Generative AI

Generative AI stands at the forefront of technological innovation, poised to redefine the consumer sector. The potential impact spans from personalised experiences and efficient operations to innovation in product design. As businesses embrace the transformative potential of generative AI, it is imperative to navigate ethical considerations responsibly, ensuring that these technologies contribute to a positive and inclusive consumer experience. The future promises a consumer sector with unprecedented personalisation, efficiency, and engagement, ushering in an era of innovation and advancement.

Climate Concerns

The intersection of climate concerns and consumer behaviour marks a pivotal moment in the evolution of our global society. As individuals increasingly recognise the profound impact of their choices on the environment, they are reshaping markets, demanding sustainable alternatives, and holding businesses accountable for their environmental practices. The ongoing shift towards eco-conscious consumer behaviour reflects a collective commitment to creating a more sustainable and resilient future for future generations. It is a testament to the transformative power of informed consumer choices in the face of the pressing climate crisis.

Value for money

In challenging financial times consumers are looking for savings. They include traditional ways of e.g. taking advantage of sales but also transforming their own consumer habits, such as cooking more meals at home instead of dining out. Alongside traditional financial strategies, consumers can employ lifestyle changes to optimise their finances. For example, thrift shopping and buying second-hand items can significantly save money on clothing, furniture, electronics, and other goods. Energy-saving practices, for instance, using energy-efficient appliances, reducing water and electricity consumption, and adequately insulating homes, can contribute to lowering utility bills.

Wellness

The wellness trend is not just a fad but a fundamental shift in consumer consciousness. As consumers prioritise health and well-being, businesses across various industries must adapt and incorporate wellness-focused offerings to meet evolving consumer expectations. Brands that authentically align with wellness values and prioritise health-conscious practices are likely to resonate more strongly with today’s discerning consumers.

In our latest report, we look at each of the trends and possible responses in a more in-depth way – Download the report here.

The post Consumer Trends In 2024 first appeared on Horton International.

• Where is the new focus for HR?
• How is HR making the shift from managing processes to creating a holistic impact?
• How can you integrate the “human” factor across different activities and working areas?

The last 18 months have seen a significant change in the way everyone does business. The impacts of the pandemic are going to be long-lasting and unpredictable. If companies are hoping to move forward successfully, there needs to be a shift in thinking.

Companies are past the survival mode. And now, companies and leaders need to be looking for ways to make their teams, and their businesses thrive.

To make the most of every opportunity and embrace disruption, companies need to start focussing on the human component of their structures, processes and leadership. If your company is to be genuinely flexible, you need to build that flexibility into your processes and thinking. Not to just expect that from your workforce. Reaching this goal requires a new level of integration of activities.

Building an Agile Hybrid Workforce

To build an agile, hybrid workforce, you may need to ask some difficult questions. Are you fully realising your worker potential? How healthy is your talent ecosystem? Which workers are you at risk of losing and why? Do your stated company values translate into reality?

Data is a valuable tool, there is no doubt of that. You need to have a firm grip on not only what work is being done, but who is doing it and how. This information needs to be used with a forward-thinking attitude. Much strategic planning is based on retrospective measurements and data.

However, looking backwards is not an effective strategy for planning for the future, especially when the future is highly volatile; a change in mindset is required.

The aim is to finetune your workforce strategies to be useful for the coming months. In other words, stop striving to improve your old ways of working, instead focus on creating new better ones.

Designing Work For Wellbeing

The past months have shown us that many workers find that there is no longer a line between home and work. The traditional view on corporate wellbeing is no longer a realistic one. 

A shift in thinking is needed. Instead of adding programs that sit alongside a company’s business, CHROs need to look for ways to make employee care an integral part of the business.

This requires some conscious design to ensure that an individual’s workday pushes them to care for themselves. This design should address physical, mental, financial, and social needs. The benefits of this sort of design are that it will increase the engagement of employees.

Standalone programmes can be easily ignored, integrated practice less so. Happier and more fulfilled employees are much more productive and engaged. There is a lot more value in happy employees, it is also much easier to attract new talent.

Building Diverse and Intelligent Teams

It’s well established that teams with more diversity are more successful at problem-solving, finding solutions and predicting outcomes. This translates directly to better financial performance for companies. So, similarly adding machine thinking to a team is another way to add an extra element of diversity, intelligence and agility.

The way that teams work has had to change. Technology is no longer a choice, it’s a necessity and simply using it as a means to talk to each other is missing the point. Correctly leveraged, adding technology to a team can improve everyone’s ability to learn, perform and create. The technology we use to connect our teams becomes an integral part of the team similar to other diversity elements like experience, education, gender, age etc.

Worker Led Skills Growth

The pandemic has seen workers roles evolving and changing. For some, their current position may have little resemblance to the one you hired them for. This evolution has brought to light a few important lessons.
When workers are given the agency to direct their growth and input, they are more engaged and make more significant progress. If workers are given the opportunities to align their interests with the company’s organisational needs, everyone benefits.

When you bring a new employee on board with your company, you are not only considering the value they bring with them, but the value you can nurture in them. When workers have control over this process and their development, they can reach a much higher level. If you currently have a prescriptive and overly structured training system, then you may be stifling your employees’ potential.

Enabling Leadership

As the requirements for business are changing, so are the requirements for leadership changing as well. The earlier useful leadership strategies and practices are not bringing the results we would like to see in the world of the hybrid workforce and diverse teams and self-directed employees. The critical capability a leader has to have is the ability to be comfortable with the uncertainty and being uncomfortable.

Leaders have to be able to allow him/herself to be constantly challenged by the business environment and colleagues, and focus on making sure that every team and individual is enabled to succeed in their roles.

A New Role For HR

All the above means that the role of HR in companies is changing. It’s no longer a matter of standardising and enforcing policies. HR is better used as a means to re-design the way your company works. HR should be the department driving the agenda of putting human considerations at the forefront of work life. The understanding of human behaviour in an organizational context becomes more critical than the understanding of workflows and processes. It is time that behavioral sciences go hand-in-hand with business.

To address all the changes discussed here will take a lot of new ideas. Your whole company will need to envision a new way of working in a way that truly emphasises the human potential. Human resources have a significant role in setting the new leadership paradigm and driving the development holistically across the organization, to a level of the nitty-gritty.

To achieve this, your HR department must move from merely providing a function to having an impact.
HR shouldn’t be a process; it should be the leading edge of the mission to shift your company from survival to growth.

The post What’s Next For CHRO? first appeared on Horton International.

A recent McKinsey report shows just what diversity can do for businesses. At Horton International, we’re here to make attracting, retaining and supporting diverse talent easier for your business, so that you can reap the rewards.

With this in mind, this post is the perfect starting point of building your business case for improving diversity in your team.

Business Lessons From Pandemic Leadership

Many lessons are coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. There have been stark differences in the effectiveness of different nations responses to the crisis. It is hard to ignore the fact that if you collect together the most successful nations, you will find a lot of female leaders.

In Denmark, Mette Frederiksen gave clear, firm instructions which have spared the country considerably while also earning her wide praise for her response. In Norway, Erna Solberg was also praised for her response and effort to curb the virus by focusing on a science-driven approach. While in Finland, Sanna Marin – the world’s youngest head of government – also helped to ensure a minimal spread of the virus.

Another example, Germany, led by Angela Merkel, has one of the lowest death rates in Europe. These are a few extraordinary women in exceptional circumstances, but to ignore this trend would be foolish. Women in leadership positions can be highly successful.

So, how does this translate to business? The reality is that this is just more evidence for a trend that has already been shown to exist. The most recent McKinsey report has followed more than 1000 large companies, across 15 countries for the last five years. It shows that the most diverse companies are more likely to outperform less diverse rivals in terms of profitability. This doesn’t just mean gender diversity, but ethnic diversity too.

Benefits Of Gender Diversity In Leadership 

The Mckinsey report found some compelling arguments for gender diversity in executive positions. They found that the top quartile of gender-diverse companies was 25% more likely to financially outperform their industries average, as compared to companies in the bottom quartile.

The report also found that the higher the representation of women, the more substantial the effect. So, when it comes to a company’s bottom line, it seems clear that having more representation of women is going to improve the chance of boosting profits.

Benefits Of Ethnic And Cultural Diversity In Leadership 

The impact on profitability for ethnically diverse companies is even more significant than for gender diversity. The top companies outperform the bottom ones by a staggering 36%. And again, the larger the representation, the more substantial the effect. If you are looking for a business case for increasing diversity at the top of your company, then this is it.

What Is Behind These Effects?

It is not at all unreasonable to question why diversity within a leadership team would lead to these results. It comes done to having more options and more points of view. A simple way to illustrate this idea is with tomato ketchup.

Generally speaking, there are two types of people—those who keep ketchup in the cupboard and those who keep it in the fridge. If you are in a room full of people who only keep ketchup in the fridge, then you may not even consider looking for it elsewhere. More viewpoints increase your chances of finding what you’re looking for.

This explanation can help with understanding why nations with female leaders have done better in the current crisis. Typically their teams are more diverse. They had more points of view in the room. So, they had more options to deal with the crisis. It’s not that male leaders couldn’t have made the same choices; it’s more that they may not have known there are other choices to make.

Having a significant and clear female and ethnic presence within the leadership team is a way of signalling the company’s ethos. For any talented individuals that you hope to recruit the makeup of the company’s leadership will factor into their decision-making process. Having diversity at the top will become self-sustaining as it will draw more diverse talent into the company at all levels.

Why Inclusion Matters Just As Much As Diversity

It can be tempting to think that the task ends after you make some hiring decisions. Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Nothing ever is. The next challenge comes from building a company where all the voices you have collected can feel included. Without a focus on inclusion, you may be able to get more diversity in the door, but you might not keep it. You also may not see the benefits.

You get benefits from diversity when the minority voices in your company can be heard. If those voices do not feel able to speak up, then you lose your advantage. To achieve this, you need to build a culture of inclusive leadership. There must be equality of opportunity, and communication should be open and free from discrimination or bias. This is a challenge that even the leaders in diversity are still working on mastering

How to Improve Your Company’s Diversity and Inclusion

So the next big question is how to go about bolstering the diversity and inclusion of your company. There are a few best practices that are common among the best performing companies in the McKinsey report.

Focus On Pushing Diverse Talent

To make progress on this front, the forerunners have used a data-driven approach. Following analysis of their starting position, they targeted the specific variety of diversity they needed. Every opportunity is taken to advance these talents once they are recruited.

Accountability

The responsibility for diversity and inclusions shouldn’t solely rest with HR. All leaders within the company need to take responsibility for and be held accountable for promoting diversity and inclusion.

Remove Bias From Advancements

Advancement decisions, raises and promotions should be carried out openly and transparently. Where possible, they should be data and analytically driven. The aim is to remove bias from these decisions, whether is it conscious or not.

Managing Diversity And Inclusion In The Face Of COVID-19

There have and will continue to be many challenges for companies of all size over the coming months and years. The fall out of the pandemic will be felt for a long time. Unless care is taken, it can erode any progress that has been made in terms of expanding diversity.

As a company, you need to be aware of the risks. It would be best if you tried to focus on protecting the diversity you have. Your more diverse team members are the most at risk of being cut or lost. It would help if you also made plans to continue to build your inclusion policies. Remote working can easily chip away at morale.

In Summary

Diversity within your leadership team has the potential to boost your company’s profitability in a significant way. To get there, it requires focus and policies aimed at building both diversity and inclusion at all levels of your company.

At Horton International, we’re here to help you find the right talent for your business. With this, it becomes easier to grow and develop inclusion throughout your business to foster exceptional talent and see the outstanding results that can come from a diverse and inclusive workforce.

The post Your Business Case For Improving Diversity In Your Leadership Team first appeared on Horton International.

Many companies have added diversity clauses to their compliance statements and recruitment policies already a long time ago. For many reasons, women’s role, participation, number, etc. have been raised up recently, so I’m not going to talk about that. What I really would like to see, and maybe am seeing a little more just lately, is diversity in the background and business, also in roles involving business P&L -responsibility.

I hear you saying that this has been around for quite some time and yes, it’s been in discussions and even target settings. However, it has not come true. Maybe there is not enough push for it. It might be that traditional business is still going strong, and thus, no need to change how to lead it. There may be a certain amount of protectionism in the “old boys’ clubs” and also, it is sometimes difficult to admit what you don’t know. It’s likewise so much easier to lead a team with look-alikes.

Companies realize their future lies in new products and services but it is difficult to predict. Many companies struggle when trying to understand the future and where to take their business. I see two solutions: first to hire CEOs from outside the business, and then secondly, for the CEO to hire a diverse team from different businesses. In both cases what comes much more important than the solid track record in this particular manufacturing industry, this exact finance sector or retail branch is the ability to lead people. The ability to motivate, empower and get the best out the different people in the company, is crucial. Also the ability to think out of the box when trying to navigate in the ever changing game of new business development. This is especially needed in those businesses that are changing rapidly. But are there any others left?

Next time when making a hiring decision: Make it differently! Make it truly diverse, deeply… maybe even madly?

#recruiting #diversity #diversitymatters

The post Recruiting for Diversity, Truly first appeared on Horton International.

Well, here we are now, faced with a massive example of a VUCA. In the middle of a crisis, it is critical for leaders to pause and take time to reflect on what is happening and how have we been able to lead during the past weeks and how to move forward. One could say the time of crisis is a “moment of truth” for us as a leader.

To help to reflect, I listed few ideas on where the focus should be in order us to be “the best versions of ourselves as leaders” during these times of crisis and in the VUCA-world.

1. Re-emphasize and concretize and the purpose and the direction. Then walk the talk. Now, more than ever your actions talk the loudest. Your actions will reveal what your purpose and values really are. Your future culture is set today.

2. Your perception of human nature becomes visible

2. 1. Do you believe that humans can be trusted and are capable of Independent and responsible decision making? Do you engage them actively and systematically to make sense of the situation? Do you keep them actively informed about what is going on, what are decisions and why? Do you make sense of the wold together?
   2. Do you make sure that any communication towards the people in your organizations is empathetic and respectful? How do you make sure that you utilize all the capabilities across the organization? Also, those that may not have been utilized as a part of the normal business. People do have great powers if you just are able to empower them
   3. The power of community is enormous. Do you create an environment where people can relate to each other, get support and be supported?
3. Are you leading and changing your structures and ways of working in an agile way to be able to respond most efficiently? Or are there still things that should not be discussed or questioned? Have you stripped down the bureaucracy and hierarchy and moved the decision making there where the expertise really is?

It seems that the world is profoundly changing. I do think that there is a great opportunity as long as we get past this immediate crisis with dry feet. It’s a moment of truth for all of us.

The post Leaders- Take time to reflect first appeared on Horton International.

· 107% increase in diversity head roles in the last five years

· D&I leads are growing four times faster than HR roles

· Two-thirds of companies collect ethnicity data.

D&I leads come in a range of job titles, such as Head of Diversity, Director of Diversity or Chief Diversity Officer. Whatever you choose to call them, their responsibilities remain the same. These leaders will play a crucial role in instigating changes within an organisation and steering them to a fairer, more inclusive place of work.

LinkedIn data revealed that the number of individuals across the globe working in a head of diversity role more than doubled, with 107% growth in the last five years.

Roles for D&I leads have grown four times faster compared to HR roles in the last five years, with 33% more D&I roles posted on job boards in June in 2020 compared with the year prior. This increased focus on diversity and inclusion can also be seen from a recent PwC survey, which revealed that 2 in 3 companies are collecting ethnicity data or other relevant diversity measures. Diversity and inclusion leads are often new roles for many businesses, and hiring them and setting them up for success is a new challenge that a lot of executives are facing.

How To Hire A D&I Lead

The person you choose to fill your D&I lead role must have the right skillset and capacity to be able to drive real change. A successful D&I lead will be passionate whilst also having an expertise in the field. This position requires a professional who can effortlessly move between many different roles and teams in the business. This is a role where cross-functional understanding is critical to make a business impact

A D&I lead is often expected to be a coach, an advisor, a therapist, an educator and perspective broker all at the same time. They need to be involved within conversations around promotions and compensations, they need to work with PR and marketing teams to think inclusively about communications, and they need to be able to discuss policies with legislators.

These skills aren’t always easy to find, or recognise, especially when hiring a D&I lead as an entirely new role. Here are a few interview questions that can help you to find the perfect D&I lead for your business;

• Can you describe a change you have made to a benefits policy which helped to make the programme more competitive?
• Give an example of a time you have helped to mentor or coach someone. What improvements did you notice to their skills or knowledge?
• What are some long term objectives which you developed in your last role? How did you achieve them?
• How have you demonstrated your commitment to diversity, and what does that mean to you?
• What is your vision for diversity and inclusion at our organisation?

How To Set Your New D&I Lead Up For Success

After finding the perfect candidate for your D&I lead role, it is vital that you set them for success in your business. Hiring a D&I lead is not enough; you need to make sure your entire organisation is prepared to work with them to make a change. This one person can’t be solely responsible for making changes to the whole business, and they will need the support and guidance of others.

In order for your new D&I lead to be successful, you need to consider a few important aspects;

The Role’s Purpose

If this is a new role for your business, you need to think carefully about the purpose behind it. Some organisations look to hire a D&I lead just to be seen as though they are doing something. If this is the case for your company, then a D&I lead is not for you.

When this happens, the role is tokenised, and its only real purpose is to exist. No change will ever truly be made because the rest of the company and the people within will not support it. Consider who you want this new D&I role to impact and why.

Is Your Business Ready?

In order to do real, meaningful work when it comes to diversity and inclusion, your business must be ready for it. This can mean complete overhauls of your existing business policies and processes. If you are not ready to allow these changes and prepared for a major shift, then a D&I lead might not be a good move for your organisation.

Define Seniority And Accountability

For a D&I lead to be successful, you need to be very clear on their seniority level and communicate it to your teams. D&I leads should ideally be part of your senior leadership team, and so they need to be treated as one. Make sure they are included at your decision-making table and given the freedom to have a say on the company vision.

Not only that, but you need to clearly define the lines of accountability for the role. The D&I lead will impact your workforce, your products, your sales tactics and everything in between. This is a lot of responsibility for a new role to hold, and direct communication with all other managers is essential for keeping up to date with progress.

Set A Budget

Diversity and inclusion initiatives should have a dedicated budget, and this will differ depending on business size, industry, and company goals. When setting your budget, you should consider D&I strategies, staffing costs, external partnerships and training resources. D&I leads should be trusted to manage this budget as they are the ones with the expertise in this area.

Making Diversity And Inclusion Your Focus

If your company’s mission focuses on diversity and the fact that diverse workforces are more successful, then there has never been a better time to really practice the beliefs of the organisation and having someone leading diversity and inclusion in your business. With a D&I lead, you can foster innovation, engagement, improve your brand’s image and make it easier to recruit top talent too. This could be the best way to set your business up for success in 2022 and beyond.

The post How To Hire A D&I Lead And Set Them Up For Success first appeared on Horton International.

This month we’re delighted to introduce Ani Närhi  Managing Partner, Country Manager of Horton International Finland

Read Ani’s full bio here

Ani, tell us a bit about yourself and how long you’ve been with the group.

I have been working as a partner in Horton’s Helsinki office since 2007. Since 2020 I’ve also been the Country Manager for our operations here. My clients vary from the largest Industrial companies to the best loved consumer brands and retail. One thing you probably don’t know about me is that my hobby is ice skating and I’m the current Finnish Champion in Adult’s Synchronized Team Skating in Finland.

That really was an unexpected fact! And what attracted you to Executive Search?

I was also working in management consultancy before, but had not considered executive search as it felt quite an old fashioned industry to me. However, I was attracted to Horton because the team, then led by Jukka Auramo, wanted to break some profession’s stereotypes in leaving no stone unturned to find the best possible candidates instead of going through their “old network and old lists” which was still quite common in those days. The best decision of my working life!

Can you tell us about a recent client success?

It always feels good when some 6 months after a placement, both the client and the candidate say that the match has turned out to be even a better win-win than expected. However, a recent concrete success was when a client (C-level executive at a 10 billion€ company) gave our team feedback that the “Horton candidate list always has more diversity than competitors’”. Besides client success, I also really want to stress candidate success, where we place a lot of value. A recent rejected candidate told me, that even though she was not chosen, this was the best experience with a headhunter in a long time; she had understood the role and the expectations very well, had a clear picture of the process ahead and was kept updated as well as got feedback on why she was not chosen.

What can clients and candidates expect when they work with Horton International?

Having an honest and open dialogue in order to find the best possible match both ways; a true win-win situation.

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

Working with our local team in Finland, and with our global colleagues. Meeting new people every day! Having the honour to serve some of the greatest companies in Finland.

If you could give one piece of advice to someone just starting out in the industry, what would it be?

Be curious and constantly ready for renewal!

What is shaping the industry today?

I see two developments in finding executive talent. They are Diversity and Inclusion, which is not an HR issue, and Sustainability, which is not a Marcom issue. Instead, these are key business issues. Companies need to hire executives in business roles that truly live and drive these matters on a daily basis. Companies who do not yet understand this, will soon have to. In the worst case, they’ll realize it only when they run out of investors’ money and then it may be too late.

Ready to talk? Contact Ani here

Connect with Ani on LinkedIn

The post Consultant of the Month: Ani Närhi first appeared on Horton International.

Born into the internet age, Gen Z lives much of their lives online, and the millennials are not far behind, though they tend to be more risk-averse and careful. Both groups are highly socially conscious, caring deeply about society and the environment. However, they tend to dismiss ideas that challenge their perceptions of identity and related issues. Work-life balance, physical and mental health, and social issues dominate their agenda.

Generation Z and Millennials are today’s biggest consumers; they are considered the biggest consumer group in history and dominate current consumer trends across the developed world. As a result, unsurprisingly, most consumer-facing businesses focus efforts on satisfying their needs.

However, we shouldn’t dismiss earlier generations. Overall, society is getting older, and although spending patterns amongst older people are less volatile than the young, they remain a significant income source for retailers.

Here we look at:

Our relationship with the internet is changing
Consumers will use alternative ways to find products
A new look for real-time maps
Voice product search
Artificial Intelligence, machine learning and targeted advertising
Car ownership

Our relationship with the internet is changing

Our relationship with the internet is changing. Yes, we still make extensive use of it, but our relationship with it isn’t the same as it was pre-covid, especially for generation Z. Although internet usage peaked during the pandemic, it has now fallen back to pre-pandemic levels. Naturally, we have less time now we are working again, but it goes deeper than that. We use search engines significantly less to discover information; their use has fallen by 14% since 2018. Generation Z is as likely to use Instagram as they are to use Google. Neither do we spend as much time sharing our thoughts and opinions online. We are also warier of social media – the number of users who complain that social media causes them anxiety has increased by 11% over the last two years. There is far less trust in the major news publishers. To add to the confusion: Meta has almost abandoned its metaverse ambitions; Facebook is no longer the go-to platform for younger people; the future of Twitter appears uncertain, though TikTok is in its ascendency. Perhaps 2023 will see a significant disruption of social media with new and alternative platforms being launched.

Consumers will use alternative ways to find products

e-Commerce will be significantly affected by our changing relationship with the internet. According to Google, we are turning to TikTok and Instagram as alternatives to Google maps and search. No longer do young people focus on keywords for searching – they ask different kinds of questions that are more immersive. Also, searching for products is more likely (55%) to start on Amazon than Google.

A new look for real-time maps?

In terms of maps, most young people have never used a paper map, yet map apps attempt to emulate paper maps. However, an alternative way of mapping might be more appropriate; for instance, augmented reality might better answer young people’s expectations. Google mapping is also working on new 3D modes and immersive views. These will almost certainly gain large young audiences very quickly.

Voice product search

Voice assistants are now ubiquitous but do people use them for online shopping? According to Statista, we are doing so increasingly. In 2021 the global e-commerce transactions value via voice assistants was around $4.6 billion, which is set to rise to $19.4 billion in 2023. That represents a growth of approximately 400% in just two years. As you might anticipate, there is a significant divide over age groups and voice-e-commerce, with younger people more willing to embrace it than the older generation. However, this may change over time as older users become more familiar with voice assistants and learn to trust them more.

However, voice e-commerce remains problematic in several areas. While it is undoubtedly a convenient way to search for products and shop, the software driving voice assistants remains a little flaky. Despite the application of artificial intelligence, interactions with voice assistants can be frustrating. A sea change improvement is necessary before voice assistants fulfil their early promises.

Artificial Intelligence, machine learning and targeted advertising

Over recent years it has become almost impossible for consumers to avoid or bypass targeted advertising. However, while such advertising has several benefits in that it can simplify consumers’ lives and remove the inconvenience of dealing with irrelevant ads, it has some significant downsides. One of these is the danger of narrowing down the choice. Whether watching a streaming video channel, shopping online or chatting on social media, product recommendations made by AI make it easy for consumers to choose their next purchase. Still, such advertising can also reduce consumers’ bandwidths.

Already there are rule sets that targeted advertisers must abide by. These address issues such as privacy, including consenting to cookies, processing of personal data, ensuring targeted ads are identifiable, and prohibiting unfair, misleading, aggressive and subliminal advertising. However, more draconian rules are being formulated to protect consumer rights further. We can expect advertisers to toe these lines and adopt voluntary codes of conduct and standards. Whether or not this will make it easier on the consumer, we have yet to see,

The changing face of influencer marketing

Influencer marketing has grown from humble origins to the massive marketing channel it is today, an industry worth $16.4 billion globally, up from a relatively modest $1.7 billion in 2016. Brands love influencer marketing, and 97% of marketers use it as a marketing strategy. Its primary appeal is its effectiveness. For every dollar spent on influencer marketing, merchants can expect, on average, to make $5.78 in revenue. During 2023 we can expect its exponential growth to continue with new trends emerging.

TikTok is the leading platform for influencer marketing, and its dominance in the field will likely continue. However, we can also expect growth in the micro-influencer market. While most influencers engaged by big brands have upwards of 100,000 followers, micro-influencers can have substantially less, perhaps as few as 1,000 to 25,000 followers. However, micro-influencers tend to demonstrate a significantly higher engagement rate. The average engagement rate for most influencers with over 100,000 followers is around 2.4%, while micro-influencers with 25,000 or fewer followers typically have engagement rates of over 7.0%. During 2023 we can expect to see the micro-influencer market blossom.

Transportation

We are gradually falling out of love with car ownership, a trend that will continue through 2023. We might also be less willing to embrace electric vehicles as their running costs become equivalent to internal combustion engines. Car ownership declined by 0.2% during 2022 as it had the previous year. While that might appear insignificant, it is only the second year out of 100 when ownership levels fell. Is this a black swan event, or is it the beginning of an ongoing trend that will gain momentum in the future?

Our attitude to private car ownership is changing. Many people view the motor car as an environmental pariah, saved only by the electric vehicle’s popularity. But the electric vehicle (EV) has also lost some of its early charms. We now associate the massive lithium batteries that power EVs with exploitive and environmentally destructive rare-earth mining in China and some third-world countries. There is also the problem of generating sufficient electricity to power them, and the 2022 energy crisis doesn’t help this. It will cost more to charge an EV than to fill a petrol or diesel-powered car. And when the wind doesn’t blow, we will have to fire up old polluting coal-powered energy stations.

Public transport, shared car ownership and carpools are more in focus with the current zeitgeist than private car ownership. This sentiment tends to be the view of many younger people. In a recent survey, 61,7% of under 30-year-olds said they would happily give up car ownership if efficient public transport were available. While we don’t anticipate a significant decline in cards on the roads of Britain, it is a trend of which we should be aware.

Opportunities

Although some internet giants have posted significant staff reductions, there remains a talent shortage of consumer-facing technologies. CEOs consider the talent shortage to be a major factor slowing down growth. Software supports the majority of operations in most consumer-facing businesses, so the effect is ubiquitous. While firms like to hire experienced staff, with technologies such as AI evolving rapidly, flexibility, adaptability, and willingness to reskill are equally valuable assets.

The post Global Consumer Trends 2023 first appeared on Horton International.

Maneesh Ajmani, Horton International’s Chairman stated: “We are delighted to welcome Kari to the team. He will be an asset to our global technology and industrial practices. I wish him every success and look forward to further building Horton International’s Finnish business in 2022.”

Commenting on his appointment, Kari said: “I am excited to join the Horton International team. I am moving into Executive Search consulting with extensive experience in building diverse high-performance teams to execute ambitious growth strategies. Given my background, I will be able to add value to a broad range of organisations as they hire new talent to grow and transform their businesses. This new chapter in my career presents and excellent opportunity and I look forward to developing the Horton International business in Finland and globally.”

Nina Ariluoma, Country Manager, at Horton International Finland said: “I am thrilled to have Kari joining us. Kari’s addition further strengthens Horton International’s operations in Finland. His strategic experience across global organisations and his broad functional expertise makes him a perfect match for Horton International and distinguish us from other executive search firms operating in Finland. “

Horton International is ranked amongst the global top 40 executive search firms as per Hunt Scanlon Media’s Global 40 Executive Search Companies. Horton International provides global, retained executive search and talent strategy service, focusing on senior management and board level appointments.

Horton International Finland

Horton International Finland are proven experts in areas such as technology, industrial and consumer goods & retail. The Horton Finland team has deep knowledge and insights about the industries, business management and people performance. We are focused on driving sustainable, long-term business impact for our clients and strongly committed to promoting diversity in the workplace.

The post Kari Tuutti joins Horton International as Managing Partner, Finland first appeared on Horton International.

It will come as no surprise to HR leaders that there will be a lot of challenges in the coming year. ‘Work’ has significantly changed in recent years. The changes have been on the cards for a long time, but the pandemic has undoubtedly accelerated the pace.

Modern workplaces might be wholly foreign to many who retired 5/10 years ago. So with all this change in motion, what are the top things HR leaders need to keep their eye on?

1.    Retaining The Best And The Brightest

One of the biggest challenges facing all companies at the moment is dealing with the ‘Great Resignation’. Employees are leaving their jobs at a much higher rate than usual. It’s often not even for a new job. Many are leaving with nothing lined up.

If you lose one of your best employees, then it can have a knock-on effect on your whole organisation. Often, when employees hand in their notice, organisations do not have time to prepare. So employee retention needs to be proactive activity.

It can be worth identifying which employees are the most valuable to your organisation and ensuring that they are getting regular, effective feedback as well as opportunities to grow.

2.    Building Towards Better Diversity, Equity And Inclusion

Remote working has allowed many companies to recruit far more internationally they in the past. This has, in many cases, highlighted existing issues surrounding Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).

Employees, regardless of their background, are judging their companies on how they handle these issues. So with both internal and external pressures around these issues, it’s important for HR leaders to have a plan for moving forward.

Your workplace will not become more diverse, equal, and inclusive without an intentional effort. Making that effort is worth it because improving working conditions for any of your employees will improve things for everyone.

3.    Shifting HR Online

The pandemic has likely already caused many HR leaders to shift many of their systems online. One of the benefits of this happening is that both time and money can be saved on recruitment. The challenge, though, is to continue the shift to online for as many aspects of HR as is feasible. Many tools can be utilised, and it’s worth investing time to find the best ones for your needs.

A great feature to look for is software that offers real-time reporting. The best way to keep your company moving and adapting is to know what’s happening as soon as it happens. That way, you can quickly respond to the needs of your employees.

4.    Finding New Talent In A Shrinking Pool

With workers leaving their jobs in high numbers, many believed the talent pool was growing. However, it can still seem that the pool of talent may be shrinking. People are being more selective about the jobs they take. The result is that companies are getting fewer applicants for jobs. It’s not uncommon for no applications to be received.

The challenge for HR leaders is to determine how to attract talent. This could mean assessing the way that jobs are presented or even looking at the application requirements. Removing or changing the requirements might attract a more diverse pool of talent and uncover the people you need.

5.    Upskilling Employees

Improving the skills of your employees has never been more important. Increasing your employee’s skills has many benefits. The most obvious is that they will be better equipped for their jobs. But the added benefits include increased employee satisfaction and the potential for new leaders you can promote from within.

Training your employees in new skills or developing their interests can address several challenges facing HR in the coming months, so it is well worth the investment.

6.    Shaping New Leaders

With talent being hard to come by, finding good people for leadership roles is a challenge. A good solution for this is to begin shaping your current employees to turn them into the people you need. As mentioned, training and upskilling your employees is an excellent tool for achieving this. Mentoring programmes are another tool worth some consideration.

7.    Promoting Healthy Working Practices

Having a healthy workplace is vital. If you don’t look after your employee’s physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing, they are going to suffer from burnout. So what does that mean from an HR perspective?

HR leaders need to be looking at the nuts and bolts first of all. Are salaries fair, are working conditions flexible enough, are working environments suitable? More than that, though, HR should be looking for ways to increase socialisation for employees, encouraging physical activity and stress management.

8.    Addressing the Issues of Remote Work

As the pandemic surged, a majority of businesses shifted the bulk of their workforce to remote working. While there is a move to get people back in offices, over 92% of companies expect remote working to continue in some form.

There are advantages to having a remote workforce, and many of these can include cost savings. However, there are challenges as well. These will be harder to manage once some workers begin to return to the office while others don’t.

With this diversity comes the potential for a two-tier workforce. On one hand, there are the employees socialising and networking in the office. On the other hand, there are the employees working just as hard but missing out on opportunities while at home.

9.    Enhancing Demand-Based Internal Training

Training has come up several times already, so it’s no surprise that it should be a priority. It’s incumbent on HR leaders to ensure that all training is not only fit for purpose but can be delivered on-demand and is engaging and valuable. Training should be available to cover both core competencies and critical skills.

HR leaders should design a system that they can easily adapt so as to meet the changing needs of your organisation.

10. Continue To Improve Change Management

There has been a lot of change in the last two years. There is no doubt that many employees are feeling stressed and overwhelmed by the pace of change they have had to adapt to. With that in mind, it is worth looking at how your company manages big changes.

Research suggests that the most successful transformation happen when the changes are modelled by the company leadership. So it’s vital that HR leaders work with leaders across the company to make sure everyone is on the same page.

The post Top 10 Issues Facing HR Leaders first appeared on Horton International.

When I joined the executive search industry more than ten years ago, the internet did exist but it was only the dawn of the internet as we know it today. Social media, for example, has changed our business forever. Today, because of and thanks to internet, we have too much of everything when it comes to information and communication. The same goes for people and good candidates. If we only think about LinkedIn, I personally have some 2000 contacts and should I use a search word such as “Marketing Director” or “VP Sales”, I will receive results on more than two million candidates, many of them likely eligible.

For the benefit of our clients we have access to many more great candidates than before social media. Ten years ago, I had around 25 printed CV’s (and yes, many of them arrived by snail mail) to flip through for a particular position. Today, I have to deal with anywhere from one hundred to thousands online CVs after a single search.

Lately there has been a lot of discussion about our shortened attention span. Again, this includes me and I assume, my head-hunter colleagues too. I’m also guessing that hiring managers and HR-professionals are no different. There just never seems to be enough time to read every single line on a CV or online profile. However, when one pops up and catches my eye, I’m really interested to learn (quite thoroughly) what the person has accomplished in their career so far.

For the aforementioned reasons, one part of the CV, resume or online profile has become more important than ever and it is your summary. Summaries have to stand out and be engaging. Think about it! What are the most important facts about your previous career? There is no single piece of advice on what to write but make it personal and make it different. Make it short enough (remembering that recent studies show that we will lose interest, in seconds, if the content is not engaging) and make it relevant and be prepared to adapt it when necessary. Talk about your accomplishments rather than responsibilities. Think about your career summary from another person’s point of view; who will be reading it?  But most of all, put the effort into it like it was the only and most important thing that counts!

Have you ever thought about using a video for your summary?

The post The Importance of Summaries first appeared on Horton International.

We all remember the funny memes where a child creeps into the room! While things happen when you’re working from home and with toddlers, try to pick your time and place. While the incident might be just funny for your interviewer it may get you off the track. Here are some useful tips for everybody.

• Make sure you have video capability and that it is working properly; a candidate who will at the beginning of the meeting say that sorry my video is not working, just will not go further. Most of the first-round interviews are to make contact, get to know each other and see how the chemistries “click”.

• Remember where your camera is and at least every now and then look at it. Keep your own picture in the frame so that you are reminded of that.

• Think about the background. If it’s natural, make sure, there is not a window right behind (then your face will be dark) or that there are no distracting images/items behind you. If you use background effects, be aware that if your surroundings are dark, there will be an unnatural “aura” around you head especially when you move and it may look awkward. Especially wearing big headphones may cause that effect. The best background is natural neutral colour wall and light coming from the front. You can also use a table lamp or ring light to light your face.

• Position yourself further away, so that part of your upper body is showing at least shoulders. If your face is too close to the camera, it will not show your body language which is equally important as your facial expressions. Remember, this is for you as well as for the other person a situation to figure out each other, not a one-way discussion.

• If you take notes by hand, make sure your notepad is close so that you don’t have to constantly look at it. Somebody leaning constantly their head forward close to the camera when taking notes loses the eye contact. If you take notes by the PC you are using, it might be a good idea to mention that beforehand, so that the other person doesn’t think you‘re checking your emails.

The post Video Interviews are Part of the New Normal first appeared on Horton International.

We’re delighted to share the full piece with you.

You can also find the article in Finnish here:

https://newspool.fi/hellita-hallitusti-paatoksentekija/

Decision-makers: Let go of total control!

Leadership requirements for operational management and company boards have changed. The organizational environment also strongly influences individual and team performance. For that reason, in order to ensure the best possible results, Executive Search Industry needs take a holistic look at company leadership and evaluating the entire management system.

The importance of diversified business experience and leadership style in the selection of corporate strategic individuals is on the rise. Simultaneously, the relative importance of industry expertise has seen a decline as industries should more and more learn from each other.

Leadership requirements are in constant flux, which challenges companies to evaluate their own leadership expectations continuously. Therefore, executive search also needs to update their skills, challenge their operating models and offer the best candidates with more flexibility and in a transparent manner.

So, is the traditional view of leadership, or seeing it as a stand-alone ability, in transformation? Do we need to shake-up the old-fashioned practices of the industry?

“You could say that,” assesses Nina Ariluoma, Managing Partner at Horton International Finland. “Rapid technological developments, unexpected changes in the markets and in competitive dynamics, agile and autonomous work cultures are bringing new demands for leadership capabilities.”

Ariluoma says today’s leaders need to create a deeper purpose for work and be the organizational enablers, ensuring that people can succeed in their work.  “The leader creates common direction and goals, leads the way and builds common practices and capable and well-functioning team. This way ensuring the company’s commitment to its owners and other stakeholders,” she continues.

Nowadays, employees desire more responsibility and freedom in their day-to-day tasks. Understanding these needs is also a must for the majority of companies to succeed in the market. However, when recruiting, the need to develop management structures and policies to support the introduction of new capabilities or new goals is many times neglected. It is the management systems, which is often found to be the most difficult part of the transformation. How are leaders able to let go of the control on their role as decision-makers in order to delegate the decision-making power across the organization in a way that serves the entire professional community. Today, employees expect their leaders to be their coaches and to be available when needed, rather than telling them what to do.

Utilizing know-how broadly and effectively

Horton’s mission is to challenge and renew executive search practices.

“In addition to evaluating candidates’ ability to meet new leadership requirements, we also work with our clients on their own vision of capable leaders,” says Ariluoma. “As part of the executive search process, we can also help our clients to renew their management system and organization.”  It is essential that our clients ensure that their organization, decision making, and ways of working are aligned with strategy and expectations for the leader. That is just too often neglected and can be a costly mistake.

The aim is to select the right people with diverse backgrounds and visions to fill a company’s strategic roles, as well as board member positions.

“We want to make sure, that their skills are utilized with the greatest efficiency,” she states. Ariluoma affirms that Horton selects candidates for review, who challenge the industry’s traditional expectations.

“Our customer promise is to provide diverse candidate lists in every search we work with our clients on. This means that every short list of candidates involves both women and men, industry experts and challengers from outside the industry, as well as talented people who would take a step forward in their careers,” she specifies.

Horton’s team has a diverse background in industry, leadership and psychology, plus access and understanding of the latest research data.

“Through teamwork, we ensure a broad perspective to help the customer. Ultimately, our mission is to have an in-depth understanding of the requirements of new era leadership, the needs of our clients, and how a company and business can transform through new types of leadership,” Ariluoma concludes.

The post Decision-makers: Let go of total control! first appeared on Horton International.

Duunitori’s Top 10 ratings were included in their 2019 report on the state of the “Direct Search” market, published in Sept this year. The comprehensive report shows that the Finnish search market amounted to more than EUR 80 million, which is about 8 per cent more than a year earlier.

Growth has been the fastest ever, especially for companies focused on direct search only.

Congratulations to Ville, Olli, Ani and the team on their continued success!

https://suorahakuyritykset.fi/

The post Horton Finland tops the polls! first appeared on Horton International.

Nina has remarkable leadership expertise in the fields of technology, consumer goods, and consulting industries. She has extensive international experience in forming and shaping executive teams within these industries. Her strong background in digitalization, new operational model development, and innovative workforce leadership requirements helps our clients to scope their expectations, assess, and search for right qualities across industries and functions.

Before joining Horton International, she lead Nordic Talent &   Organization Strategy Consulting at Accenture. In this role, she worked with   leading Nordic companies helping them to drive their strategy in digitalization,   new business and operating models, and future workforce challenges.   Moreover, Nina has a strong background in Human Resources: she has served as   a Chief Human Resources Officer for Fiskars Group and held several global   HR leadership positions in Nokia.

Her many years of leadership and management experience are from global,   multi-cultural environments, having also lived several years in the US and   Russia.  Nina holds an M.Sc. in Psychology   from Helsinki University and an Executive MBA from Aalto University.

Welcome to Horton International, Nina!

The post Horton International Welcomes Nina Ariluoma, our new Managing Partner for Finland. first appeared on Horton International.

The busier you are the more you need time to take off!

However, the time needed for vacation and recuperation is very individual. I have encountered people who feel overwhelmed by their workload while a seemingly similar workload isn’t even enough for another person. Passion for what you do makes wonders. Sometimes even to the point, where burnout occurs. The good explanation for working too much is: “Because I love my work”! I’m also honoured to meet next generation leaders in my job. More often than before, I hear them stressing the need for work-life balance. I hope there will be less burnout in the future.

These past couple of months I’ve been fortunate to work with some great leaders; one of them, a CFO who while carrying out a demanding recruitment, was selling 1/3 of his 1,7 billion € company. Not once did he seem stressed, not once did he show anything else except concentrating solely on the recruitment when we met. He once said: “Ani, if you only knew what’s going on behind the scenes.” I think there is the clue: to be able to concentrate on the task at hand, giving it 100%. Then move to the next challenge and give it your 100%.

Finland basically closes for the month of July. Hopefully all the people taking a longer Finnish style holiday or a shorter version can concentrate on “the task at hand”. Just leave the work behind! Give the holiday your 100%. No multitasking with your holiday and work! I love the out-of-office-message I just got from a client: I’m having a holiday and won’t be checking my emails!

The post Take a vacation! first appeared on Horton International.