New Needs: The Well-Tuned HR Piano

The human factor is more important than ever in today’s complex world. That is why Iventa has developed further and today is just as much a headhunter as a personnel communication agency and change companion – and thus unique in Austria.

If Iventa were a piano, today it would have at least twice as many keys as before. “We have developed from a merely a recruiter to a broad HR service provider,” says Managing Director Martin Mayer. Because the changes in the job market and in the economy make it necessary to adapt and to play on a larger keyboard. What changes are we talking about? Martin Mayer sees three major trends:

1) The grain makes the difference
We live in a world of interchangeable products, and many markets are nowadays saturated. How can a company succeed here? “I do not believe in a great revolution through unique ideas,” says Mayer. “I believe in making existing solutions a little better. The small changes are the more decisive ones. “This can be the brand that offers a little bit more convenience to the customers, and quicker processes. For example: Amazon has revolutionized trade – but essentially, without inventing anything that is fundamentally new. After all, mail order companies had been around since the 19th century. “That little bit more, can only be achieved with the right employees,” says Mayer. “That’s why the human factor is so much more important than it used to be.”

2) From assistants to (project) managers
The world is getting faster, more dynamic, more complex. Therefore, the classic command-and-order policy can no longer work successfully. “In the past, there were two or three executives at the top who set the direction,” says Mayer. “But this is not how the world works anymore, and it has become unmanageable for some.” Therefore, it needs another, decentralized way – in a manner of speaking, power to the people. The managers have to delegate power to their subordinates. For Mayer this is the true meaning of “Share Economy” – knowledge is distributed in a decentralized manner, and shared among all members of a team or company: “This is the true revolution. For this reason as well, the contribution of each individual to the success of the company is becoming more important. “

3) The shrinking pool
On the one hand, the human factor is becoming increasingly important. On the other hand, we are slowly feeling the “demographic trap”: there are too few young people to take over the jobs of the many who retire at the same time from working life. This will make the number of available qualified people smaller and smaller. To complicate matters further, many companies are specifically looking for 20 to 40-year-olds. “They believe that this group will shape the necessary change processes,” says Mayer. The potential employees not only become fewer, but they also become more demanding. “Value change, the so-called Millennials want to have a sense of purpose, they want to clearly see the effect of their personal contribution to the company.” In the past, source of motivation in one’s career were comparatively simple, and rather materialistic: a good salary, your company car and office, etc. This is still important today for some, but it isn’t everything. In this respect too, the world today is more complex than ever.

Diverse, multi-layered, versatile – and simplified
In short, the world is becoming more diverse and multi-layered. And that’s why Iventa has also expanded its services in recent years. For the past ten years, the Employer Branding, Personnel and Organizational Development business units have joined the traditional services of Personnel Consulting and Media Services. “We work together with many of our customers in two or three areas,” says Mayer. “They appreciate having a point of contact they can trust on whatever issues required – one who breaks down the complexity of the human resources environment, in order for them to get exactly what they need.”

Who am I, and can anyone really ever know?
An example: A medium-sized company invests a lot of money in personal ads, but gets less and less return on them. That is why the Iventa professionals develop employer branding strategies. “Companies need to know who they are,” says Mayer. “The values they have, should also be relevant for them as an employer, and these principles need to be communicated so that the message reaches their target groups as well.”

However, this communication is not enough on its own; the values must also be reflected in practice. Therefore, on the next step, the personnel and organizational development experts come into play, and then anchor their corporate culture more strongly in the company as well. Finally, the circle closes again at the personnel ads professionals. Because these ads are closely related to employer branding these days, it’s all about translating the corporate culture into messages in specific jobs. Mayer: “Nowadays, Iventa is just as much a headhunter as a communication agency and change companion.” A piano, so to speak, that plays exactly the right HR symphony for each customer, to suit his taste and needs.”

Share article: