Career Advice Job Market Trend Report

Caring ‘partners’ needed

Experienced business development managers
The Executive Centre

With the increasing popularity of the serviced business centre concept, providing companies with an upmarket address and a fully equipped office at short notice and at flexible terms, The Executive Centre is growing by five to eight offices a year in Asia-Pacific, and now employs around 400 people.

The company, which has six offices in Hong Kong, is now recruiting experienced business development managers to join its sales team.

“They should have several years’ sales experience with a strong ability to identify new business opportunities, manage a portfolio of multiple clients, and maintain relationships with clients, affiliates, and key industry contacts,” says chief executive Paul Salnikow.

The company operates a three-pronged strategy of “Best Locations, Best Service, Best Value”.

Applicants need to be outgoing and sociable, with good interpersonal, communication, listening and networking skills.

“The Executive Centre operates in 10 countries across multiple time zones and languages. Yet at the client level, this is a very personal business. Our first priority is to understand clients’ needs. We hire and build local teams with local expertise, multi-languages, and a passion about leading clients into the future,” Salnikow says.

Candidates need to be able to fit in with a strong organisational culture based on respect, trust and diversity that attracts motivated people who can proactively drive the business forward.

“The serviced office market’s growing maturity demands greater proficiencies of the individual and exceptional teamwork. The Executive Centre is a premier brand being built by professionals who are highly experienced and passionate. Words such as ‘employee’ or ‘staff’ are never used. We have team-mates, partners, and members,” Salnikow says.

The company has a structured talent development scheme that identifies staff’s key strengths and development needs and designs programmes around an individual’s needs. It offers on-the-job training as well as courses ranging from sales skills and customer management, to general management skills and leadership.

“Care for the community, care for the employees and care for the environment are The Executive Centre’s core values,” Salnikow says.

A member of the Caring Company scheme, its corporate social responsibility policy nurtures a caring culture and improved health and safety in the workplace, while reducing the environmental impact of its operations. It also supports charity events and environmental activities, such as “Running to Stop the Traffik”, that fights human trafficking.