Success at Kea means helping candidates find the next step in their career. I would be proud knowing I have helped a candidate make the right transition to a the buyside by placing them within a fund that aligns well with their goals and personality. Success personally is also feeling confident handling difficult conversations, being efficient in my day-to-day tasks, and knowing how to manage a process by myself.
KEA
What do you enjoy about the role?
CA
I would say it’s the variation of the work, the ownership of research and the informal dynamics within the team. If you like project-based work, you’ll find that Kea is the right fit. I enjoy working towards the end of a process as much as I like starting a new one. Every stage of the search will have different challenges and teach me something new. I also means I get a chance to work with different members of the team, which is exciting and allows me to get to know both junior and senior members of the team. I didn’t think I’d get the opportunity to work in an environment where the CEO comes in on a Monday, goes around the room and personally greets everyone, or where I might be sitting next to a Director one day and a Consultant the next. Finally, besides projects I’m working on I also have a responsibility to do research around the European banking market. We’ve recently expanded our research efforts into the European market, and it’s great to have the freedom to develop a research plan.
KEA
How have you developed at Kea?
CA
Coming into Kea, I knew very little about the market we hire for (the buyside) and the market we hire from (banks and consultancies), so there was a lot to learn! Besides learning about the market, Kea has also helped me develop various soft skills that I will value throughout my career. In this way, Kea was able to help me develop not only knowledge, but also taught me how to use my knowledge about the market and help candidates with it. I am still learning new things every day, and that's the most exciting part of the journey!
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I’m a very outgoing person, which makes the social element of the job come quite naturally.However, it is the supportive environment from the Kea team that has made me feel this comfortable. I know I can ask for help when I need it, and that in the end it isn’t about your individual success but about Kea as a whole.
Kea Values
I think that value that speaks to me most is ‘Relationship First’. It made me initially drawn to Kea more so than other search firms. By stating you will put Relationship First, I believe you significantly change the way headhunting operates. Rather than ‘pitching’ and ‘selling’ jobs to candidates, we get to know them, we listen, and together we find the best fit for them. Going into a new job is not an easy decision, and I like the way Kea dedicates time to find the right fit for both a candidate and a client. Executive search is often thought to be a place where money is made by finding a top tier candidate and placing it as fast as you can! This couldn’t be further away from Kea, and our values ensure that we never move in that direction.