Selection is one of the basic keys to success

Interesting interview, about the actual situation in Human Resources, to our CEO Almudena Herrera, published by Equipos y Talento, the leading magazine, in Spain, in HR

Almudena Herrera, partner in New Tandem

Made up by New Tandem ETT and New Tandem sim (HR Resources consulting services), the group has staked out a place for itself as a leading company in the integral management of Human Resources. With over 20 years’ experience to its credit and a thorough insight into the sector, its team provides a high level of service and proven business results that set it apart from the competition. Almudena Herrera, the person at the helm of New Tandem, talks to us about the changes the sector has undergone in recent years and how it affects both companies and candidates.

“A candidate’s professional experience and background are still central, though new-skill acquisition is increasingly more important”

New Tandem has been working in the Spanish market for more than 20 years. How have you evolved over this time?

We have seen a major change in the selection of candidates. Employment websites have revolutionised the labour market. Other factors are obviously 2.0 selection, technological advances and the implementation of ERPs for managing internal processes. This has led to the automation and integration of all the various processes involved.

Companies are increasingly more aware of the fact that selection is one of the basic keys to success. As a result, clients are more demanding and as a knock-on effect our recruitment techniques, sources and methods have changed considerably. At the present, our selection process is centred on the specific skills of the candidates in various situations, which we evaluate using a number of different techniques, including competency-based interviews, aptitude tests, group dynamics and so on. Of course, at any given moment we focus on the specific profile requested. A candidate’s professional experience and background are still central, though readiness and ability to learn and new-skill acquisition are increasingly more important.

What are the biggest changes in companies and candidates you’ve seen?

New Tandem is a specialised group focused on financial and technological companies. More and more, the Human Resources departments of these companies are looking for our services, because they have evolved from the traditional concept of recruiting to the hiring of professionals like us. They know that we are their best option. There has been an evolution from the interview as a means of gleaning information to an exhaustive study and analysis of the candidate’s potential contribution to the company. Increasingly there is more weight lent to what they bring with them, how they operate on a day-to-day basis and obviously on results obtained. Candidates are keenly aware of what is required from them and are glad to have someone guide them in their job searching process.

You act as a partner in a client’s Human Resources department, which is more and more central to its core business. How do you view your role at the current moment in time?

Right from the beginning we wanted to operate as an extension of our clients, to be their partners. The name of our group, Tandem, is no accident. We always wanted to create a tandem with our clients, and I believe that to a great extent we have achieved that goal. Our clients really matter to us, though, having said that, our success depends largely on our employees and all the individuals that pass through our office every day. We want them to feel that they are taken care of. We treat candidates exactly as we we would like our clients to treat us.

What services do you provide? And which of them are most in demand?

In our ETT (temporary employment agency) we select and hire personnel for admin and financial posts, contact centres, sales… while our consulting company specialises in sourcing highly qualified professionals for financial and technological services and personnel with international profiles. We have increased our business in face-to-face training for managerial skills and coaching processes. Thanks to this range of services, always focused on Human Resources, we have succeeded in maintaining and improving the levels of quality and excellence that our clients value so highly.

At a moment such as the present, the demand for coaching services, as a tool to develop self-awareness, is booming. How do you think companies should address processes of this kind?

Coaching is so longer seen as a passing trend. It is now increasingly valued and indeed a key profession in organisations that aspire to achieve company goals with greater guarantees of success. It does so by fostering changes in corporate culture and the implementation of strategic projects. The insights provided by a coach are becoming more instrumental in improving bottom-line results and offer benefits to employees and to the organisations. It’s a win-win.

As Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote: “To see clearly, it is often enough to changethe direction of your gaze.” And that is precisely what corporate coaching helps you to do.

You have recently moved to new headquarters. What would you highlight about the new location? Is it the beginning of a new phase?

Our new offices were conceived with two goals in mind. Firstly, we wanted candidates to feel comfortable in a process that is vital for them; secondly, we had to guarantee the functionality required by such a dynamic activity as ours.

What are your challenges for the future?

Going back to the image of the tandem, we wish to continue pedalling in step with our clients, but “making the most of electric engines” that allow us to climb ever steeper ramps.

 

 

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