think that's a recipe for disaster in the long term.

Do you see any new business opportunities emerging in the countries and regions involved in the Belt and Road Initiative?

Yes, indeed. The Belt and Road Initiative is the primary driver for a wide array of talent requirements. For example, we have seen the influx of banks from Singapore, Malaysia and Russia, all eager to take advantage of potential profit, looking to expand through astute hires of candidates in critical sectors. The BRI will not only greatly benefit the Eurasian economies but also China, particularly engineering procurement companies and steel production companies, and it is with these kinds of organizations that Asian banks want to develop greater business connections, and with that, opportunities.

We have branches and operate in nearly 20 countries and regions related to the BRI, many of them are important investment destinations for Chinese firms. We are excited to support the growth of our partners in these countries and regions by supporting them in finding the right talent.

What's your management style like? How do you motivate your international teams?

In terms of leadership, it starts with putting the right team together. If you get the right people together, then amazing things can happen. In terms of my own style, it starts with the people, because if you can find the right people and develop the right vision and ambition together for the business, then you're off to a very good start. You need to allocate those people to the right areas of the business, and then give them freedom to get on with it.

After recruiting the team, my job becomes one of supporting that team, giving them the environment for them to develop and grow, and supporting them whether it's through brainstorming ideas or challenging them.

How do you handle hardships and setbacks?

I think as a leader, you have to be resilient. You have to be honest enough to face the brutal facts of what is going on and be open enough to tell people the truth. Trying to tell people something is good when it's obviously bad is actually an insult to their intelligence.

So you need to be open and honest with them. Then everybody sees the same facts and has the same understanding of how things are. Because if you do that you massively improve your chance of fixing it, trying to deny something is a problem means you will never fix it.