Well, what a week for surprises - Jedward finally got voted off The X Factor, Katie Price walked out of the jungle and Marc Bolland was announced as the new CEO of M&S!
While the first two might not have been a big surprise, I wonder how many of you out there saw the last one coming? Congratulations Mr Bolland on your new job and congratulations M&S for having the gumption to break out from the norm, resist the temptation to run down a list of industry 'usual suspects' and, on the face of it, appoint someone based more on core skills and leadership abilities rather than just time served.
That was certainly the main focus of a lot of the media attention that Sir Stuart Rose had to face. What about his lack of textile experience? What about the fact he's only been in retail a couple of years? Thankfully M&S is a business that knows what matters most when it comes to focusing on the key attributes needed to drive a major business forward. Leadership skills and a broad vision of where you want to be are two of the most important.
Of course, experience in your chosen sector is also important; for some roles it is vital and it can always give you the ability to short-cut things based on lessons learnt and mistakes made etc. But, equally, for some people 20 years selling jumpers can end up being one year's experience 20 times over rather than an accumulation of industry knowledge and the personal learning experience it ought to be.
M&S has gone for an experienced and proven leader a businessman with a broad range of experiences gleaned from 20 years plus in fmcg supply, retail and hospitality. Throw in the added dimension of an international perspective gained from operating across different countries and you can see that Bolland is the type of candidate who should have the ability to inspire and lead any company he is involved with.
There will still be some who question his lack of relevant industry knowledge. However, this highlights one of the biggest headaches we as recruiters face getting our clients to focus on what really are the core skills needed. All too frequently our brief is just more of the same old please, ie one in one out, pinch someone from a competitor. Many of our clients think their business is unique and, of course, every sector has its peculiarities. However, there are basic businesses fundamentals that transcend industries.
Experience can be gained, techniques learnt, but innate qualities of leadership and vision are a little harder to come by and they're even harder to track down if you adopt a blinkered approach.
Guy Moreton is director of recruitment practitioner MorePeople.
While the first two might not have been a big surprise, I wonder how many of you out there saw the last one coming? Congratulations Mr Bolland on your new job and congratulations M&S for having the gumption to break out from the norm, resist the temptation to run down a list of industry 'usual suspects' and, on the face of it, appoint someone based more on core skills and leadership abilities rather than just time served.
That was certainly the main focus of a lot of the media attention that Sir Stuart Rose had to face. What about his lack of textile experience? What about the fact he's only been in retail a couple of years? Thankfully M&S is a business that knows what matters most when it comes to focusing on the key attributes needed to drive a major business forward. Leadership skills and a broad vision of where you want to be are two of the most important.
Of course, experience in your chosen sector is also important; for some roles it is vital and it can always give you the ability to short-cut things based on lessons learnt and mistakes made etc. But, equally, for some people 20 years selling jumpers can end up being one year's experience 20 times over rather than an accumulation of industry knowledge and the personal learning experience it ought to be.
M&S has gone for an experienced and proven leader a businessman with a broad range of experiences gleaned from 20 years plus in fmcg supply, retail and hospitality. Throw in the added dimension of an international perspective gained from operating across different countries and you can see that Bolland is the type of candidate who should have the ability to inspire and lead any company he is involved with.
There will still be some who question his lack of relevant industry knowledge. However, this highlights one of the biggest headaches we as recruiters face getting our clients to focus on what really are the core skills needed. All too frequently our brief is just more of the same old please, ie one in one out, pinch someone from a competitor. Many of our clients think their business is unique and, of course, every sector has its peculiarities. However, there are basic businesses fundamentals that transcend industries.
Experience can be gained, techniques learnt, but innate qualities of leadership and vision are a little harder to come by and they're even harder to track down if you adopt a blinkered approach.
Guy Moreton is director of recruitment practitioner MorePeople.
No comments yet