Interviewer: Mariham Magdy
Raj Kumar Paramanathan
“Recruitment is not about ticking the boxes… It is an art.”
Brief Biography about the Interviewee:
He believes diversity is paramount for the success of businesses today, and insists that reverse mentoring can help industries create a new set of leaders.
Meet Raj Kumar Paramanathan – the co-founder and Managing Partner of CnetG Asia, a boutique executive search firm with offices in Malaysia and Thailand, and a member firm of IRC Global Executive Search Partners – one of the world’s largest alliances of owner-run executive search firms.
Raj specializes in C-suite and board appointments in the energy and industrial sector, while his firm has expertise in pharmaceutical, consumer goods, insurance, investment banking, private equity, agriculture and chemicals.
He is an advocate of diversity, and is convinced that only diverse workforces will bring about different perspectives and experiences to enhance business performance and profitability.
As an active member of 30% Club – that works at achieving 30% representation of women on public-listed boards in Malaysia – and as a founding member of Malaysia Women in Energy, Raj has helped develop various best practices to attract, retain, and nurture women leaders in the energy sector.
In an interview by Mariham Magdy, Raj shares his views on the future of leadership and recruitment. Read on for more…
1- HR Revolution Middle East: “Welcome Mr. Raj, it is our pleasure to make this interview with you. Let me congratulate you first for the amazing speech you made at HRTAC19_Kuala Lumpur. I am keen that you would share with our readers, one of the amazing ideas you have addressed during your speech, which is the “Reverse Mentoring”. Please share with them more about it, and how can we apply such amazing technique?
Raj Kumar:
The business world is evolving at a fast pace, as new business models get introduced to cater to diverse consumer segments and incorporate latest technologies. Thus, leaders need to constantly update their knowledge and skills to navigate rapid change.
Reverse mentoring is one way to help senior executives come up to speed, and get comfortable with changes in technology. Working in tandem with young executives will give them new insights on business and marketing strategy, product development, adoption of tech, as well as ways to strengthen talent attraction and retention.
At the start, reverse mentoring can be implemented in an informal setting. But, as it evolves, a formal system can be adopted. It can be initiated by the CEO first, who is the focal point of business transformation. He can hire one or two interns, or ask bright executives to report to him directly…
This process will be mutually beneficial – the CEO will understand the minds and needs of the younger consumer generation, while the interns or executives will get direct access to high-level strategy building and execution.
As the practice evolves, the organization can then chart clear expectations, communication tools, and performance measurement systems to aid the process.
2- HR Revolution Middle East: “Mr. Raj, you are currently a Board Member of IRC Institute, a thought leadership body that focuses on intercultural management. Would you please share with our readers more about the IRC role & activities?”
IRC, or IRC Global Executive Search Partners, is currently the world’s largest alliance of owner-run executive search firms. We help boards and CEOs hire exceptional senior talent across sectors. Our global presence offers clients seamless support wherever they are located. Our partners, who are independent owners of the firms, work with a long-term perspective with clients, to preserve our reputation and credibility.
Our global presence also helps the convergence of deep market knowledge with leadership expertise. Here, IRC Institute, a thought leadership platform within IRC, aims to empower boards and leadership teams with global insights on leadership and cross-cultural management.
This means our client in Finland can make well-informed decisions when they set up operations in Jakarta, because of the local market knowledge and talent landscape they gain through our network. Likewise, our client in the United States can tap into our partner office in UAE, if their leader decides to relocate to the UAE, or if they wish to hire locally.
3- HR Revolution Middle East: One of the statements that actually captured my attention while reading your Bio is “I enjoy leading executive round-tables in the area of Diversity under CnetG Asia” Would you share with us about your diversity round-tables? How is it organized and what is the outcome of these round-tables?
Raj Kumar:
Diversity is our differentiation. Asia is a large continent, rich with diverse ethnic groups, cultures and rituals. Thus, understanding cultural nuances is a key skill for leaders managing a diverse workforce.
There has also been a greater focus to attract, retain, and develop women leaders. Because, companies have begun to feel the need for greater diversity of thought and experience, better control and governance, and a more sustainable leadership pipeline.
Our diversity round-tables invite CEOs and CHROs to exchange best practices and insight on diversity in leadership and business transformation. To attract top-notch leaders, we conceptualise compelling topics and build frameworks for discussion. CEOs commit at least three hours of their busy day for the round-tables, and hence I invite them personally.
So far we’ve seen a great response… Delegates leave with valuable insights that emerge from the discussions. They come here to learn and share, and leverage the power of the network.
4- HR Revolution Middle East: Mr. Raj, you have written a number of very interesting articles on LinkedIn, which I really enjoyed reading so much. They are really full of very valuable insights for different seniority level. Let me ask you, what triggers you to write such articles? And how much do you believe that professionals shall really dedicate special time for writing?
Raj Kumar:
Today’s leaders can definitely not ignore the power of social media. Social media platforms are an opportunity to share our knowledge with a global audience.
The best leaders embrace social media as a tool to develop themselves, whereas the astute leaders go a step further, and build a personal brand to translate their passion, belief and knowledge, to their following on social media… That is also what I do.
As I constantly learn from various leadership voices on social media, I contribute back with the domain knowledge and cultural insights I have gather from my sector… Most of my topics are on diversity and leadership, as I’m curious and observant about different cultures, people, behaviors, and leadership styles.
So, I keep my eyes wide open… You have to be present and tuned in with situations, or stay focused and curious in conversations to gain more insight. Thus, I ask questions and listen, and then get more ideas. I also get ideas at the gym, during candidate interviews, or at breakfast meets with clients.
I think I have an innate ability to creatively link situations to specific theories or business tips, and “join the dots.”
I believe writing is a great way to influence and inspire action. Thus, every leader should write and share their valuable thoughts and insights. Moreover, it is not as daunting as it seems… You will be surprised how easy it is when you decide to put pen to paper, and simply flow with your thoughts.
As different brushes create different strokes, each person will eventually create a unique style, and also build his/her own audience or following as a result of it.
5- HR Revolution Middle East: “One of the most amazing initiatives you have worked on Mr. Raj is “Building Women Executive Pipeline”, how is it difficult? And what are the benefits you believe in for such initiative?
Raj kumar:
Businesses are constantly evolving, and hence there is always a thirst for good talent. The female talent pool is largely unexplored, and this gives businesses a whole new set of opportunities to tap into.
We have noticed that female executives bring significant improvement to businesses. They bring diverse perspectives to issues, take on different approaches to challenges, and harness relationships and trust much better. Recently, a board member from among our clients, asked the Chief HR Officer to hire more female executives into the leadership team, as they saw the benefits of diversity in the organizations.
For significant change to happen, we need to lead by example. In all our search assignments, we deliver a diverse long-list and shortlist of women candidates. But an unconscious bias is inherent in the recruitment process… Interviewers gravitate towards those with a similar background as theirs, whether it’s the way they think, ideas they share, common university, company they’ve worked for, similar gender, or ethnicity.
Unconscious biases result in decisions that are beyond rationality and logic, and consequently pose a potential risk to businesses. Thus, we engage in healthy discussions with the board or CEOs after each interview, and, if we spot an unconscious bias, we try to counter it with reason.
We have learned that interviewers expect more proof of performance from female candidates than from men. Also, female candidates tend to undersell their achievements. Moreover, they are more sensitive to masculine traits in job descriptions, and thus resist from taking on such roles.
6- HR Revolution Middle East: “As a founder for CnetG Asia, would you share with us what challenges do you usually encounter in your executive search? How is it difficult to find the most appropriate talents that can fit in different Organizational environments? I am sure you exert a lot of efforts in the background.
Raj Kumar:
You need a strong differentiation to thrive in an industry facing many challenges. Being owner-run, we work on a long-term perspective with clients. As thought leaders in diversity and leadership, our candidates have succeeded in making quicker and clearer contributions to the business. We have also been able to understand our clients’ needs and assess candidates with greater accuracy.
The levels of services provided 10 years ago are not sufficient to compete today. Clients and candidates constantly demand more. So, we add leadership and market insight to our services, to help our clients make well-informed decisions.
Clients come to us with hard-to-fill positions that require deep experience and insights, in order to find the best talent possible for the requirement. It’s not about just finding CVs; it is about conducting accurate market and talent mapping, and attracting passive candidates with a well-crafted role profile and brand proposition.
Passive candidates seek roles where they can create a greater impact. They want to work with leaders who are inspiring and qualified, committed and dedicated. Alignment with the brand proposition is secondary nowadays, as opposed to earlier days when the best brands attracted the best talent.
Only when you understand these dynamics well, can you seek and attract the best talent for each role.
7- HR Revolution Middle East: What valuable tips would you share with recruitment professionals from your experience?
Raj Kumar:
Humanization of the recruitment process is key to attracting good talent for an organization. While technology has eased operations, and increased the speed of recruitment, it has also created a barrier between prospective talents and organizations.
Hiring is successful when talent has the right culture and environment to perform in. Hence, we need to engage with them – beyond emails – to understand their aspirations, values and behaviors, and match them against the organization’s needs, culture and environment… This enables you to hire the best talent for the role, who will contribute quickly to the organization.
Recruitment professionals should invest time in learning about behavioral psychology and organizational culture. You should take pride and be accountable for the talent you bring in. If they do well, it means you did a fantastic job!
Recruitment is not about ticking the boxes… It is an art. It is not about how many people you have hired into the organization, but how successful they have become two years down the road… If you master the art of recruitment, you will create great masterpieces of talent.
8- HR Revolution Middle East: Mr. Raj, I really like so much the way you express your passion for “Diversity”, what piece of advice would you share with Organizational Leaders to encourage them to boost diversity within? How can diversity open new doors for any business?
Raj Kumar:
Diversity is the mix. Inclusion is how you make the mix work. Diversity is being invited to a party, while inclusion is being invited to dance at the party. Unconscious biases result in only the host and a few good friends enjoying the dance, while the rest feel excluded.
When there is no diversity in a team, there is a tendency for group-think. People are more comfortable when they are surrounded by people who think like them. They will gravitate towards conforming to common decisions. They will refrain from challenging their thoughts or ideas.
There are other forms of diversity besides gender, like age, ethnicity, educational background or industry experience, that result in diversity of ideas and perspectives. Inclusive workplaces, allow everyone to feel confident, valued, and safe in the workplace.
Leaders should encourage voices to be heard at meetings. Team members who are introverts may have more valuable views, but may not speak up due to lack of courage and confidence. You must encourage them to speak in meetings, or walk up to them at an appropriate time and ask for their opinions. Give them the space to feel comfortable and confident that their views are valuable.
Leaders should also step back from making quick judgments, and instead understand each team member with sensitivity and curiosity. This exercise will help you extract the best from them. Once you experience the benefits, slowly increase diversity in both gender and others.
9- HR Revolution Middle East: Finally, I would love to ask you to share with us one of your success stories that can actually inspire actions in our readers, as you always aim through your speeches.
Raj Kumar:
I once coached a female executive of the Lean in Career Program. By the fourth month of our sessions, she had scaled up her career, acquired new leadership skills, and gained support and trust at home with her husband and family. She initially struggled at presentations, but was eventually selected to lead a presentation to a global team for the launch of a new drug.
As for advice to aspiring leaders, I would say:
1) Be authentic and comfortable in your skin.
2) Build tribes at work and outside. Meet up with different circles of friends
to learn and grow quicker.
3) Be a life-long student, and stay curious. You can do this by reading a book a
month, an article each day, or joining industry networks that add to your
knowledge.
4) Have a sponsor and mentor to boost your career progression.
THANK YOU