Finding Wayne Rooney

Top teams need top talent - finding them young and breeding their loyalty is crucial for long term success. Just ask Sir Alex Ferguson, or better still, ask the head of any ambitious company. A shortage of talent means both teams, whether gunning for sporting or business achievements, can find themselves out of their depth and in serious trouble. Should we be worried then?

Considered a rarity in the marketplace, talent seems to be the hardest challenge facing all businesses today. If some were to be believed, it would soon require another breed of person to fit the demands of recruitment firms or managing directors. On the other hand, this could be a rather extreme portrait of a situation that is far from being dangerous or impossible to surmount.

Talented people have always been difficult to come by, irrespective of the nature of business and it would not be a new phenomenon affecting advertising, PR or marketing today. Sue Olivier, talent director of Ogilvy & Mather Singapore thinks it's not any harder now than it used to be before. But while the difficulties of finding talent may remain similar, the demands of the market are under continuous evolution.

James Koh, director of Aquent Singapore identifies three main challenges in recruiting the right talent in Singapore today. "One is something that you can't resolve, which is a very buoyant market now. The opportunities outweigh the supply of good talent", he says. The second problem is to understand people's motivations for moving. While employees may state their reasons, it may not be the real thing and agencies or multinationals would need to understand people's true motivations in order to cope with the situation. Lastly, the talent pool may be insufficient to meet the demands of industry.

Peony Lim, sales & marketing manager, at Robert Walters sees the localisation of talent as companies try to avoid importing talent from abroad. While this may be a plus for local talent, recruitment firms find it difficult, as the talent pool is only so big. On one hand, Singapore may be a relatively small country with a limited talent pool. On the other hand, young Singaporeans looking for exposure are increasingly driven to go abroad to work. Olivier of O&M says agencies are losing many people to China and India, countries she labels "interesting communications markets".

This signifies a definite break with the past, when few people would have cited India or China as potential countries of choice. It seems to be a trend of sorts, particularly with the image of Shanghai as a rather happening place to be in. Simultaneously, great foreign talent may be embarking on Singapore's shores, from India, the Philippines, Australia and Thailand. This influx could offset the departure of good local talent and enrich the country's advertising landscape, Patrick Mowe, international relations director of the Institute of Advertising Singapore (IAS) says.

With all this talk of talent crunch, one would think that agencies are looking beyond Singapore to recruit good people. However, Kurt Viertel, managing director of Leo Burnett sees some really passionate people joining the industry in Singapore. He thinks the biggest challenge is to hire the right people, as it's hard to judge if advertising is the right profession for those stepping into the industry. One of the key issues in advertising may be the low pay at entry-level jobs, in comparison to some industries that pay better at the beginning. Moreover, it's an industry that "tests one's resolve or passion", Viertel says, as the long hours and working across the weekends take their toll.

While advertising continues to be regarded as glamorous by a vast majority of young Singaporeans, they may neither have the passion, patience or persistence to work their way up, feels Palani Pillai, CEO of Crush Advertising. No one can deny the business is a tough one but the rewards for those who stay on may far outweigh the initial hurdles or challenges. As Pillai points out, it is not an industry that pays less well than the others. Some of the top earners in advertising earn huge amounts that put them on par with some of the top earners in other industries.

This may be true, but advertising often rewards the top 5%, Viertel says, and not the majority. Often, the wait can be long and the rewards insufficient, in certain cases. Both Olivier and Pillai observe the talent drain or moving away of talent on the client servicing side of the business rather than the creative. The profession recognises and rewards the efforts of creative people with big pay packages and through award shows but the client servicing people rarely catch the limelight.

For Viertel, the rewards are predominantly personal. He feels "If you're a star in advertising, you're looked after" but the stars may be hard to come by today. Olivier thinks the most important issue is the industry being incredibly young. Unlike their predecessors, today's youngsters are more impatient and demanding. It's what Aquent's Koh calls the "fast-food culture" and may not be applicable to advertising alone. But the industry is equally demanding. With everyone looking for that outstanding person, it could be difficult to create a perfect model.

Marketing faces its share of challenges but seems more stable than advertising. Marketing people are a special breed, feels Charles Chee, HR director, Agilent Technologies, Singapore and Thailand. Like advertising, it is also seen as glamorous and the pay is not bad either. While advertising may talk of its stars, marketing can talk of its star products. As Li-Wen Lo, regional marketing manager, Hertz Asia Pacific explains, "Talents go for star products while they should look deeper into what a role or position offers in terms of job scope and personal development opportunities."

As a career, Chee thinks marketing always offers opportunities and people can develop themselves within. It is also a highly transferable function, adds Lim of Robert Walters. She sees no difficulty for marketing people to move to an agency but she does encounter problems when reversing this role. Some of the industries she cites as being open include finance or telecommunications as opposed to the FMCG industry, which stays rather rigid in its demands. This could be one of the reasons for the talent dearth affecting all industries and agencies or multinationals may need to look wider to find the right people.

Arts marketing could serve as an example, attracting people from diverse sectors like banking, retail or publishing. Michelle Koh, director of marketing services, The Esplanade, may not face a dearth in terms of talent but thinks arts marketing faces its own challenges. "The one shoe does not fit all", certainly applies here, she says. Arts marketing calls for diversity of thinking and approach that vary based on the target segment and deadlines can be exacting. It also calls for patience and tenacity, words that Pillai uses when talking about advertising.

What awaits PR then? James Acheson-Gray, managing director, Grayling does not think there's a talent drain. Or maybe the agency's been spared. Acheson-Gray has been with Grayling for 14 years and came to set up the company's Singapore office in 1999. He explains that its need for talent has come about more with growth rather than people leaving. But he does notice a dearth at the entry-level positions. With the growth of PR, he thinks many junior people may have been promoted rather rapidly to senior-level positions, creating this gap. Another disturbing factor he mentions is the rapidity with which people jump jobs in this market. "People hop more readily", he says and this may be a reflection of the culture in this part of the world, where change symbolises progress.

In Europe, it may be harder for employees to jump jobs, but the Asian market seems to take it in its stride. The reasons for leaving may be diverse: money, management or career development. Olivier of O&M reminds us that employees don't leave jobs but managers. However, some managers are getting it right. While turnover may be high, agencies like Leo Burnett and Grayling are maintaining their staff numbers. Amongst the many initiatives in place at Leo Burnett, one worth citing is the Leo Burnett University (LBU). A training academy, it offers both functional and leadership training. The company also promotes the LBU alumni to provide networking opportunities for staff.

Acheson-Gray feels Grayling's differentiating point is work-life balance. He argues that it "shouldn't be regarded as a concession but seen as a powerful employee tool." In what he defines as "a people's business", he thinks it's important for staff to be taken care of, so they in turn take care of the clients. In fact, work-life balance is considered a crucial element in most organisations, with companies offering staff flexible work hours, social activities and networking nights. As the space between work and personal life becomes increasingly grey, the workplace becomes a second home to many. Olivier cites various training programmes but stresses on creating a sense of community. She says, "People need to bond with the company", particularly with the long hours that agency life demands.

Pillai thinks it all boils down to three things, "Recognition, reward and respect". According to him, advertising may be one of the least understood professions, with the industry making no effort to cast the net, as he calls it. What's more, one needs to go beyond advertising he says, citing his agency in the Philippines that recently hired someone who worked in an antique shop on the client servicing side of the business.

Hertz's Lo thinks companies lose talent if they can't meet the demands of bright people who "grow out of their roles fast." Effective retention is only possible through consistent review, adjustment and fulfilment of mutual needs, she says. Many agencies and firms find attractive compensation and benefits are no longer enough and there is a growing need for more than regular training programmes. Koh of Aquent shares the top three retention strategies: career development, discretionary bonus and training & education.

Robert Walters' Lim can sense people are ready to move based on three simple questions. One concerns broadening of skills, the other is recognition for one's efforts and the last is one's relationship with one's supervisor. She also explains the cultural nuances that prevent Asians from speaking up when dissatisfied with something. Its often easy to say that it's the money but in today's job market, the current employer can make a counter offer. While it may be hard to put a finger on people's reasons for moving, it would be more possible to put the brakes on them.

Allowing employees to grow and move with the company is crucial, with many employees seeing international postings as a career highlight. Acheson-Gray cites various examples of employees who've moved within the region and those who've come down from Europe to Asia. Koh thinks one just needs to go back to basics and respect people to keep them.

While there is bound to be movement in any business, sometimes poaching can create a sudden gap that's hard to fill. Viertel sees it as a natural challenge and thinks it's his problem if he's unable to retain his people. While clients used to have a very dim view of advertising agencies losing people, they soon realised that they were open to the same problems, he adds. Olivier thinks poaching is evident and one way of combating it would be to keep one's promises. A strong employee value proposition means one has to deliver on what one says. Poaching is not uncommon in the car rental industry either but affects operations more than marketing, explains Lo from Hertz.

What do the head hunters say about poaching? Lim from Robert Walters calls it a vicious cycle. She feels head hunters look for people the client wants in order to meet the brief but there's no added value to the relationship in such a scenario. However, one needs to meet the brief. Moreover, with everyone susceptible to poaching, it would be hard to blame it on the competition and the very nature of headhunting has changed, with mid-level people being head hunted as much as senior people.

Primarily, finding, training and growing one's staff is a perpetual challenge and takes time and continuous effort. Like any relationship, some are bound to work, while others fail. While no magic formula may exist, it may be easier than some think. "For us at Leo Burnett, it's about a whole degree of humanity", Viertel says.

Often, companies spend time looking outwards but don't look sufficiently inwards. Those who do look within may notice that staff motivation levels are raised through open communication and an emphasis on both individual and collective growth. Everyone may want the unique idea but the market can only produce what is in it. "If you put garbage in, you're going to get garbage out", Pillai warns. He says he can't remember the last time ad agencies set up booths at tertiary institutions. This may be one of the fundamental reasons for the creation of the Talent Draft Initiative with the IAS that aims at reaching youngsters in tertiary institutions and preparing them for the real world in advertising.

Marketing may not face this issue, with large firms holding campus recruitments and actively participating in career fairs. However, one can't expect wonders from one's talent pool. People need exposure to churn ideas and to deal with the pressures and demands of today's business environment. Moreover, if companies have pre-conceived profiles in mind, they risk missing out on the good people. After all, real talent should be capable of transferring its skills and picking up new ones. It would be incredibly naïve if businesses were to hire people who've done the same job all their life.

Talented people are harder to please and have goals that need to be aligned with that of the organisation. It takes nurturing and moulding to build creative and high-performing staff. Businesses may make demands but also need to give back to their staff. In what's a simple two-way process, complications arise due to incompatible demands. While talent has a way of finding its way where it's rewarded, business may need to find a way of reaching out to it.

Box out 1:

Mistry: You want to be in advertising or be an accountant?

Singapore - The IAA Singapore chapter and the IAS have come together to launch Talent Draft Initiative in hopes it will help fill the lack of depth in the local advertising talent pool.

Chairman for the IAA Singapore Chapter, and EVP of Asia Pacific for McCann Erickson, Sorab Mistry addressed the crowd of students who gathered at SMU to witness the launch of the Talent Draft programme, and looked to inspire them, saying, "Ideas are everything - advertising is the best part of what marketers do and it's the best job in the world - you get to think creatively as well as think business mind like. It's the tension and contrasts which makes it so great - you get to live life".

The programme involves eight tertiary institutions who identify top graduates interested in careers within the advertising and marcoms industries - graduates will then undergo a selection process where 24 are offered jobs with sponsoring companies. The sponsoring companies include Crush, DDB Worldwide, Euro RSCG, Formul8, McCann Erickson, Ogilvy & Mather, TBWA, Y&R, MindShare, Moove Media, SMRT and M1.

The selected students will be with their sponsoring company for two years with a guaranteed salary of $2000 a month effective June 2007. The IAS will train the graduates for a year based on a curriculum developed by Mistry - successful completion of the course earns graduates the IAS Professional Diploma in Advertising.

The initiative could not have come at a better time and according to Mistry, Singapore is experiencing "a decreasing number of talents across all advertising disciplines" and a distinct "lack of young ad savvy locals".

Among the many examples Mistry used in an attempt to have the students "get it" -- he believed that to be advertising it is important to "think laterally and on your feet".

"You can't solve a problem with the same thinking that created it - you can't sit down and say lets solve the problem," he said.

Tertiary Institutions participating in Talent Draft Initiative:

SMU

NUS

NTU

Ngee Ann Polytechnic

Singapore Polytechnic

Temasek Polytechnic

Republic Polytechnic

Nanyang Polytechnic

Source: Published in Marketing on 22 March 2007.

By Deepika François