CANDIDATE RESOURCES – Articles

Mobile technologies have streamlined data collection more than ever but knowing how to link and act on that business information is the key here. Leaders should therefore not assume that near-instant learnings always entail fast solutions or outcomes. On the contrary, there is a psychological phenomenon known as the "speed-accuracy trade off," which implies that one can do things "quickly" or "correctly" but usually not both simultaneously. This means that organizations are well advised to start thinking early about the feedback loop, the information that they are interested in gathering, how they plan to use it, and the process (and time) it takes to build and develop such data.

As part of our investigative C-Suite miniseries, which takes a closer look at and profiles the key senior leadership functions at hospitality companies around the globe, AETHOS now attempts to paint a clearer picture of the Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) role and the leaders who define it. Thus far, we have profiled the changing roles, competency sets and backgrounds of the Chief Commercial Officer, the Chief Human Resources Officer and the Chief Information Officer. Arguably, the CMO is another important piece of the puzzle – not yet completing, but certainly providing a much more comprehensive picture of the management teams of hospitality organisations around the globe.

Executive search clients consistently voice concerns about candidates who appear to be “job-hopping”– i.e., frequently move to new opportunities after relatively short stints. These concerns are reasonable and can be justified in many circumstances, although other times, movement early in an individual’s career can be both beneficial and rational. For instance, one AETHOS placement talked about how he sought different companies and experiences in the beginning years of his career to make himself more well-rounded and adaptable in the future. Aiming to understand better these different views on job-hopping, an analysis was conducted on the career paths for eleven of our recent placements in hospitality real estate related positions, including Development, Acquisitions, and Asset Management roles. The idea was to gauge the first eight years of each placement’s career for the number of different companies represented. This does not include multiple positions within the same company, graduate schooling, or internships.

Today’s careers tend to be “boundaryless” and unfold outside traditional organizational structures, not to mention the fact that personal values have evolved such that people increasingly change work settings for greater autonomy, life balance and meaning in work. The result is that modern workspaces are becoming as much mental as they are physical domains.

AETHOS and EHL Masters students discuss job search strategies in the current economic turmoil.

Strategies for candidates to find and secure the best jobs through the internet

HVS advises on strategies that will assist job seekers and employers maintain confidentiality while using recruitment websites.