Today’s guest blogger is Carola Chard of CMCC in Hong Kong. CMCC was established in 2009 as a specialist recruitment firm for the apparel, footwear, toys and consumer goods industry. Since 2017 the firm has expanded to include new technologies, financial and legal appointments. Carola is currently serving on the NPAworldwide board of directors.
As members of NPAworldwide, we have partners in many countries and almost 600 member-owner firms in our global network. We can collaborate on projects, share jobs and candidates and support our clients with recruitment in most locations on the globe. We also have a super-efficient team to manage the membership, branding and tech support, market information, seminars and any queries.
What does that mean for a client? It was common practice for senior management to board a plane and manage multiple regional offices to resolve hiring and employment situations with short trips. With travel bans, restrictions, and quarantine requirements, this has become near impossible, and most management were forced to move online and operate remotely. But not everything can be done in such a manner. For example, technical and production expertise on the ground is needed in locations where previously someone traveled in to cover a region. Now they are stuck.
Here the great benefit of having partners locally comes into full play. Not only can we support a client’s need in the widest possible scope, we can also provide up-to-date information on what is happening in that country and city in real time. We know first-hand what restrictions are in place, and if the candidate suited and chosen for the job can actually physically get there to take up the responsibility. In this time of ever-changing situations, it is not just important to know what is possible, but also what is not. The ability to communicate effectively via our global network partners means we can save our clients much grief by setting realistic goals with trustworthy partners on site.
These are the obvious benefits; we work together, and we work together well. But we do much more than that in NPAworldwide. We build strong bridges between countries and cultures and establish friendships that go beyond office hours, and many last a lifetime. We have the perfect platform for those with a global mindset and enable partners to operate like global citizens without leaving their home.
During this ongoing pandemic, which has no doubt negatively affected almost every person on the planet in its severity, in health, emotional and financial terms, these friendships and bonds have become even stronger and more precious. We care what is happening with our partners, their families and loved ones, and we know the news of a country in crisis are not simply statistics. Our friends are there. We want everybody to be safe and healthy, so we work towards a global solution to this crisis. We cheer each other on for the successes at work, and celebrate big billers and split placements; but we are also there to listen and support each other when things don’t go as planned.
You ask what is the greatest value of NPAworldwide? It’s the people in it!