8 minute read
Finding purpose and helping others to do the same
When it comes to career advancement after HMSM, the ‘immediate post-fundament MBA’ is not necessarily the go-to solution anymore, the pursuit of purpose a more sustainable motivator and the Gen-Z ‘problem’ an opportunity for change. Or, as Harco Leertouwer [F 1998], Managing Director Europe at the global sustainability executive search and advisory firm Acre, likes to put it: ‘proven methods from the past do not predict the future’.
BY MARCELLA MIDDENDORP [F 2013]
IMAGE VINCENT VAN KLEEF
Change of perspective
‘In my early years, nobody would dare to challenge a company culture that required two or three weeknights of overtime. Heck, even more often than not, you’d even pitch in a few hours on a Saturday. But today asking newcomers to consider an additional 30 minutes a day must be done delicately. Our business comes with a commercial mindset so still attracts ‘go-getters’ and sustainability is at the core of what we do but also with a lot of right things in place when it comes to GenZ values notice friction in our teams when recent graduates enter the workforce. It’s a shift in work mentality we, as employers, have to acknowledge, but at the same time spikes my curiosity: will we still see this as an issue in ten years’ time or do we look back on it as something that changed the way we work for the better?’
Personal experience
Now in his late forties, when Harco started his career, the world was still a different place: He joined InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) for an international management development program, which included an MBA as part of fast track to become a GM. ‘It was the way to go if you wanted to get ahead and a master’s (degree) back then, simply meant a 50% pay rise. So yes, like everyone back in those days, I put in the extra time. Equally, the cliché was also true. During the MBA, I realised I became educated for different aspects of business. Upon completion (taking him to France, Austria, UK and Greece red.) I transitioned to the corporate head office in Germany, which had little to do with managing a hotel and providing the perfect guest experience. Instead, I became responsible for strategic budgeting, forecasting and feasibility studies for about 50 hotels, but I could have also taken on a similar position in any other kind of industry’.
And exactly that’s what happened, when Harco set foot in a recruiter’s office some years later: ‘I think I applied for some kind of management consulting role, but pretty soon got convinced that professional recruitment was equally as interesting. The advisory role towards clients, a commercial playground, the people aspect and plenty of opportunity for management and leadership in an international environment. It simply started with a recruiter that asked the right questions what is in fact what still excites me about this industry today; by doing so you can really make a change in people’s careers and the businesses you bring their talent to’.
Purpose
‘Compared to my first years after HMSM, young people these days are much more driven to develop in other areas than work alone. And in some areas, they are far more ahead than we were at the time. I grew up in a greenvoting family, where conscious living was at the core of my upbringing. Still, I got caught up in pursuing promotions like many of my generation. It took me some major life events, before I got out of that focus and found perspective on purpose again. I joined Al Gore’s Climate Reality Project in 2018, but still operated in the ‘macho culture’ that dangled new watches and cars as incentives I didn’t truly care about. So, I left and started my own agency specialising in ESG* and sustainability positions, which I later integrated in the global market leader Acre. Today we have a generation that talks about impact at the very start of their professional lives. Why not embrace this so we help people to find purpose a lot earlier?’
*ESG: Environmental, Social & Governance, a catch-all term that can be applied to the entire framework of sustainable and ethical decision-making within a company.
Begin with the end in mind
‘The key to retention simply can’t be found in remuneration alone. Instead you should focus to accommodate what really motivates employees, and understanding how long people are planning to stay. Then their goal is to bring along, or develop, the hard and soft skills which are needed to achieve the desired output. But, within their chosen timeframe, this also includes future goals. I want to emphasise that for this approach to work, time and effort must be invested in the development of older team leads and senior management. Leadership must also believe in the possibility that such a workplace can exist.
At Acre, we’ve said goodbye to annual performance reviews. Because they always looked back into the past and as a result becoming a retrospective conversation. Now, the conversation still exists, but we’ve flipped it around. We call it ‘the Alliance’, forging a pact, where connection between both parties is the goal. So we look ahead; ‘where do you want to be in ‘x’ years time?’ When someone indicates their ultimate goal is to become a landscape designer, we can figure out how much savings they need for that. And then both have a time-estimate to work with. If all goes well they will head off to that adventure in say, five years time, but there is even more value in knowing that when we follow through on our side, we keep that person on board for those years as well’.
Output matters more
‘I operate in an industry where we move people from A to B, which is in essence about flexibility in itself. So perhaps change to us comes a little easier. While many places with a ‘start early, finish late culture’ still exist, I firmly believe the traditional approach where we used to put so much value on hours is coming to its end. Still, it is ‘my generation’ that occupies the managerial positions. They have been there, so they work with what they know: the places where everyone stays until 9 p.m. where it becomes a habit, which then evaluates into a silent requirement. Somewhere we forgot that output is what really matters, and is just as measurable these days. That is what I now choose to value’.
To prove his point, Harco picks up on data sets of female employees, just returned from maternity leave and now on a 4-day workweek. For many, their results (such as volume and revenue -red.) remained comparable to their output as full-timers. ‘One, there is the motivation that comes from the trust and confidence we provide, while enabling a work-life balance that allows those employees to stay in the game at both places. And two, the lesson of becoming parents that they take back to the workplace: that of having developed a strong sense of urgency. You can’t learn that from books or master degrees’.
Wisdom from multiple directions
On what makes a good candidate, international experience is another ‘life lesson’ that Harco is a strong advocate for: ‘To immerse yourself in different cultures, and employers for that fact, allows you to gather comparison material. I speak with quite a few HMSM students in their final year during their graduation projects which I examinate for, and when asked for career advice, this is what I tell them. Unless of course you are aiming for a very explicit position where you need specific knowledge or technical skills then go for that master by all means. But on-the-job training and development is in such a better place than twenty years ago. Find an employer where you feel a culture fit, and has those opportunities in place, but also don’t be afraid to ask for them. At Acre for example, our people are free to take on a certain amount of hours of pro-bono work for advisory committees, or board positions in the nonprofit sector. This brings experience and development that we simply cannot provide, but still finds its way back to our offices. Another win-win for both’.
After 20 years in Germany, Harco now lives in Amsterdam with his wife and two children. Next to his current position at Acre, he is also active as a leader for the Climate Reality Project where he trains, coaches and supports NGO’s, sustainability projects and environmental campaigns.
Horizons in Hospitality Track
Students explore Horizons where Hospitality has added value for the organization. They formulate the Why, How, and What, to further develop hospitality within this organization (e.g. with guest and employee journeys). This includes sectors such as Cure & Care, Retail, Events, Financial Services, Staffing & Recruitment and Airlines. If you want fourth-year students to take an advisory project in the Hospitality field in a ‘Horizons’ sector, please contact Emily Teunissen (track coordinator emily.teunissen@zuyd.nl).
