As a headhunter,
Anja Minnerup knows the German fashion industry from the inside out. In her
function as HR consultant for companies from Zara to Chanel, she has found
the right people for the job, but has spoken to even more candidates who
were not the right fit. “If it doesn’t fit today, I can have the right
position for someone tomorrow,” she says. “One learns an incredible amount
in the interviews with the candidates and through the company briefing
beforehand.” In this interview with FashionUnited, she shares her insights
from 20 years of job consulting for fashion professionals.
Ms. Minnerup, do all companies need a ‘feelgood manager’?
(Laughs) No, they don’t. But the big companies nowadays invest in such a
person who is there to see if there are problems in the company that need
to be solved, to be passed on to the management level filtered as feedback,
or to plan company events, for example. I personally like this very much,
because employees today want to be perceived as individuals. Retaining
talent is becoming more and more important and I consider a ‘feelgood
manager’ a good tool for this. But of course, this is a question of cost
that not every company can afford.
What trends do you expect in HR in 2020?
As mentioned before, probably the most important trend will be to think
about: How can I retain talent? What do I do to retain these people, what
work atmosphere do I want to create so that they feel comfortable? Every
employee who leaves a company costs enormous amounts of money: know-how is
lost, maybe even to direct competitors; I have to look for new people; in
the worst case, the position is vacant for months, and in addition, I have
to pay a headhunter and place ads.
And how does one retain talents best?
The solution does not necessarily have to be monetary in nature, and the
feelgood manager or the weekly fruit basket is not necessarily the solution
either. It is generally about creating a good atmosphere, questioning
oneself and delegating responsibility – in other words, trusting people and
trusting their abilities.
Today, young people want to take responsibility, and younger candidates
are trusted with more responsibility than before, often already in leading
positions, for example with a mentor by their side. The whole work
situation has changed, from a hierarchy to togetherness.
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As a headhunter, you are the intermediary between candidates and
companies and therefore have special insights into what candidates expect.
Do you pass on this feedback?
Thanks to our constant exchange with potential candidates, we are close
to the pulse of the times, we also get to know from candidates how they see
the companies from the outside. We are also happy to give feedback to the
companies about this, if desired. It can be helpful today to know: ‘How do
candidates see us, how are we spoken of as an employer?’ But not every
company is ready for this.
Have you observed that younger candidates are more interesting for
companies today than in the past?
Yes, for sure! The market used to be more experience-driven. Today,
young people are wanted for their input. They are close to the zeitgeist,
the trends and the market. The realisation has arrived in the industry that
you need more young, trendy brands in the mix with the old, well-known
ones. This is especially important in purchasing; this area is changing,
especially in e-commerce, and is becoming more open for young candidates.
To find fresh names that inspire customers with their special mix, to have
a feeling for what is becoming a trend. Younger people bring this knowledge
along.
How do the new generations, the Millennials and Gen Z, think?
Often, we are very impressed: “Oh wow, they really think in this
direction. That used to not even be relevant earlier.” The generation today
wants feedback directly and not once a year. Knowing exactly where I stand
in day-to-day business. Am I doing it right? And if not, then tell me
directly so that I can improve.
In the past, careers were made at university; now it is much more
important for companies to know: Do the candidates understand our company,
our mission? Does this person fit in with us and the rest of the team, is
there a cultural fit? What is she like as a person?
Can artificial intelligence help you in your work?
I have recently looked into this in detail and in my opinion, AI is not
yet ready. You enter everything into the computer and it spits out a list
of candidates, but you don’t know what the algorithm has done. I think the
human element is missing that way. And the algorithm is only as good as the
available data on candidates and companies. In the end, you have a high
bounce rate, because AI can’t judge whether the candidate, who has the
right professional qualifications, also fits the company. How do I enter
corporate culture, for example, a feeling, into the data set? At the end of
the day, I have to talk to people as a human being and assess them from a
human perspective.
Photos: Christine Sommerfeldt, courtesy of headhunting for the best
GmbH
This article was originally published on FashionUnited DE. Edited and
translated by Simone Preuss.