The top priority of Belgian HR departments is leadership development. The focus is (perhaps too much) on young managers and formal training. Informal training and on-the-job training are lagging somewhat behind.
Talent management – attracting, developing and motivating talented employees within the organisation – is the number two priority for Belgian HR departments. Number one? Leadership development. These are the findings presented in the HR Barometer Study, a study conducted by the Vlerick Business School and HR consultant Hudson. They surveyed 46 companies, and asked them two questions: what is your current HR priority, and how familiar do you feel with that subject? The results were compared with the 2015 HR Barometer Study. What were the main changes?
New ways of working (perhaps working without fixed hours/a fixed location has become the new norm?), diversity (a subject that, oddly enough, is still not much of a focal point in Belgian companies) and employer branding (which nonetheless remains a real buzzword) were all subjects that the respondents in 2016 accorded less priority to than in the previous year. Climbing up the list of priorities we find leadership development. This subject was also valued highly in the previous year, notes Professor Dirk Buyens, head of the HRM Centre at the Vlerick Business School.
“The quest for high potential employees – the CEOs of tomorrow – never stops. In a predictable world, that wasn't so hard: you went looking for really intelligent people with specific expertise and traditional managerial talents. Today, however, the world has become very unpredictable. You don't know what kind of expertise will be needed tomorrow. Your high potential employee of today might be your social liability of tomorrow.”
At the moment, the key concept is 'agility': the manager of today is agile, flexible and adaptable.
Dirk Buyens:
“What is currently a key to success can quickly turn into the reason for a lack of success. In that case, as a leader you're running into a brick wall, no matter how good you are at what you do. The question is: how do you teach such people to pick themselves back up again? Successful people are not used to failing. That's important to remember. A good tool might be, for example, 360° feedback. This involves asking those people around you – both in your professional and personal sphere – for their opinion about certain skills. You might also wonder whether organisations wouldn't be better off looking for a different type of leader from the get-go. People with a 'colourful' career path behind them are sometimes unjustly overlooked.”
This edition of the HR Barometer Study took a closer look at the subject of leadership development, asking which methods managers use to develop their managerial and other skills. The respondents answered that their managers only acquire 42% of their knowledge on the job; they acquire 23% via coaching and 33% via formal training. That is not exactly in line with the 70-20-10 model recommended in L&D literature.
Dirk Buyens:
“Traditional formal training should, in theory, only account for 10% of any training package. Today, it takes a slightly larger share. The top five formal training methods are traditional courses, seminars and presentations, tailor-made courses for managers, blended learning and programmes offered by external institutes. Self-study and new types of formal training such as games and MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) have not yet been taken up across the board.”
The fact that Belgian companies still rely heavily on formal training is also apparent from the CVTS study (Continuing Vocational Training Survey). Together with countries such as the Netherlands, Luxembourg and France, our organisations are top of the ranking for employee participation in formal training. According to this study, our country has an on-the-job training rate of 21%, slightly higher than the European average of 20%. However, when it comes to the other informal types of training, we score significantly worse.
Employees over 45 left by the wayside
Leadership development initiatives are primarily targeted at middle and senior managers and high potential employees, according to the HR Barometer Study. The main target group is employees aged between 35 and 45. Older employees appear to be left by the wayside. Dirk Buyens finds this somewhat odd: '”The majority of employees are managed by people over the age of 45. And it is precisely this category that is receiving less leadership development training. The question is: do companies think that older managers don't need it because they're 'too old', or is it older managers themselves who are dismissing training opportunities?”
Age groups targeted by leadership development initiatives
Five trends in Learning & Development
According to Professor Dirk Buyens, Head of the HRM Centre at the Vlerick Business School
1. The end of the competence gap model
The idea behind competence management was to close the gap between required job competences and existing employee competences by way of training. That was wishful thinking. Personal development on the basis of people's weaknesses often fails. The new idea is to start by looking at people's capabilities, then sculpt the job and the team around that (job crafting and team crafting).
2. Unlearning instead of learning
These days, it is no longer possible to just accumulate knowledge. Too much knowledge can even blind you to new opportunities or threats. Learning to discard knowledge is the new learning.
3. Anywhere, anytime and all for free
Webinars and MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) are turning the world of L&D on its head. In the case of MOOCs, course material is disseminated online for free. People can take courses day and night, seven days a week, wherever they want. Tutors and course participants can also interact with one another on discussion forums, so there's no need for a classroom.
4. Short, shorter, shortest
Learning can be done on the go, thanks to smartphones. Programmes that used to be on the heavy side are increasingly being split into bite-size pieces that are worked through gradually: short sessions of 5 to 10 minutes, elevator 'learning vignettes' and games that create a virtual world in which employees can learn from their mistakes.
5. Performance appraisal apps
An increasing number of organisations are putting an end to performance reviews and annual evaluations and performance appraisals. Are performance appraisal apps filling this gap? Performance appraisal apps are pieces of software that allow feedback to be provided quickly. If an employee was well prepared for a meeting, you can just send them a thank you or a smiley via the app. After a few months, patterns start to emerge that indicate how an employee is performing. Younger employees also enjoy this kind of instant feedback. Waiting a whole year for an appraisal doesn't tally with the world of PS4s and Facebook that they have grown up in.
09.12.2024
Managing business uncertainty with BNP Paribas Fortis
Every entrepreneur will tell you that financial markets are unpredictable, entailing inherent risks. We provide tailored solutions to protect your business as you navigate these volatile markets.
Whether you’re a small or large business, operating domestically or internationally, one thing is certain: if you enter a market and do your utmost to grow your business, sooner or later there inevitably will come a time when you expose yourself to risks. Frédéric Raxhon, Head of FI Midcap Sales, BNP Paribas Fortis Transaction Banking, is our go-to expert. Here, he explains how BNP Paribas Fortis helps customers manage this uncertainty.
Raxhon knows how market volatility can impact the daily operations of small, medium and large enterprises. Thanks to his experience of working as a banker in corporate finance, shares and derivatives, and advising holding and listed companies, he understands how the market works like no other.
Raxhon: "We are keenly aware that price uncertainty, in the form of volatility on the financial markets, can have a serious impact on the operations and profitability of businesses. That’s why we constantly monitor the markets and their volatility: if prices fluctuate sharply, our customers run the risk of buying high and selling low. The past few years are a good example of what can happen, with a sudden rise in interest rates, an energy crisis with very volatile prices, and a sharp rise in inflation. We will continue to see volatility in these markets, due to geopolitical tensions and ongoing wars. However, elections can also cause volatility, as they often cause a change in economic policy. President-elect Donald Trump has already said that he will hike tariffs on goods coming from outside the U.S., which will have an impact on global growth and inflation. The transition to a more sustainable society because of the energy transition, however positive this may be, is also a source of uncertainty. Companies will be required to make significant investments, and it is not yet clear which technologies will prevail.
All of these factors show that companies need guidance in the form of a tailor-made solution to ensure that volatile markets minimise the impact on their operations so that they can focus on their core business."
Solution-oriented
The solution to this volatility comes from a partner who is a market leader when it comes to safeguarding national and international business.
Raxhon: "At BNP Paribas Fortis, this often means managing the risks of companies that have a number of straightforward wishes: they want to conduct business on a daily basis without unnecessary complications; buy at a stable price where possible; pay wages in a stable environment; sell to customers with a profitable, stable margin, and so on. If they experience market uncertainty in their business operations, we are there to advise them and suggest solutions in different scenarios. This can range from companies that want stability when buying or selling goods in another currency, to controlling fluctuating interest rates on current or future loans, or even creating a stable financial environment in which they can steadily pay their wages. We also hedge raw materials: companies that require large quantities of energy, metal, or wheat, for example – just a few of the commodities that are subject to price fluctuations – can rely on our expertise to turn their uncertainty into certainty. When companies are calculating their budgets for the coming years at the end of the year, assumptions about budgets and costs are a factor that future markets do not take into account. This, in turn, could lead to inconsistencies in business operations during the next financial year. We regularly suggest solutions for this, which inject trust into the entire process. We help entrepreneurs make their business more resilient to market fluctuations. Because at BNP Paribas Fortis, we are always focused on finding solutions, in any given scenario."
International intelligence
Belgian companies are increasingly expanding their horizons, which is why an international perspective is so crucial.
Raxhon: "Everything is intricately connected in the economic space. The energy crisis, for example, was not a national crisis. In Belgium, electricity prices were directly impacted by the drop in nuclear power production in France in 2022. The American elections have a direct impact on international business, with anxiety gripping investors and the markets. And I can give you many more examples.
Moreover, we expect this interdependence and volatility to continue for quite some time: there are a large number of economic and global trends that are feeding this uncertainty. And that is why it is so important that we keep up with developments in this uncertain global environment. At BNP Paribas Fortis, we rely on a global network of experts who are always on the lookout for the latest updates. Whatever happens and wherever it happens, there are always people from our bank on the ground who monitor the situation and provide us with real-time advice on how best to inform our customers. This network has proven its worth time and again, both for us and our customers."
10.09.2020
Export plans? Make sure you talk to our experts first
To prepare your international adventure properly, ask yourself the right questions and talk to people who have done it all before: partners, customers, fellow exporters and experts.
BNP Paribas Fortis listens to the questions asked by international entrepreneurs and offers reliable advice. "A lot of exporting companies ask for our help when it's too late", Frank Haak, Head of Sales Global Trade Solutions, says.
Entrepreneurs with little export experience are often unaware of the bigger financial picture. So what do they need to take into account when they set up a budget for their export plans?
Frank Haak: "Budgeting and pricing are affected by a lot of crucial factors: working capital, currency exchange risks and currency interest, prefinancing, profit margins, insurance, import duties and other local taxes, competitor pricing and so on. We always advise customers or prospects to start from a worst-case scenario. Quite a few companies are insufficiently prepared for their first international adventure: they see an opportunity and they grab it, but quite often disappointment and a financial hangover are not far away.
Our experts have years of export experience and the BNP Paribas Group has teams around the world. This means that we can give both general and country-specific tips. Let's say a machine builder wants to design and manufacture a custom-made machine. We recommend including the machine's reuse value in the budget: can this machine still be sold if the foreign customer suddenly no longer wishes to purchase it or if export to that country becomes impossible due to a trade embargo or emergency situation?"
What type of companies can contact BNP Paribas Fortis for advice?
Frank Haak: "All types! Entrepreneurs are often hesitant to ask for advice. Sometimes they are afraid that it will cost them money. However, the right advice can save them a lot of money in the long run. For example, we recommend a letter of credit or documentary credit to anyone exporting goods to a foreign buyer for the first time. This product is combined with a confirmation by BNP Paribas Fortis to offer the exporter the certainty that it will receive payment when it presents the right documents and to assure the buyer that its goods or services will be delivered correctly."
The consequences of not seeking advice: what can an exporter do in case of non-payment without documentary credit?
Frank Haak: "If you are not receiving payment for your invoices, the counterparty's bank can be contacted in the hope that it advances the payment on the customer's behalf. However, we shouldn't be too optimistic in that respect: the chances of resolving the issue without financial losses are very slim. Once you have left your goods with customs, you usually lose all control over them. Hence the importance of good preparation: listen to and follow the advice of your bank and organisations such as Flanders Investment and Trade (FIT). It will protect you against a whole host of export risks."
BNP Paribas Fortis
- is the number one bank for imports (approx. 40% market share) and exports (approx. 25% market share) in Belgium (according to the statistics of the National Bank of Belgium): it offers advice/financing and can help you to discover new export markets through trade development;
- is proud that Belgium is one of the world's 15 largest export regions and is pleased to give exporters a leg up, for example by sponsoring the Flemish initiative ‘Leeuw van de Export’.
Source: Wereldwijs Magazine
01.05.2020
The conversation manager: essential and permanently online
Coordinating a company's social media strategy is a task in itself. Who will you use to handle this? And what about involved customers who suddenly get too involved?
Because of social media, the role of a traditional marketing manager is evolving more and more towards being a conversation manager: someone who facilitates consumer communication. This includes communication between customers themselves and communication between the customers and the company.
Some key tasks in the conversation manager's job description are:
- Uniting and activating ‘branded fans’, as they will recommend the brand to friends and family.
- Listening to what people are saying about your company and seeking their active contribution to your products and strategy.
- Creating content worth distributing in order to encourage discussions.
- Managing these discussions.
- Ensuring your work is very customer-oriented and customer-friendly through customer care, i.e.by responding faster and providing more than what the customer is expecting.
Some companies are big enough to hire a full-time conversation manager. In other cases another employee will take on this role part-time. A third possibility is using a specialised company.
Caroline Hombroukx, conversation manager at content marketing company Head Office:
“No matter which option you go for, communication in social media must come across as personal. There is definitely a reason why large companies such as Telenet and Belgacom have created a fictitious person to deal with their customers; Charlotte and Eva respectively. The conversation manager also has to know the company and its social media strategy very well. It may therefore be an advantage if someone in the company itself takes on that role. That person is right at the source and so can distribute information, take a quick picture and post it online, etc.
This task is not for everyone. A conversation manager must have experience with social media, have fluent communication and writing style and must be empathetic, positive and solution-oriented in his or her dealings with customers. Prior training is not a luxury, because the employee must be very aware of the company's content strategy. The audience is varied and unpredictable. You have to decide time and time again whether certain content is or is not suitable for your target group. It is also not a nine-to-five job: the online world keeps on turning even at night or at the weekend."
The advantage of hiring a conversation manager from an external company is that in principle the expertise is present. In that case the challenge is to know the company to such an extent that the customer has the impression that he or she is talking to a real employee.
Getting angry is out of the question
Traditional marketing and advertising are a one-way street. If they do not work, they are a waste of money. However, they are not likely to result in angry comments. A company venturing out on Facebook, Twitter or other social media, can be sure to receive comments and reactions. Including negative ones. Caroline Hombroukx:
“On social media the consumer is suddenly right next to you banging the table. It is important to respond well to that. Getting angry yourself is out of the question. You need to respond by showing that you understand and you are taking the question or complaint seriously. Everyone following the discussion must see that the company is providing a quick answer and is trying to find a solution. If a mistake has been made, you can acknowledge this openly and honestly. You can also show the problem as something positive: as an opportunity to improve your brand, product or service. Of course you must find a suitable solution in the end. If the person sharing the complaint becomes too negative, you have to try and divert him or her to a private channel: a private message on Facebook, a direct message on Twitter, an e-mail or a phone call."
An enthusiastic, understanding response also works well if the consumer is sharing something positive about your brand, company or service. Thanking the consumer strengthens the bond between the company and the customer. Caroline Hombroukx:
"The dialogue with the target group is an opportunity to improve your product or operations through constructive criticism. Make customers feel involved. It creates a strong relationship. If you are publishing a magazine or starting a poster campaign for instance, you can let customers choose the best layout or title from three options posted on Facebook, for example. Everything that engages customers can only strengthen their commitment."
Social media dos and don'ts
- The consumer is always right (even when this isn't the case).
- Be open, honest and friendly.
- Use a personal style.
- Respond quickly to any questions or reactions.
- Stay positive and be understanding.
- Do all you can to engage your customers.
- Come up with a free gift every now and then.
- As a brand, try to avoid political topics.
02.04.2020
Social media and e-commerce: opportunities and risks
The huge popularity of social media brings new opportunities, but has resulted in some new stumbling blocks as well. What are the most recent trends? And how should you respond to them?
Social media such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram, etc. seem cutting edge, but the principle is as old as the hills: word of mouth, sometimes abbreviated as WOM in marketing. Even in the heyday of the mass media, positive recommendations from neighbours, family and friends remained important to a company's success. Newspapers, magazines and television advertising were the first channel introducing a new product to consumers, but word-of-mouth turned out to play a decisive role in what matters most: consumer behaviour. Consumers shared experiences and thereby affected the behaviour of their fellow consumers. Today, more than ever, they do so through social media.
Consumers persuading consumers
Social media are the contemporary, more sophisticated and super-fast successor of old-fashioned word-of-mouth advertising. They are a catalyst. Social networks allow people to exchange views, share experiences, express their dissatisfaction, etc. more quickly than ever.
In addition, more and more consumers are opting for a "social search" over search engines such as Google to find information. They consciously do not search the entire internet, but approach their friends on Facebook or contacts on LinkedIn or Twitter. It speeds up the search and makes the result more reliable. The idea is that if X thinks it is good/nice/beautiful, we will probably think it is good/nice/beautiful too. There is also the option to ask questions and really discuss the product or service you need information about.
Consumers talk about all sorts of products (offline and online), from new detergents to new car models. And it is not just young people who are sharing their experiences about products and brands. Young and old, male or female: everyone does it. All these recommendations between consumers are worth gold.
We can illustrate this with an example: computer manufacturer Dell assumes that 25% of its customers choose their brand after it has been recommended by another user. The average purchase value per customer is about 210 dollars. Based on this amount, the value of every recommendation is estimated at 42 dollars. The more consumers Dell can convince to buy its products, the more money it makes.
However, the reverse is equally true: bad word-of-mouth advertising can have devastating effects. Particularly in this age of social media, a bad reputation does not take long to spread.
Social media in 2014
Perhaps Facebook will no longer exist in ten years' time, but it will most certainly have been replaced by something else. Social media are here to stay. It is therefore important for companies to build a good social media strategy. They can start by thinking about which channel they want to use for which content and objective. What do you need to take into account?
- Content (the message to the consumer) is still the key part, but the importance of segmentation is increasing. The audience is varied, so not all content and every channel is suitable for everyone. As a company, it is best to divide your target audience into sub-target groups. You can then choose specific content and a channel per sub-target group.
- Create real-time content: define a number of key moments in the year in advance and use these wisely. The World Cup, back to school, the summer holidays, etc. are all events that happen regularly and companies can respond to in a clever way. The trick is to find a good link between the key moment and your product. Be creative in this respect. If a school bag brand presents its content at the end of August, it will have to use an original approach to avoid coming across as predictable.
- Social media are predominantly a mobile story: most consumers are switching to smartphones and tablets. It is no coincidence that the four best-known social networks are also in the list of most popular mobile apps: Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter. In any case, your content (both on the website and on social media) will have to be mobile-friendly.
- The importance of customer care is only increasing. Consumers will now use social media more than ever to find information, ask questions and make comments.