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CASE STUDIES

Scaling the Talent Terrain for Organisation Expansion

Our client is an up-and-coming aviation organisation located in the Asia Pacific region.
Formerly a monopoly in the aviation industry, the organisation recently became privatised. They needed a team of senior management expatriates with strong technical expertise to increase their market presence and compete on a global scale.

Situated in a developing country, the main challenge was convincing talents to relocate there due to less than ideal infrastructure and amenities. To add to the problem, the C-suite opportunities being offered were for single relocation package and contract basis only due to the client’s budget limitation. The niche pool of aviation experts also meant that the search conducted will have to cover a wide geographic area. This, in turn, translates to delayed responses due to time zone differences. The search was further complicated due to culture differences and political sensitivity of the location.
Lastly, the organisation had SGD $1 billion invested into the project for expanding their aviation operations, amplifying the pressure to find the best fit of senior talent professionals.

Two consultants were assigned to cover the C-suite roles for the retained search. They flew in a few times to meet the CEO face-to-face, interview the local management team, visit the client’s project site and explored the city to understand the living standards and environment. After actively listening to the client’s brief and requirements, there was a thorough discussion on the direction of initial search phase. Ideas were exchanged and clarified to scale down into exact hiring needs. Together with our research team, we did talent mapping and a detailed sweep of target markets.
Pulling data collected from our market research, we weighed carefully each possibility to better align our direction. Culture emersion, company fit and expertise matching were among the list of factors for consideration. Through analysis, new geographic markets were also proposed to widen the search parameters of the niche talent pool.
With client agreement on the new direction of search, and with time constraints at hand, it was a race to reconnect with our network and reach out to relevant contacts. With extensive search and contacts recommendations, we short-listed several highly qualified professionals for each C-suite role.
Due to the complexities of the roles, consultants assigned were highly involved and proactive throughout the process, from search to interview. The team ensured that potential candidates are qualified through phone calls, Skype video interviews and reference checks. Shortlisted candidates were also regularly updated and there was close follow-up and monitoring through every stage in the search. Once an offer was made, expectations were then managed. Negotiations between parties were carefully weighed and met. Our dedication and determination in finding the right talents, given the challenges, steered us to the successful placement of Chief Development Officer, Chief Operating Officer, Chief Commercial Officer, Chief Human Resource Officer and Head of Duty Free for our client.