Katherine White, the first Chief Talent Officer of Spencer Stuart, talks about the challenges of leading professionals in senior roles and how she discreetly brought about change. They discuss the importance of HR expertise in professional firms, establishing credibility, and the growth of the leadership field. She also shares her experience of being an outsider in an organization and the importance of building credibility and understanding the culture.
Leading senior professionals in non-fee-earner roles requires building trust and influence.
Professionalizing HR roles in professional firms is a challenge but essential for success.
Deep dives
The challenges of leading talent in professional organizations
Catherine White, the first global chief talent officer of Spencer Stewart, discusses the challenges of leading people in senior functional roles in professional organizations. She explores how to lead talent when they themselves do not see you as talent, and shares insights on building trust and influence.
The evolution of HR roles in professional firms
Traditionally, HR roles in professional firms have been de-professionalized, often assigned to female partners returning from maternity leave or non-specialists. However, some firms are now recognizing the need to professionalize these functions and hire experienced professionals from the corporate sector. The challenge lies in these professionals adapting to the unique dynamics of professional firms.
The role of a Chief Talent Officer
Catherine discusses her role as the Chief Talent Officer at Spencer Stewart and reflects on the importance of understanding the language and culture of the business. Building relationships, being a good listener, and focusing on delivering tangible results are essential for success in this role.
Developing executive search professionals
Catherine explains the importance of defining what 'good' looks like in the executive search profession and how the industry has evolved over time. She highlights the need for structured learning environments, feedback processes, and the continuous development of judgment and coaching skills in search professionals.
Laura and Tony speak to Katherine White, the first Chief Talent Officer of global executive search firm, Spencer Stuart. They explore the challenges of being a senior leader when you are not a fee-earner, and of leading the so-called talent when the fee-earners themselves do not see you as the talent. Katherine explains how she built trust and influence, and how she learnt to add value quickly while working slowly and discretely to bring about change.