Insight

Exceed Our Client’s Expectation!

Meeting our client’s expectation is the only way to sustain our business. No matter how strong your marketing effort and budget is, but in the situation when most of client’s are not happy with our products or services, then that will be the start of business disaster.

In service business, normally we will have agreed “service level agreement (SLA)”. Usually, it’s about our speed to deliver the service, quality of work, and other agreed commitments. By meeting SLA, which formally becomes our client expectation, is the only way we can survive the assignment/job orders, clientship and for sure our collection (receivable/revenue). Happy client will pay our bill on time, give repeat orders,and if we are lucky enough they will spread the good of our service to other potential clients.

On the side, let’s imagine if we fail to meet the SLA. For sure, bills will no be paid, a lot of disputes (can be legal issues as well), not to mention the reputation damaged, especially once the bad news spread fast and uncontrollable.

To make our client happier, in fact to fall in love in our business, then we need to exceed their expectation. The questions, how to make it happened?

To read further about how to exceed our client’s expectation, click this link below

Linkedin.com/Exceed-Our-Client-Expectation

– Taufik Arief, President of People Search International, an executive search company based at Jakarta – Indonesia

The Power and The Potential

Some people have said recruitment will be replaced by machines. Others believe the head hunting industry will disappear. Whatever happens, technology, especially social media, has changed recruitment practices massively, and it’s continuously happening. But what is the reality? By analyzing the value chain in recruitment, both transactionally and analytically it is possible to gain a more realistic insight. From what follows, it is clear that some recruiters are likely to the feel pain of change. However, others might smell opportunity.

Read this article in the link below

https://tinyurl.com/ThePowerandThePotential

– Taufik Arief, is President of People Search International, an executive search company based at Jakarta – Indonesia

Cultured Approach

Becoming a successful recruiter in Singapore or Hong Kong may seem straightforward but many recruiters can come unstuck if they fail to appreciate the nuances and qualities required from the function in this part of the world. Moreover, while highly urbanised cities may seem welcoming for recruitment businesses, there may be a wealth of untapped potential for those who stay within the city limits and do not stretch themselves beyond. It could be a safe and secure policy not to stray too far from the well-beaten path, but having made the step into the Asia Pacific region to begin with, it would seem a shame to go all that way and not explore a little.

“There is no doubt that recruiting in Asia is very different from recruiting in the US, UK and Australia,” says Rob Green, CEO and owner of GRM Search. “The culture is vastly different, the working environment is no longer predominantly western and over the past eight years, we have seen much more influence in the business environment from China – due in a large part to the client base of our clients, being more and more driven from the mainland.”

Whilst classifying a start-up in Hong Kong or Singapore as being relatively easy, other regions, says Green are ‘tricky’. He states: “The challenges you will face will be when you are actually on the ground.”

When asked how recruiters should get to know a country, there is clearly no short cut in Green’s book: “By living and breathing it and pounding the streets,” he says. “Get to know what makes the people tick by meeting them and talking to them and integrating yourself and your family into your new life. Once you start to understand a place, you will be better positioned to capitalise professionally.”

Indeed, Green’s preference for a new business would be to bring in known talent – even an internal appointment – so firstly you have the assurance of that worker’s capability and secondly, if things do go awry, it is easier to backtrack and re-employ that person into your organisation.

“It would make sense to have been making placements and have existing clients and candidates on the ground before you commit to an office,” Green concludes, “but if you are in a market space that isn’t over-saturated then perhaps you can take a risk.”

Taufik Arief, founder of People Search International, and ASIA member director for NPA Worldwide admits hubs such as Singapore and Hong Kong are attractive for recruiters, but he does emphasise the need to study what he terms as the ‘industrial competition map’ before making any commitment. “Emerging markets might provide more opportunities with less competition,” he remarks, adding however: “Certainly they come with another challenges, such as company establishment, regulation and culture.”

“Knowing the local culture and people is always important,” says Arief. “Having a local partner will ease you on this, or at least hiring locals as part of your organisation’s senior management team. Doing business in the Eastern world really requires strong relationship beside service performance.”

Indeed, for some countries local involvement in your business is essential. Nerissa S. Reyes, President of Avanti People Partnership International and chair of NPA Worldwide describes the recruitment industry in the Philippines as “highly regulated with high licensing costs, direct hiring limitations and local ownership restrictions”. Currently for a multi-national firm to set up, they require over 50 per cent local ownership. Such restrictions indicate any recruitment business set up needs to think about more local involvement than simply employment. As Taufik Arief notes, “The ability to identify and persuade potential local partners is crucial.”

Reyes also highlights the fact that in the Philippines, permanent recruitment requires a license from the Department of Labor whilst service-contracting or outsourced staff policies have recently been revised. The new implementing policy increases financial requirements on businesses and introduces further restrictions on “labour-only contracting”. She also adds that the deployment of Foreign workers requires a license from POEA (Philippine Overseas Employment Agency) and these are difficult to obtain.

To read further about this article, please click the link below

https://tinyurl.com/CulturedApproach

– Simon Kent explores how recruiters should get to know a new country in order to do business.

Being an Indonesian Expatriate’s Wife : The Art & Challenges

By: Nafitri Riza Devi

Being expatriate, is never easy, particularly at the early stage you arrive, and having supportive spouse is one of the key success factor. Devi is wife of an Indonesian expatriate who currently has been working in Middle East as a top professional banker. Let us find below, how she assisted her husband in adapting her whole family in new place and facing the challenges.

Share to us, how’s your husband’s international working experience and how have you been following him in last years? (please share about his place of work, occupation, etc)

My husband capitalizes on his wealth of experience as corporate banker in Indonesia and thus far we have lived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and Doha, Qatar. He was the team leader for corporate banking in Jeddah whilst in Doha he is the Head of Large Local Corporate where he manages a team of relationship managers and support function, and deal with the top tier local companies.

How did you adapt with new environment, and how did you help your husband to do the same thing?

Prior to departure, we had researched the countries that we were going to thus had ideas on the living conditions there. In both places, we live in compound and thus adaptation was relatively smooth as these are professional expatriates’ communities and thus we share many common things. Compound is basically an upscale gated community for expatriates whereby all requirements are being met. For example, the compound include swimming pools, tennis court, recreational areas for the kids, and even mini market. They also provide us with drivers and maid to take care of necessary things.

How about the kids? How’s their adaptation process: new friends, schools, and environment? how did you help them to integrate them with locals?

Our children have been exposed to English language ever since we were in Jakarta, and thus moving into international schools in both Jeddah and Doha were not difficult for them. They adapted quickly to the environment and the friends. It is also very encouraging to see them much more independent and outspoken now. They now view everybody as equal, even the westerners. I don’t think this is the case in Indonesia. Most of their friends and teachers include American, British, etc, and they enroll in many activities together, such as soccer, ballet, arts, etc. A number of prominent locals also attend the schools and thus they have started to pick up Arabic as well, in addition to formal course taught in class.

Do you feel home sick? How do you handle it?

In Jeddah, I didn’t feel much home sick as our home was always surrounded by friends and families who flew to Saudi to perform Umrah. In Doha, is a bit tougher as this is no longer the case. I managed to overcome this by engaging myself with a number of Indonesian friends, frequent talk to the families via Skype, and go back to Jakarta every 4 months.

What happened with yourself, when hearing some important news from Jakarta, such as your parents are sick, somebody (important for your life) passed away, and others?

This actually happens to us as my father in law passed away earlier this year. I guess we can never have the best of both worlds. However, for us, the important thing is that our parents provide the blessing to work abroad. It is always very sad when this happens but live must go on.

Beside international experience for your husband and family, what other benefits you believe received by your family, such as financial, etc?

Financial success is one of the reason why we decide to work abroad. However, one great benefit is on the children development. Being abroad have made them become very independent, outspoken, critical, and ability to engage with people from many different countries.

Do you have personal opportunity to use your education/knowledge by working, being self-employed or running your own firm there?

I had the opportunity to practice my dentist skills by working alongside the Indonesian embassy and provide short lessons to Indonesians working there, as well as involve as a dentist consultant in my children’s school. Am now trying to apply for a dentist position in one of the hospital.

Do you recommend more Indonesians working overseas? And why? And what to prepare as a wife who accompany their husband working overseas?

Definitely. I found working abroad is beneficial to grow the professional experience as well as being closer to the family. The wife should be open minded when going abroad and be prepare to face the new challenges