Hala Mohanna
1. Hala, from Unilever to the UN, you’ve worked across seven sectors. What did each chapter teach you about people?
I honestly have been intrigued and mesmerized by people since my childhood. Their behavior and communication always took long pauses in my life. I kept trying to understand why each individual is the way they are. And why they do what they do.
Then, once I started my career, I realized something important. Unveiling chapters, achievements, and the ability to adapt to different sectors, cultures, and roles, all of this is directly linked to understanding your surroundings. As well as the ability to achieve goals by communicating with a mix of people in an entity.
Therefore, the impact on myself throughout has been more clarity. Specifically, clarity on management and expectations of the people I need to communicate with.
2. After 17 years at EWKP, you founded AUREN. What gap in the MENA market needed filling?
I was one of the founding team members of EWKP. I started the setting in Dubai in 2006. Then, I opened the branch in Jeddah in 2007.
At that time, executive search was a newcomer sector to the region, specifically the Gulf. This was due to its existing understanding of the hardship of seeking talent from different parts of the globe. The goal was to bring know-how and experienced talent to various industries to build and achieve success.
In the Middle East, it was only Egypt that had this. Why? Because Egypt was a hub for expats and international companies prior to Dubai. It also had international matching pay scales to righteous talent.
So, I can state the challenge when first opening. It was educating companies on the value of mandating executive search. And the know-how it brings to the client industry.
An executive search is an expert bringing their expertise to the business. It enables growth and success in its mission. How? By bringing on board executives with talent that brings know-how. And who are a cultural fit for the entity.
Now, today, with AUREN being HQ in Beirut, we directly serve Lebanese companies. They require successful candidates matching their culture. Candidates who bring experience to boost growth and achievements.
However, remuneration and benefits are not aligned with the sought-after experience and expectations. The understanding of investment in people to achieve revenue is not there.
Therefore, the gap remains. It is the understanding of the benefits of talent extraction. Specifically, by partnering with experts or consultants in talent acquisition. This still requires awareness of the benefits and know-how they bring forth.
The understanding is still contingent. Companies keep matching a close candidate rather than a true match.
3. Hala, you look beyond the resume. What three things do you search for that aren’t on a CV?
The personality, creativity, and wisdom. Those 3 ingredients in a person make the ‘stand-out’ or difference. Those 3 make each individual different.
4. You place leaders across the USA, KSA, UAE, and Egypt. How do you navigate cultural differences?
I have been privileged to have lived and visited several countries around the globe, as well as to have attended well-established academic institutes. In addition to being passionate about the readings of people and my surroundings, which gave me the know-how to understand the variety of markets, and therefore their culture and tradition, which makes me able to assess need and hire as well as liaise between client and candidate, representing each in the best manner, and align the role responsibilities and management expectations.
5. You’ve placed talent in insurance, tech, healthcare, and finance. Which industry surprised you the most, and why?
Honestly, there is no surprise element with any industry because I work as a generalist across industries; therefore, I am in learning mode, ready to understand the needs for achievements.
The surprise, however, I can say that all talent acquisition businesses learned across the years of practice is that companies are not aware realistically of the role and it’s responsibilites during the process of identification.
What appears to companies’ attention is that there are different titles, roles, and responsibilities for the role they are seeking, and therefore changes to the sought role happen, which causes delay in placement.
Although most of the time we do share our experience, they are the ones with industry know-how; they know more about the role.
Not being aware of the KPIS and the boarding offer.
7. Hala, what is your one piece of advice for an executive woman ready for her next big move?
To know yourself and be yourself.
Understood. Here is the original interview with your exact wording, only given a title and formatted clearly, nothing changed.
Title: Seven Sectors, One Truth: A Conversation with the Founder of AUREN
1. From Unilever to the UN, you’ve worked across seven sectors. What did each chapter teach you about people?
I honestly have been intrigued and mesmerized by people since my childhood. People’s behavior and communication always took long pauses in my life, trying to understand why each individual is the way they are and why they do what they do.
Once I started my career, I realized that unveiling chapters, achievements, and the ability to adapt to different sectors, cultures, and roles are all directly linked to understanding the surroundings and the ability to achieve goals by communicating with the mix of people in an entity. Therefore, the impact on myself throughout is more clarity on management and expectations of the people I need to communicate with.
2. After 17 years at EWKP, you founded AUREN. What gap in the MENA market needed filling?
I was one of the founding team members of EWKP. I started the setting in Dubai in 2006. Then, I opened the branch in Jeddah in 2007.
At that time, executive search was a newcomer sector to the region, specifically the Gulf. This was due to its existing understanding of the hardship of seeking talent from different parts of the globe. The goal was to bring know-how and experienced talent to various industries to build and achieve success.
In the Middle East, it was only Egypt that had this. Why? Because Egypt was a hub for expats and international companies prior to Dubai. It also had international matching pay scales to righteous talent.
So, I can state the challenge when first opening. It was educating companies on the value of mandating executive search. And the know-how it brings to the client industry.
An executive search is an expert bringing their expertise to the business. It enables growth and success in its mission. How? By bringing on board executives with talent that brings know-how. And who is a cultural fit for the entity?
Now, today, with AUREN being HQ in Beirut, we directly serve Lebanese companies. They require successful candidates matching their culture. Candidates who bring experience to boost growth and achievements.
However, remuneration and benefits are not aligned with the sought-after experience and expectations. The understanding of investment in people to achieve revenue is not there.
Therefore, the gap remains. It is the understanding of the benefits of talent extraction. Specifically, by partnering with experts or consultants in talent acquisition. This still requires awareness of the benefits and know-how they bring forth.
The understanding is still contingent. Companies keep matching a close candidate rather than a true match.
3. You look beyond the resume. What three things do you search for that aren’t on a CV?
The personality, creativity, and wisdom. Those 3 ingredients in a person make the ‘stand-out’ or difference. Those 3 make each individual different.
4. You place leaders across the USA, KSA, UAE, and Egypt. How do you navigate cultural differences?
I have been privileged to have lived and visited several countries around the globe, as well as to have attended well-established academic institutes. In addition to being passionate about the readings of people and my surroundings, which gave me the know-how to understand the variety of markets, and therefore their culture and tradition, which makes me able to assess need and hire as well as liaise between client and candidate, representing each in the best manner, and align the role responsibilities and management expectations.
5. You’ve placed talent in insurance, tech, healthcare, and finance. Which industry surprised you the most, and why?
Honestly, there is no surprise element in any industry. That’s because I work as a generalist across industries. Therefore, I am always in learning mode. I stay ready to understand the needs for achievements.
However, I can say this. The surprise that all talent acquisition businesses have learned across years of practice is this: companies are not aware realistically of the role and its responsibilities.
During the process of identification, what appears to companies’ attention is this. There are different titles, roles, and responsibilities for the role they are seeking. As a result, changes to the sought role happen. And that causes a delay in placement.
In addition, although most of the time we do share our experience, they are the ones with industry know-how. After all, they know more about the role.
6. What is the single biggest mistake companies make when hiring senior leaders?
Not being aware of the KPIS and the boarding offer.
7. What is your one piece of advice for an executive woman ready for her next big move?
To know yourself and be yourself.
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