Here at Ennis & Co we pride ourselves on our quality service and communicative approach, to the benefit of both our clients and candidates. We are aware that the automotive and mobility market is ever changing, particularly due to recent events, and we therefore strive to continually evolve our search process to meet new expectations. Everything has changed so much over the past year on a global scale, and in light of this we wanted to reach out to our candidates to understand how they feel they have been looked after by us and learn what aspects of our process need modifying.
While we may not be perfect, we are constantly trying to improve – and it is for this reason that we have decided to review how our candidates feel about our service more consistently, to see what is realistic in the market, ensure our service levels are high, and importantly – that we are looking after people in a way that suits them. By researching into what candidates appreciate about our process and what could be improved further, we can continue our lead as experts in automotive executive search and adapt our approach to these ever-changing market conditions, with consideration for the different sectors and regions we work within.
We find that expectations and norms vary drastically by region and we therefore adapt our approach and dialogue to accommodate this. It was important to us to review our entire process end to end and ask for areas of improvements, as we recognise that while we may be excelling in our approach towards UK candidates, our European, APAC, or US candidates may have different needs or expectations. For example, within our initial approach and interview scheduling we are flexible to meet the needs of candidates in different time zones, but we want to understand what more we can do to accommodate all candidates.
This same adaptability in approach would also be true by specialty – for example, a HR professional may already have an understanding of the executive search process and feel comfortable with it, while a candidate from a manufacturing background might need more support or coaching, for example.
Due to this variance and constant change in the market, we conducted our first in an ongoing series of surveys asking recent candidates about the entire Ennis & Co experience, starting from initial contact through to the shortlisting process. We contacted over 100 placed and shortlisted candidates from the past two years for roles required globally within OEMs, NSCs, the supply chain, Mobility, Tech, and Digital organisations, using bespoke questions to gain a holistic view of how they felt about Ennis & Co, as well as the client experience.
Read on below for our key takeaways and highlights from Ennis & Co’s April 2021 Candidate Survey:
On our initial approach…
On initial approach the majority of candidates felt intrigued by the opportunity, with another large portion feeling excited. All responses were positive, which is an incredibly promising, and a little surprising, insight into the current recruitment market.
Whilst we have experienced some uncertainty and U-turning within our process recently from candidates in the initial stages who are concerned about market and role stability due to the implications of the COVID-19 crisis, this openness to our first contact is certainly a positive take away.
Many of our roles in recent months have been based within the APAC region or mainland Europe, areas which recovered relatively quickly to the initial coronavirus outbreak, which perhaps explains this intrigue and excitement. As conditions improve globally, we expect all candidate confidence to increase further.
On the Ennis & Co experience…
Our overall approach again received a hugely positive response. 75% of candidates reported feeling very satisfied with the level of support received from Ennis & Co with a further 17.5% feeling satisfied with the support. Our approach was viewed as professional and informative, with further praise on our ‘full and comprehensive package that supports candidates regardless of the outcome,’ from Matt Wrigley, Group Marketing & Innovations Director at Jardine Motors Group.
As part of this package, we find it instrumental to ensure frequent communication with both clients and candidates at every stage of an assignment. This engagement is key to understanding a client’s company values and ensuring candidates are aligned to this. We have been told that our team members are a ‘genuine pleasure to speak with’ and that our professionalism has impressed Rob Deane, Director S&OP Business Planning Developed International Markets at Harley-Davidson on multiple occasions.
However, we also recognise the need to continually improve and though 100% of candidates reported feeling either satisfied or very satisfied about the level of communication received, we did have additional comments from candidates who felt we could have raised our level of communication even further – particularly after they had been placed in their new role for further supportive check ins. For instance, one candidate suggested additional support through onboarding as an improvement to be made.
The quality of our communications was also commented on, predominantly positively, though there were a couple individuals who felt we could improve this further, and that sometimes our personal touch could be lost.
We have taken these comments on board and will ensure to improve and develop these areas to meet our candidates’ needs. As time moves on, we will continue to reflect on the market, and identify further area of improvement.
On the client experience…
As part of our process, Ennis & Co manage the client feedback and initial interview profiling to enable smooth transitions throughout the process.
We were delighted to receive a hugely positive response of candidates to client feedback. This came as a slight surprise – despite the fact that not all of the candidates surveyed were placed in the role, 85% of the responses felt positive or extremely positive about the client feedback. This again highlights the value of communication as well as the appreciation from candidates towards the honest feedback from the client.
In addition, our candidates felt supported, prepared, and informed for the interview process. This is a clear sign of Ennis & Co’s strong relationships with our clients and understanding of their company culture, as we represent them well and effectively inform candidates of what will be expected of them in their client interview. We are delighted to have been told that it is clear we ‘really understand our client’ and our ‘strong relationship with them is obvious’- Christophe Couet, Managing Director at Harley-Davidson France.
However, we have also seen some contrasting behaviour from candidates in recent months. Perhaps linked to the current instability of the employment market, our experience with this group has become quite unpredictable, to say the least.
Expectations have reached a new high, not only in salary and location requirements, but from Ennis & Co as a service. We find that even when there is no update from the client’s side, our candidates still want a reassuring email to let them know they have not been forgotten and that they will be updated as soon as possible. Candidates also want regular ongoing support and check ins, long after they have been placed in their new role.
Furthermore, it is important to recognise how different automotive segments are evolving globally, and the subsequent response from candidates due to this. As we all know, the retail segment has recently had a huge push towards online selling due to lockdown dealership closures in many European and Asian markets, resulting in a need for E-Commerce and digital specialists. In addition, the move to mobility as a service is becoming a driving force in many OEMs’ organisational strategy, due in large part to the success and growth of mobility start-ups across the globe. Skill sets must therefore adapt as roles transform and develop – when new roles are created, a candidates’ transferable skills become as important as their previous experience.
These trends have of course also had an impact on the recent roles undertaken here at Ennis & Co. Exciting technologically focused roles have been prominent, particularly within the EV and sustainability segment. We have placed roles within EVs and Emissions, CAVS and ADAS, and more, with regional director job specifications requiring that candidates have a focus and strategy for EV development and deployment.
Regarding the push towards digital selling, one of our recent role titles was ‘Online Business Director’ for the UK NSC of a global OEM. It is clear that many organisations appear to be separating their online and physical selling, as the consumer journey becomes more and more digital. In addition, as mobility start-ups continue their strong growth, this results in the need for new regional directors and commercial roles to continue this expansion.
We are constantly monitoring market trends and improving our service accordingly, and through the implementation of these ongoing surveys and with a growing team to accommodate our client’s and candidates’ needs, we aim to ensure a consistent and positive experience for all by continually reflecting and responding to both market adaptations and transforming candidate needs.
We would like to say a huge thank you to all candidates who responded to our survey. Your feedback is greatly appreciated, and we strive to continue exceeding expectations in all future searches.
We were especially touched to hear that 75% of respondents were very likely to recommend Ennis & Co as an executive search partner – a huge compliment. As always, we want you to fulfil your potential, and we go the extra mile to make it happen.
