QA with Jon Sampson, Managing Director - Hays Brazil - Viewpoint - careers advice blog Viewpoint careers advice blog

QA with Jon Sampson, Managing Director - Hays Brazil - Viewpoint - careers advice blog Jon Sampson, Managing Director, Hays Brazil International mobility is on the rise. As the global economy recovers, company and job remits are continuing to expand across borders. There’s only so much that technology such as Skype can do to ensure the smooth implementation of a project overseas, and organisations recognise that they need feet on the ground. What’s more, employees are jumping at the chance to expand their professional career in an exotic location, with a surveyed 71 per cent of people stating that they wanted to work internationally at some point At Hays, we have an ambitious pool of internal talent to help provide leading recruitment services to 33 countries. My role as Head of Attraction and Mobility often involves moving these employees around the world in order to further their career within the company. I caught up with Jon Sampson, Managing Director Hays Brazil, who has made several international moves at Hays for this very reason. During this interview, Jon provides us with some insights into the reality of international mobility. Give us a brief overview of your career at Hays? I began my career at Hays fourteen years ago in Australia as an Associate Consultant running a contract desk within the IT team. As a company we have evolved a lot since then, but many of the recruitment fundamentals I still believe in today were learned during that time. Since then I have worked with and led the Japanese business and am now part of the Americas team responsible for driving best practice across Hays Brazil as their MD. Did you ever plan to work abroad at the beginning of your career? The thought never really crossed my mind. However, as my career progressed I saw opportunities for development and experience that I wouldn’t have had access to if I had stayed in the one country. In an increasingly globalised world, international experience and understanding becomes invaluable. What attracted you to your current role in Brazil? A number of things. Firstly, the challenge of working with a business that has huge potential in a difficult market. Secondly, the opportunity to gain experience in the Americas region â€" this was particularly interesting given the plans we have for growth here â€" it’s going to be an exciting few years ahead and a great business to be a part of. Do you have a family and did they relocate with you? Yes, my wife and I moved here with our English bulldog and son who was five months at the time. We are also expecting a daughter any day now. It’s of course a big move for anyone with a family and it comes with its challenges but in reality it’s not that daunting, once you have made the move and settled in. Living in any major city means you need to be smart about what you do and how you do it. São Paulo is no different but not really any worse. It is a lot like LA in many ways â€" a sprawling city with great restaurants, high end shopping, valet parking everywhere and beaches an easy drive away. An hour out of the city and you’re surrounded by green countryside and fresh sea air. What was the relocation process like? Hays were extremely supportive in the process and understanding of our needs. We have global and local teams to support you every step of the way. It can seem endlessly complicated at times, but once you create a clear checklist it really becomes just about execution of small tasks one by one. What have been the highlights for you in living and working in Brazil so far? The people, the culture and of course the Caipirinhas. A trip to our Rio office involves a sunrise drive past pristine beaches overlooking the South Atlantic Ocean â€" a pretty good way to start a working day. The great thing for me about leading one of our developing businesses is the variety that every day brings. Being client facing is of course a critical part of the job, but so too can be working with the legal team on changes in local legislation that could affect our industry, developing new local marketing materials, running training sessions and refining our overall value proposition to the market. This breadth of experience enables me to keep growing and the variety makes every day an interesting one. How have you found adapting to a new culture and living in a country, where the local language is different to your own? It’s of course challenging and frustrating at times but that’s part of the enjoyment. Every weekend brings an opportunity for a new experience that pushes you out of your comfort zone. If you commit to learning the language, you can be really competent within about six months. Even if you don’t, you’ll be directing taxis and ordering a beer before too long. Of course, there’s that sense of achievement that you never forget when you finally manage to order a meal correctly! While language is a great bonus, it’s definitely more important for you to have a strong foundation in your profession than be bilingual. Equally, I was surprised by the level of English spoken by the team here and how they are very happy to get some practice in by using it with me. At a senior level, virtually all of our clients are happy to conduct meetings in English and many of them are actually expats themselves which instantly creates some common ground to build a relationship from. What effect has working in another country had on your career? I would say it has been very positive. I now have a greater knowledge of different parts of the business that has helped me mature as an operator and build relationships that have enabled me to continue to develop as a person both professionally and personally. I’m now in my third country for Hays and every role has enabled me to grow hugely. What would you say are the three most important skills to have to be a successful Country lead? To start, an overwhelming belief in what is possible and a drive to get there. A sense of (grounded) optimism allows you to see where the business could be and create a path to achieving this. External factors always exist but we can control a lot more than not. Secondly, a disciplined commitment to what we set out to achieve in the short, medium and long-term. Finally, you need the ability to adapt your style to ensure you are effectively communicating the message you want to bring the people on the journey with you. What advice would you give to other employees aspiring to progress to a senior position? Make the most of the meritocracy and take advantage of the international leadership opportunities that may be presented through roles you hadn’t necessarily considered. The thought of moving overseas may seem too unfeasible, but when you break it down you’ll most likely have far more to gain than lose. Don’t be too quick to dismiss something new or different as at the end of the day, nothing has to be forever so why not? Hopefully this blog has given you a true sense of what it is like to relocate to a foreign country for your career. If you would like to discuss anything related to global mobility, please get in contact. If you found this post interesting, you may also enjoy the below: Ask yourself these 8 questions before relocating internationally for a job 4 ways to grow yourself global QA with Lise Render Nielsen, Director of Leadership at LEGO Preparing a CV for international applications â€" does one size fit all? Are you a ‘global citizen’? How to thrive in your new overseas role QA with Jessica Spence, VP Commercial at Carlsberg in Hong Kong Visit the Join Hays website to find out more about life at Hays Share this blog: