By Bharati Jagdish

Jared Ng, now Regional Consulting Director of PeopleSearch Hong Kong took an 80 per cent pay cut about 20 years ago to join the executive search industry.

He expresses this matter-of-factly, as if it was an easy decision to make.

“I came from a very humble background and one is very flexible when you are used to not having much to start with. Somehow, the decision just felt right and I went along with it.”

His reason for doing so becomes more apparent as he describes his state of mind at the time and what fuelled his search for a more compelling purpose.

“I was in the banking sector before I joined the executive search industry. My last role was an Investment Consultant. I was doing well but I did not feel that banking was for me.”

He was looking for a role that would “make a difference to people more than just financially.”

His journey in recruitment began “by chance”, he says.

A STROKE OF SERENDIPITY

He had heard of HRnetOne and went in for a meeting to explore opportunities once he realised he didn’t want to continue his banking career.

“I was asked if I wanted to be a consultant. I had never done something like that and didn’t really know exactly what it entailed, but I thought the job sounded cool and so I said “yes”.

Unfortunately, he didn’t get the job.

But by a stroke of serendipity, an opportunity presented itself a few weeks later.

“They asked if I was still available as the group was planning to start a new company in Taiwan focussed on IT recruitment. I knew nothing about Taiwan or IT or recruitment but I was excited by the idea of working overseas, and so I agreed.”

However, it took some time for him to discover his purpose in the field.

“In the beginning it was about survival. But a few years in, I really started to realise the importance of what we do and the impact that we have on others’ lives.”

He explains, “It is not just about putting a candidate into a role. I started to realise that if someone is unhappy at work, they will be unhappy in their personal life as we spend most of our waking hours working. The opposite is also true. So if we do our job right, we are able to bring happiness to people who are associated with our candidates. As for the clients, we also help them grow by bringing the right talent to them. By doing our jobs well, we also free up time for our HR counterparts so that they can focus more on business partnering activities.”

For him, it’s about finding a win-win solution for all parties.

“I believe that talent is critical to any businesses and as consultants, our job is to ensure that the right person is in right place doing the right job.”

Jared Ng is now Regional Consulting Director, PeopleSearch Hong Kong.

A STRUGGLE

Jared was there from the start. He joined the first iteration of PeopleSearch in Taiwan, iTech, on 29th May, 2000 and he was the first person to be confirmed after five months.

Becoming proficient was a struggle for Jared.

“We started in a small office with second-hand equipment and no clients. I remember what it was like in my first few days in this job. I was sitting at my desk and wondering what to do. I was lost after a two-day crash course. Grace, one of our Taiwanese colleagues with search experience saw me sitting at my desk looking lost and she told me to just cold-call clients.”

He describes a feeling bordering on despair.

“I had absolutely no idea who to call, so I decided to flip through the newspaper and I came across a multi-national systems integrator that had advertised that it was looking for salespeople. I called their regional office in Hong Kong and was lucky to sign them as my first client. I closed two sales directors and some engineers and pre-sales personnel for them. That was when I thought this could be a long-term career for me. To this date, I remember the name of my first two placements and the name of the HR personnel I dealt with.”

DREAMS DO COME TRUE

Jared was promoted to Senior Consultant after two years.

“That was when I first indicated to management that I wanted to lead and build a new desk – banking and finance. I also remember vividly that in my confirmation Performance Management Report I stated I wanted to be a Country Manager. Dreams do come true!”

However, his journey has not been without its ups and downs.

From Taiwan, he moved to Hong Kong – a city that has seen its share of unrest and uncertainty. He is no stranger to crisis including the current economic instability due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“We have to first believe that we are able to bring good to our clients and candidates, that we are in a position to make positive differences to people who cross our paths. This is especially so during challenging periods. The only thing is that the process might be tougher in tougher times. So we need to be prepared to work harder and smarter to meet higher expectations. We also need to continue to identify areas of growth and to continue to build our expertise in these areas, so our building process does not stop just because the economy is bad.”

Read more about Jared Ng’s philosophy on dealing with crises, his transition from Taiwan to Hong Kong and his role in the growth of PeopleSearch in our next edition of “20 Years of PeopleSearch”.