All I want for Christmas is…

  • Post published:15/12/2021
  • Reading time:6 mins read

Father ChristmasBut back to reality and the real world we live in. Here are my wishes that I put on my Christmas Wish List – hopefully already in the hands of Santa Claus.

Dear Father Christmas,

I don’t want a lot for Christmas. There is just one thing I need. I don’t care about the presents underneath the Christmas tree.

I don’t need to hang my stocking there upon the fireplace. Santa Claus won’t make me happy with a toy on Christmas Day.

I won’t make a list and send it to the North Pole for Saint Nick. I won’t even stay awake to hear those magic reindeer click.

Oh, all the lights are shining so brightly everywhere. I hear those sleigh bells ringing. Santa, won’t you bring me what I really need?

That was from American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey’s lead single from her Merry Christmas album released in 1994.

Life-long learning is not about how to live a long life!

Keep learningNo Sir. No Ma’am. It’s the never-ending and voluntary pursuit of knowledge for personal and professional reasons. This belief in never-stop learning will ensure that you are on top of your profession and that colleagues seek your advice because they trust you.

Perhaps more importantly, that your input and update to your boss, to the CEO or Chairman are never outdated and will not risk you being fired.

Candidate courtesy is totally lacking

Candidate CareYes, not only in Thailand but around the world. Go to Glassdoor.com and see for yourself.

There are enough comments from candidates, applicants, and even employees about their experience when in a hiring or promotion process, that will keep you busy reading for days.

1.Being called in for 8 times in-person interviews on different days. That is easily four to six full vacation days used by the candidate.

2.Not being kept informed about the status for months and months by the hiring authority.

3.Senior executives being interviewed by a 23-year-old HR Assistant.

4.The new hire given promises during the interviews about job responsibility and benefits that are never kept. I even hear some new employees that are told about new and different responsibilities on their first day of employment.

5.Posting a job ad for a position that does not exist.

6.Treating others the way you want to be treated yourself is no longer a guiding ethical standard. Well, until you find yourself at the receiving end.

How many top executives for management do you hire every year?

I certainly don’t hope that you must fill management positions every single year. Having a turnover at management level that requires you to replace out-going executives that often cannot be good for business. Agree?

Your answer to the question would more likely be: One hire for management every second or third year. Or even longer.

So, compare your own internal recruitment resources with an executive search firm.

  • Your internal recruitment: 1 management hire every two or three years.
  • Executive search: 25 management hires every year.

Question: Who of the two appears to have more experience in handling such search?

Psychometric assessment improving hiring decisions

PI used hereIt’s a fact that adding psychometric and cognitive assessment to your hiring process and personal/team development will greatly enhance the quality of your decisions.

These assessments are not to replace anything you already do; it’s just one extra huge piece of the hiring jigsaw puzzle that gives you incredible insight into work behaviour and learning ability.

It improves hiring quality and retention = improved revenue and reduced costs of replacements.

In closing 2021

With 80 blog articles in the bag since April 2020, t’s time for a break. It won’t be long, and we are back with more blogs in January.

May Santa Claus bring everything you wished for. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Tom Sorensen

Tom Sorensen is an executive search veteran with over 25 years of experience recruiting in Asia, Europe, and Africa. He has worked in executive search in Thailand since 2003 and is recognized as one of the country’s top recruiters and most profiled headhunters.