Kate Benson

Managing Director

Martens & Heads!

Most organizations tend to hire people whose experiences  parallel their own culture. While it is natural that a company would prefer a candidate to have a comparable professional “upbringing,” it is important not to discount executives who are experienced in other concentrations, industries or locations.

As the founding managing director of an executive search firm, I not only advise my clients that it’s beneficial to think outside the box in terms of hiring, but I try to mirror that same attitude within our organization.

Everyone, from the receptionist to the associates to the consultants, comes from a myriad of backgrounds. Some have worked in retail, beauty or luxury corporate offices, some in finance, and some in public relations or the entertainment industry. It’s important that we come from diverse environments, because it enables  us  to pool our various experiences and deliver the most innovative means of recruitment.

In order to discover the most able and qualified candidates, we need to scour the market thinking in an innovative manner. This ability is what  sets us apart from other firms –instead of coming from HR, search or recruiting background, we’ve all worked in the kind of companies that retain us to locate personnel.. Having been on the other side – on  the client side we not only understand the positions they’re recruiting for, but we are better able to understand the intricate culture of, for example, a luxury organization.

If a company continuously hires individuals with  similar backgrounds, the executive ranks – much like the results of inbreeding – become diluted and blind-sided. Bold thinking, and the openess to learn new things, is a key part of the solution.   

Diversity comes in many different shapes and forms – but rarely is it thought of in terms of experience. People are more comfortable surrounding themselves with the familiar –what they know – whether that means hiring someone with a similar education, training, or even physical appearance. But if you can’t think outside of the box, how will your company innovate?

Diversity in all its many forms is necessary to enable  your company to think  progressively and, hopefully, those forward thinking thoughts will be transformed into actions, even if they appear on the more unconventional side. It’s high time that business shake up its culture.