Telecom companies are using the current market downturn to upgrade their executive talent, says
Laura Lee Gentry, head of the U.S. Technology and Communications Practice at Egon Zehnder International, in an interview with
Telephonyonline. “At a time like this, small to mid-sized business have access to top-drawer talent they might not have been able to get in the past,” explains Gentry. In her view, companies seeking to maximise this opportunity need to identify skills that will be important in the future and determine whether these competences are already available internally or need to be acquired. According to Gentry, future key skills for telecom providers will include change management, collaboration and innovation management. Telcos may seek to source these skills outside of their own industry, but should check that the fit is right before they do any recruiting, warns Gentry. “They need to look at industry segments that have best-in-class leadership, but also look within their own sector,” she concludes.
