My first 100 days as Hays CEO

On September 1, 2023, I had the great honour of becoming the CEO of Hays, a company that has always been an important part of my life. Having been with Hays for over 20 years, most recently leading our German business, there have been many experiences and days I look back on with pride. Starting out on my journey as CEO is without doubt, top of the list.

I am now 100 days into my new position. I wanted to use this landmark as an opportunity to talk about what I’ve been working towards and what I’ve learned in the first three months as CEO.

What better way to do it than to start a LinkedIn newsletter? This is my first entry into Workforce Connect, a monthly newsletter where I’ll update you on my thoughts, insights and advice into the major topics in the world of work. You can subscribe here.

Getting closer to my colleagues

My first 100 days as Hays CEO has been filled with conversations with Hays colleagues from across the world. I have had the great pleasure of travelling to many of our regional HQs and offices, including those in London, New York, Singapore and Sydney.

Meeting colleagues is incredibly important to me. Of course, what we do strategically has been high on the agenda (more on that later), but as writer and management consultant guru Peter Drucker once famously said , “culture eats strategy for breakfast.”

With this in mind, I have hosted “Ask Me Anything” sessions with Hays employees over Microsoft Teams, so I can get closer to them by answering their questions and understanding the challenges they face. It’s something I had done in my previous role and these sessions have proved inspiring for me, and I encourage more CEOs and C-level directors reading this to consider hosting them with your own people.

While travelling, I have also hosted breakfast and lunch with employees, and roundtable discussions with senior leaders. What I found was that whilst each country has its own unique culture, there is a consistent Hays spirit throughout them all. Hays employees are eager to make an impact for the clients and candidates we support, and they are eager to upskill and continuously improve themselves.

Resilience is key to our strategy

There is no denying the fact that today’s market is challenging. Many, if not all of the countries we operate in are dealing with tough economic conditions. On top of this, there are many megatrends that are impacting the world of work. AI continues to be top of the agenda for businesses, hybrid working models and cross-border hiring are causing much debate, and of course, skills shortages are still rife.

At Hays, we are uniquely placed to help solve these challenges for our clients and for jobseekers alike. In order to do make the best impact, we must be resilient, and we must ensure we’re not overly dependent on market conditions.

I believe that the strategic answers to tackle these difficult questions are in front of us, and we have the power to answer them. I am in the process of implementing a five-pillar strategy in three of our key markets, as well as what I call “focus countries,” those where I believe we have a great opportunity to build our market position. I look forward to expanding on this in due course.

Executing the strategy

To refer back to Peter Drucker, I believe that a business strategy can only be executed successfully in the right working environment. For us to implement our exciting plans, we need a clear focus, and a diverse, inclusive and empowering culture.

The Hays spirit I have witnessed across the world in my first 100 days as CEO gives me great confidence that we will do just that. The global Hays culture will be characterised by fair collaboration and transparent communication.

If we do this, we will achieve that resilience I am looking for, as well as sustainable growth for the business, and for our customers.

Looking to the future

The last 100 days have flown by. I am relishing the challenge of being the CEO of Hays, a company that means so much to me, and I am looking forward to seeing what the next 100 days hold.

Strategic planning has of course been at the forefront of my mind in these past few months, but meeting my colleagues has been equally important. ?Our culture is what makes us unique and is one of our greatest assets.

The next 100 days will no doubt bring more discoveries and more opportunities. I look forward to updating you all in my next LinkedIn newsletter edition.

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