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View From The Top: Alexis de Bretteville, CEO of Michael Page International
Michael Page is an international recruitment consultancy with 166 offices in 28 countries around the world. Alexis de Bretteville CEO of Michael Page International talks with Mark Cenedella, founder and CEO of job portal TheLadders™ about job listings, recruitment and today’s job market.
Mark Cenedella (MC): What's your background, and how did you come into your role as CEO of Michael Page International?
Alexis de Bretteville (AB): I have a banking and commercial real estate background. Fifteen years ago, while interviewing with Michael Page for another job, I was offered a position as a consultant. As we only grow organically, I developed an international career moving upwards through various positions in Europe (including France, Spain, Germany and Belgium). Most recently, in 2006 I became Regional Managing Director of the Americas.
MC: Can you describe your typical day at the office?
AB: Running such a large region, I'm usually travelling over 50% of the time. My typical day starts at 7:30am by connecting with our European offices, followed by meetings with our management and top executives, who are either Michael Page clients or candidates. I also frequently run internal meetings and training sessions with our staff to stay close to operations. As a typical European, I've always enjoyed a lunch to break up a long day and create deeper relationships with my business network.
MC: What is your firm's hiring sweet spot? What types of positions and employers make up your core business?
AB: We work for most of the Fortune 500 companies, but also for the smaller and medium-sized companies who sometimes find it difficult to attract the best talent in today's marketplace. The mid-to-senior level candidates are our main focus.
One of the biggest strengths of Michael Page is our specialization by disciplines and the quality of the services we provide. We focus on finance, accounting, banking, financial services, sales, marketing, legal, human resources, procurement and supply chain. Each area has a team of dedicated consultants, which gives us a unique focus in the marketplace.
MC: In the current economic climate, what are the strongest and weakest hiring sectors? How does hiring vary geographically?
AB: As bad as the banking market looks, we've seen a rise in the hiring of compliance, risk and accounting roles and we are very active in these sectors. The second and third tier banks are taking the opportunity to attract the best "rainmakers" from the most impacted top tier banks. Our temporary placement in the banking sector is also on the rise.
When it comes to the corporate world, although candidates and clients are becoming more cautious, we still find it very active with many new opportunities available in the majority of sectors. Apart from the banking situation, which is focused around New York, we haven't seen many changes in the rest of the United States.
MC: What do you see as the biggest challenge facing professionals in today's job market?
AB: In this fast moving economic environment, candidates need to control the game. They need to be well prepared, in case they have to move to a new job.
MC: What is one thing that you think job seekers most often overlook in the recruiting process?
AB: We most often see that candidates are not prepared; they don't ask questions in the interview and have not done enough research. When it comes to negotiating a financial package, candidates often need the support of a Michael Page consultant to achieve the best offer.
