Wendy Wang is Managing Director at one of Bo Le local offices in Mainland China. Supported, mentored and chllenged, Wendy has gone from graudate to senior leader, shining amongst her peers, candidates and clients. But that's not unsual in Bo Le, a business that invests in people for success.
How did you join Bo Le?
I joined Bo Le straight after graduation as a management trainee in research. I was told about a researcher opportunity and everyone I met during the interview was very approachable. They seemed like one big family. That was 12 years ago, and I’ve gone from researcher to consultant, to managing director. Now I’m the financial services leader in Shanghai.
Describe your working environment.
Morale here is very high. It’s a very supportive, nurturing environment because we really want to make people successful. The company takes a real interest in helping everyone achieve their career objectives, even if those ambitions change. From on the job training to mentoring, there’s a clear path for professional development. It’s also a collaborative place to work, so there are plenty of opportunities to learn from different consultants in other industries. Our philosophy is that if you train people well, they will become more capable. If you treat them well, they will stay. As a result we have a very stable team – 40% of our staff have been working here for more than five years, which makes the environment quite unique.
What is your typical day like?
I start at 9:30, usually replying to emails to clients, and then review our projects with my colleagues. After a client or team lunch meeting, I’ll do some candidate interviews. Then it’s paperwork until I finish.
What’s been your biggest success?
Our job is to deal with people and friendship comes naturally from assisting them to fulfil their ambitions. I feel successful when I’m recommended or someone wants to work with me again. Often it will be a client who becomes a candidate, or a friend who becomes a client. It’s an honour when clients recommend me to their connections, or even family. When they trust me enough to recommend their friend or significant other to me, this gives me the strongest sense of achievement.
Is your career progression usual at Bo Le?
Yes it is. As long as your ambitions match our objectives, you’ll be able to achieve your potential. All new researchers get up to three years training, during which time they also receive mentoring from senior consultants. After you grow your client portfolio in executive search, you’ll move to be a senior consultant yourself, before becoming a project leader.
What do you look for in new hires?
Accountability is very important; wanting to take responsibility for yourself, your team, and your clients. I also look for learning potential, curiosity and the ability to thrive in a team.
Does Bo Le value diversity?
We have many more people with an international profile, and when we recruit we consider how much exposure candidates have to overseas markets. Expats who return also offer a lot of unique culture diversity, which makes our workplace very dynamic and successful. We offer training to local consultants to prepare them in working with clients and candidates from a range of backgrounds.
How do you overcome challenges?
Our industry is very competitive, and so you learn very quickly that it’s ok to experience difficult problems and try to solve them yourself. You can certainly turn to senior staff for advice, but only by solving the issue yourself can you learn and grow.
What keeps you going?
I’m encouraged and motivated by the people around me. I’m constantly looking for new ways to meet my client's expectation, make my team more efficient and help them achieve their own goals.
How do you balance your personal life with professional life?
I enjoy tea drinking and tae-kwon-do when I have time. I set very high standard for my career, so my work and personal life can’t always be completely separate. However Bo Le gives us a lot of freedom and flexibility.