The labor market lives by natural market laws, the same as the market of goods and services. It has its trends, fluctuations in demand for professions and skills, its crises - when some professionals are chased after, and others can not find a job. But now, I observe an interesting trend. I would call it in search of Frankenstein.

What is unusual in it, you ask. The employer has always wanted a combination of two or even three professionals in one candidate. One candidate was a perfect match based on professional skills and motivation, the other one - based on education and potential, and so on. What do I see now so that it is different?

 

Case one - about Sales. The client looks for or, rather, urgently needs a Sales Director for his FMCG food business. What combination of skills is required? Competence in the modern trade channel and management of distribution in traditional retail. What is the problem? There are excellent "pure" KAMs. Leaders, active, capable of becoming commercial directors as the next step of their careers. They have up to 10 subordinates, manage external contractors like promoters or merchandisers. There are also "tired" directors of traditional distribution part of the business. Business is "dying", sales volumes flow to KAMs, the number of people and companies under their management count hundreds and dozens, respectively. Most of the directors in this segment will not "take off" once more. This is primarily due to the lack of experience in the modern trade channel that dominates and develops.
A dilemma. A KAM is not interested in diving into the sea of people, uncontrolled debtors, and a massive number of small retailers. The business is poorly managed and financially unpredictable. A director from the regular distribution will not fit professionally - the employer needs expertize in the modern channel. Moreover, there is less and less energy in this segment of professionals. Talents have jumped out earlier - following, and often ahead of the market.

 

Case two is about marketing. The client is an investor, and he needs a CEO in the e-comm business. The critical components of the puzzle are: digital, marketing, managing a multinational multi-country team (nearly all online). The problem is again in the Ukrainian market. There are enough mature marketing specialists, enough young specialists living in the digital world, multinational competence also exists. But all these exist separately. The first ones have grown up together with the market and earned their CMO status. The second ones - digitals - are also there. But often they are detached from traditional marketing, management and are very niche. Remote supervision is developing in the corporate segment, but it contradicts the circumstances in which the specialists have grown - open space and everyone in the same office. (One of my acquaintances, a marketing manager from a "western" company, quit her position because it meant only remote management of her team. "I can't manage that. I want to see my people in the office.")

And the client and the market desperately need three-in-one.

 

So, what to do?

  • A situational decision. To sacrifice one of the competencies, to get it supported from the "bottom." That is, the team's expertise will compensate for the function that is lacking in the manager. This decision depends on the sustainability of the business.
  • Try to split the task between two professionals. Of course, there will be an issue: who will lead them? However, it can be solved organizationally and, in my opinion, it is rather easy. It will, though, temporarily increase the workload on the leader, to whom both are subordinate.
  • To look for any other solution that will solve the business problem. To go beyond the traditional vertical. Outsourcing, consulting, etc.

 

The variant to which in my experience clients most often resort - is to insist on searching - usually for a very long period - a two- or three-in-one professional. Most often, in this case, the productivity of the function and business drops, the employer's reputation on the labor market decreases, and his staff get demotivated.

The choice is yours.