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As a managing partner at MRA Global Sourcing and a thought leader in supply chain staff sourcing, Naseem Malik has his finger on the pulse of the automotive supply chain industry — and lots of other industries.

With all the other major challenges facing supply chains in the pandemic era, none has caused as big of a culture shift as the move to remote work.

According to Naseem, top pre-pandemic questions from talent shifted from What’s the comp? Who will I be working for? to What's the work arrangement? Is this hybrid? Companies that demanded full-time on-site work were not popular with talented candidates.

“And those companies that continue to say, no, we don't care, this is what we want — they struggled,” said Naseem. “They struggled to find people. Not just [find] people, but they're struggling to retain their people.”

In order to keep up with the rapidly changing world of work, automotive supply chain companies need to change their culture and allow more flexibility. A cookie-cutter approach won’t cut it anymore.

They might look to previous podcast guest Katherine Knight, Mitsubishi’s chief legal officer and chief HR officer, who led the charge to “work from home forever.” In this episode of the Automotive Leaders podcast, Naseem joins Jan to deconstruct that conversation with Katherine, and discuss major changes in work culture across multiple industries including the automotive industry.

Themes discussed on this episode:

Cross-industry trends in remote versus on-site work models
What remote work means for new Gen Z employees
Why traditional performance reviews are being scrapped across industries
How being unapologetically yourself makes you a better leader

Featured Guest: Naseem Malik

What he does: Naseem is a managing partner at MRA Global Sourcing and a true thought leader when it comes to sourcing executive supply chain staff. Get Naseem’s informative newsletter.

On leadership: “Just be your raw self. Find your voice and don't be afraid to share it. We talked about this a lot — you are your own brand. You've got to build your own brand. So if you are not honest with yourself and the way you act, feel, everything, it'll be reflected. It'll stunt your growth, it will stunt your development. And it may create an impression about you which is not reality.”

Episode Highlights

Timestamped inflection points from the show

[2:36] Meet the guest: Naseem and Jan discuss how they met, as well as Naseem’s unique cross-industry expertise.

[5:07] At the forefront: Katherine Knight’s statement, “work from home forever,” was a bold one. Mitsubishi is leading the charge for remote work in the automotive industry. But operationalizing it can be tricky.

[8:00] Flipping the switch: How do companies across sectors decide whether to mandate in-office work or go remote? Naseem gives a sampling of trends across industries.

[11:38] The Gen Z challenge: For many younger workers, remote work is attractive. But some Gen Zers are beginning to recognize the benefits of being an office and learning from more experienced colleagues.

[13:40] Cookie cutter won’t cut it: Naseem discusses the importance of work flexibility, and how it is beginning to play a larger role in supply chain industry hiring and retention.

[19:35] The hybrid work choice paradox: Will GM’s decision to mandate three days of on-site work per week hurt or help them?

[23:12] Define your own culture: The auto supply chain industry often feels pressure to follow tech companies’ leads. How is that trend playing out when it comes to on- versus off-site work?

[26:54] The highlights: Naseem talks about what stood out about Jan’s interview with Katherine Knight, including her unique approach to performance reviews.

[31:58] Toward a new performance review: Naseem and Jan discuss what makes Katherine’s view on performance reviews unique, as well as performance review trends across industries.

[35:41] A leader for the future: As a lawyer, Katherine is the last person one might expect to have progressive views on work from home. But it’s part of what makes her an effective leader in her industry.

[42:40] Break out of the mold: Jan and Naseem discuss breaking out of the corporate mold and being unapologetically yourself.

[45:21] Advice for auto industry leaders: To become a strong leader, embrace your authentic self by building your personal brand around who you truly are.

Top quotes

[8:39] Naseem: “There's some leaders that were dead set against ever hiring anybody remote pre-pandemic. And these are leaders that were 30, 35 years into their careers, that would never entertain that because either they're in a good spot — meaning geographically. they don't need to do that — or they just didn't believe it could work. And to see them do a complete 180 and now hire successfully remote was an eye opener.”

[14:43] Jan: “Inclusive is a word that gets a lot of airtime these days, but we have to be more understanding that — guess what? Humans are different, and our needs change at different times of our lives.”

[22:47] Naseem: “I think over the past six months of this year, office vacancy has declined, meaning occupancy has gone up by several percentage points compared to this time last year. So that shows you another trend of how companies are now beginning to say, all right, slowly but surely, it's time to start coming back.”

[30:55] Naseem: “After a play is done, a coach should give a player feedback right then and there. A coach is not going to wait after the season is over and then come back to that specific play and provide feedback because that completely defeats the purpose. So thinking about it as a player-coach relationship — it’s constant feedback. After every play, give that feedback.”

[40:15] Jan: “Of course, there's a level of professionalism, but it's okay to be you. And to let your authentic self come through. In fact, that will do more for you and bonding your team to you as a leader than it will try to fit a corporate stuffy mold.”

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