Simply replacing people is a risky activity

Replacing a resource after a resignation or recruiting urgently to meet a project need are prime examples of companies being reactive in their talent management. This short-termist approach leads to internal recruiters constantly trying to fill a resource gap. However, if a business wants to remain competitive despite the high labour costs in Luxembourg, it has no choice but to increase its value proposition.

Saying yes to proactive recruitment

Each departure should be seen as an opportunity to improve the company’s overall skill set. According to Jérôme Carbonnelle, Partner at GoToFreedom, “Breaking away from this notion of replacement and daring to diversify your talent is the key to making your company more dynamic, enabling it to welcome people who will provide innovation and impact at group or market level.”

“As recruiters, we also take on the role of matchmakers. We use our entrepreneurial background and our ability to analyse our clients’ needs and challenges to source candidates we know to be a good fit. It’s not uncommon to pick up the phone and tell a client that I’ve interviewed a candidate who could be useful for their project and that they should definitely meet”, he added.

Talent management should not be a barrier to innovation

With the word “innovation” on everyone’s lips, Luxembourg company subsidiaries are still too often perceived as merely production sites. When you add a high turnover into the equation, you create a perfect storm for hiring “replacements” rather than “talent”. A whole new approach to recruitment can help a company to innovate and can also make the voice of the “Luxembourg” subsidiary more audible at group level.

Let’s not forget that in many companies, archaic processes and cumbersome procedures often limit the company’s ability to explore new ways of working. However, if you don’t want the competition to leave you in its wake, you must be prepared to try something different and shake things up. “The company mustn’t let itself be burdened by internal structures. It has to stop recruiting solely to fill its current gaps. It will only be able to progress by introducing different roles. If you want to find the people who can change the dynamic, the key is not to search for them, but to proactively identify them and ensure that your paths cross.”

Create offers based on the talent you meet

It’s rare to find entrepreneurs and business leaders who don’t have a whole raft of ideas just waiting to be developed. Sometimes, meeting someone new can give us the incentive we need to transform an idea into a concrete plan and set it as a business objective.

“As a recruitment consultancy, our mission goes beyond placing candidates. We engage with our clients and deliver a more proactive style of recruitment by connecting them with talent they may not have even considered, but who can help them progress. This is our contribution to helping them implement innovative skills management.” It’s an opportunity for leaders to differentiate themselves by creating new offers and build a strong reputation for idea generation at group level. It’s also a way for Luxembourg to shed its image as a production site and reinvent itself as a creative hub.

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