She took the plunge in 2018, after an initial career in human resources spanning more than two decades, first as HR senior manager at Deloitte (1998-2012), then as HR director at BDO (2012-2018). “I wanted to create the firm that I would have dreamed of working with when I was an HR manager,” says , founder of Lamboley Executive Search in Luxembourg. The headhunter agreed to tell Paperjam about what goes on in her head.
Ethics: Basic things to respect
Lamboley said: “Admittedly, we don’t save lives. But headhunters do have a significant impact on the professional and personal lives of the people they approach. So I’m never going to ‘place’ someone just to ‘place’ them. If I know that the position, the corporate culture or the values sought are not a good match for the candidate, I won’t offer him or her to my client. Everything has to ‘fit’ perfectly.”
“For me, there are some basics that everyone in the headhunting or HR world should respect. But unfortunately, they don’t always come naturally. When I was HR director, I worked with a lot of headhunting and recruitment agencies. What I observed was that there was always something missing to ensure that the collaboration was what I expected. Either there was a lack of communication, or the profiles didn’t match up to expectations, or there was a problem of motivation, and so on.”
“What isn’t done often enough is constructive feedback. This means providing feedback to candidates, even--and especially!--when they have not been selected, to help them improve and develop their skills, whether technical or soft. This is the basis of the recruiter or headhunter/candidate relationship. I always take a long-term view, which enables me to build a relationship of trust with the people I have contacted. If a candidate hasn’t been selected for a job for a certain reason, that doesn’t mean they won’t be recruited later for another assignment I’m working on. It’s all part of building your employer brand.”
Networking: Linkedin, another form of networking
“I’ve been in Luxembourg for 28 years, and I’ve built up a huge network. Networking means meeting people who can be both candidates and clients. Or candidates who one day will become clients. It’s about making your company and your business known and explaining your differentiating approach.”
“With experience, you realise that you don’t have time to go everywhere and, above all, that some events are better than others. I choose the events I attend accordingly.”
“At the same time, I have over 12,000 followers on Linkedin. That’s another form of networking. I write a lot of articles and posts. There’s a discrepancy between the comments visible on my posts and the messages I receive privately from people who don’t dare to like or comment because they’re afraid of publicly sharing their opinions. If someone sends me a message, I always find a moment to reply... The network is built on these exchanges too. It’s a link.”
I don’t like the idea of a pool of candidates, because if there is a pool, it’s never up to date.
The approach: Some people are contacted every day
“I never contact a potential candidate on a professional email address, nor do I call them at their place of work. It’s too invasive. So the first contact is always made through a personal address or on LinkedIn. You can also approach them in person. The fact that I have a good employer brand is an asset, because the people I contact know that the positions I’m commissioned to fill are always exclusive and--above all--very interesting. That’s an important parameter in a context where some profiles are contacted practically every day.”
“Personalisation is also an important factor. When I get in touch with someone, I analyse their background and I ask around. A lot.”
“If I don’t get a reply, I follow up. But I don’t harass. The first reminder comes after two weeks, the last after another two weeks. I then tell my contact that I won’t bother them again. And the response may come at that point. But in general, as the description of the profile and the identification have been well done, there’s no need to follow up.”
The talent pool: Starting from scratch for every assignment
Lamboley said: “People sometimes ask me: ‘Do you have a CFO on standby?’ No, I don’t have a CFO on standby, because I have to start from scratch for every assignment. On the other hand, I can already think of some names, given the number of people I’ve already met and my network.”
“I don’t like the idea of a pool of candidates, because if there is a pool, it’s never up to date. A person may no longer be in the same situation in July as they were in January. So I wouldn’t call it a pool. Personally, I prefer to talk about a network.”
Reputation: Not everyone is beyond reproach
“Progress has been made, but there are a huge number of recruitment/headhunting agencies out there, and we have to admit that not all of them have the same ethics and the same professionalism. For example, when I was HR director at BDO, some recruitment agencies sent me CVs of people who already worked at BDO--even though I hadn’t asked for them! Another situation: a firm that has poached one of your employees then calls you to offer you a replacement... Not everyone is blameless.”
“Another weakness is that some recruiters don’t always understand the jobs they are recruiting for.”
From my point of view, the notion of a shortage of talent is used as an excuse for a lot of things.
The market: Competition from teleworking
“The size of the Luxembourg market is indeed a handicap. Companies have been looking outwards for a long time. But in the six years that my firm has been in business, I’ve always had clients looking for candidates who were already present in Luxembourg. Because they have a network there, they know the legislation, and so on.”
“In some fields, it’s extremely difficult to find candidates. Not to mention the new competition from teleworking, inherited from covid, among border residents. Before, everyone had to go to the office every day and spend an interminable amount of time in traffic jams. Today, cross-border commuters can live in Thionville and work for a company in Paris because the legislation allows it. These are people who will not, or no longer, come to Luxembourg. Some flexibility would be needed.”
The talent shortage: I’ve always found recruits
“For certain companies and certain professions, the talent shortage is a reality. But, from my point of view, this notion serves as an excuse for a lot of things. Personally, I’ve always--with two or three exceptions, due to internal transfers or the return of a resigning employee who was to be replaced--found recruits for the assignments I’ve been given. This underlines the importance of the recruiter’s job, of course, but also the importance of the employer brand. This is extremely important. A company with a good reputation will always find it easier to recruit.”
Skills: Challenging the client
“The role of a headhunter is, of course, to support the client. But also to challenge them. ‘Are you sure this is what you need? And not this instead? Yes, you’re right…’ At the level at which I recruit, the skills are there. You don’t become a CFO without skills. But I always tell clients that it’s better to recruit a motivated person with the right mindset and values, even if there’s a technical gap, rather than a technical expert without the necessary human qualities. The technical gap can be filled. Not a bad cultural or values fit.”
More diversity, more inclusion, is one of the ways we can work on the talent shortage.
Remuneration: Salary remains an argument
“At the first interview, I ask the candidate about their package and their expectations. If their package is completely out of budget, I tell them so and we stop talking. If their expectations are within the planned package, the ‘negotiation’ part will take place in another step, in collaboration with the client.”
“Salary remains a decisive argument. But other criteria now come into play. Of course, no one is prepared to halve their salary. On the other hand, a downward effort may be made if there is flexibility, teleworking, a parking space, a pension plan or other benefits. Yes, the package can be discussed. But I find it a bit hypocritical to claim that pay is no longer a priority these days.”
Seniors: More diversity, more inclusion
Lamboley commented: “We need the seniors [with experience], we need to pass them on. Most of their careers are behind them: they’ve mastered their trade, they’ve proved their worth, they’re no longer all fighting for promotion. What they’re often looking for is to pass on their experience, to have the same vision and the same ambitions as the company, to be part of its development, its growth, its success... I don’t understand companies that are reluctant to take on older employees. I come back to the notion of a talent shortage. Look a bit more at seniors, look at women, look at people with disabilities... More diversity, more inclusion, that’s one of the ways we can work on the talent shortage.”
This article was originally published in .