A German family-owned manufacturing company in the Electronics industry with decades of expertise and over 3000 global employees retained Pacific International to appoint Lean Administration Manager, a critical newly created position to implement lean principles in non-production areas.
Pacific had a longstanding relationship with the company, collaborating on various niche mandates over the years. This familiarity allowed Pacific to understand their organizational structure, culture, and specific talent needs. The company’s unique position as a mid-sized family-owned company with a personal environment and a matrix organization structure presented challenges and opportunities. However, their strong brand, commitment to excellence and sustainability, and growth prospects contributed to a successful go-to-market strategy.
For many years, the company’s investment in implementing lean methodologies across all manufacturing areas has been delivering significant results. However, not many lean experts have the necessary experience to roll out lean processes across non-production areas. The primary challenge for the Lean Administration Manager role was finding a candidate with expertise in lean principles applicable to administrative areas, someone with a global perspective, and experience in both administration and manufacturing. Reporting to the Global Lean Manager, the role was a stepping stone to the global role as part of the succession planning.
Additionally, the candidate needed to be willing to travel extensively while being based in South Germany, close to the company’s headquarters, to facilitate collaboration with the existing leadership team.
Pacific’s team commenced the project by mapping the market and leveraging its strong lean and continuous improvement network of contacts for referrals to identify exceptional candidates. In the sourcing phase, Pacific emphasized the candidate’s potential to personalize and leave a lasting imprint on the role, capitalizing on the company’s strong brand. This presents a distinctive opportunity for the candidate to shape and execute processes from the ground up, contributing to a meaningful and tangible impact.
Pacific’s lean credentials mean that project efficiency is paramount. The team used structured video interviews to not only showcase each candidate’s expertise but to show their communication style and personality as well, both crucial to the success of the placement.
As with every project, Pacific aims to include diverse candidates and those from underrepresented groups. We were pleased to present a strong diverse shortlist for this mandate too.
The recruitment process took approximately four months, factoring in holidays and the coordination of interviews across different time zones. This was necessary as the leadership team was based in South Korea. The selected candidate exceeded the client’s expectations. He not only met all the expertise requirements, but his experience combined with his communication style aligned seamlessly with the client’s culture.
Despite the challenges posed by holidays and the coordination of interviews across different time zones, the recruitment process was a success. The selected candidate not only met all expertise requirements but also exceeded the client’s expectations. The successful placement of the Lean Administration Manager showcased Pacific’s ability to navigate the complex requirements of the company’s unique organizational structure and recruit a candidate who aligned with the company’s vision. The effectiveness of Pacific’s strong networks, understanding client needs, and presenting a compelling narrative to attract top talent resulted in an efficient executive search process and a top hire for our client.
