Corporate matchmaker
Ray Silvestre Canilao is a headhunter and proud of it.
For the president and CEO of Global Executive Solutions Group (GESG), headhunting has been a stress-busting and rewarding experience.
No need to worry, though, that Canilao’s headhunting is harming people. People who have been part of his headhunting work are grateful for what he is doing.
Canilao is actually more of a matchmaker—someone who finds the right person to fill executive position vacancies.
GESG, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary, matches leaders or executives with organizations, employing a unique perspective that shaped its non-HR (human resource)-centric approach to executive search.
It identifies leaders who align with a company’s vision, strategy and culture and ensures that every placement contributes to meaningful organizational and industry transformation.
Canilao, who draws from his marketing and general management background in steering GESG towards its goals, says what the company does is not purely HR business. “We are not just recruiters,” he says.
The company, he says, is usually asked to do mid-level, the so-called C-suite, recruitment and goes as far as the region or globally to find the right fit for vacancies that need to be filled. The subjects of searches outside the country are Filipinos who may, for one reason or another, want to return to the place of their birth.
Many Filipinos want to move back to the Philippines, raise families here or give back to the country, Canilao says.
Rates offered to prospective employees are usually competitive, the GESG CEO says. “Companies are starting to look at hiring people as an investment, not a cost.”
But even if some salary offers are lower than what they are currently receiving, there are Filipinos who are willing to make the sacrifice of taking a cut in pay for the opportunity to help their country, Canilao says. The experience of giving back to their home country is valuable to these people.
Canilao stresses that they ensure there is a meeting of the minds between the prospective employer and employee. GESG has to understand what a company is looking for and what the candidate expects. It ensures the company is financially stable and has credibility. “We do not just accept a client without [proper] vetting,” he says.
Personalized hiring process
Transparency and integrity are important for both client and recruit, Canilao points out.
Although GESG’s background check of prospective hires does not include academic qualifications, which in the United States and other countries have spawned new businesses that investigate claims of educational attainment, the company does a thorough check of a potential recruit’s employment history.
Face-to-face interviews are vital part of the hiring process.
“We have very extensive talks [not only with the prospective employee] but their former bosses, colleagues, etc. We really check their character. We do not want surprises,” Canilao stresses.
Every step of the hiring process is personalized. GESG has to understand fully what the company is looking for and what the candidate expects. For the client, the company culture and organizational setup may influence employee choices, while for the potential recruit, career path and family situation may affect his or her decision.
Aside from outright recruitment, GESG also provides overall consultancy, developing HR approaches that are different from others. It helps the company address disruptions that may result from the entry of new employees.
Canilao admits that establishing credibility and building trust were slow in the early years of the GESG.
“It took a little time to convince people to accept [the idea of someone outside the company finding the people it needs].”
He relied on his general management experience to grow the company and brought in the right people.
After 20 years, GESG has become a trusted partner of its corporate clients and has established long-term relationships with them. People he has placed in various positions have also been grateful and appreciative of what he has done.
For Canilao personally, interacting with different people the past 20 years has been rewarding and less stressful—exactly what his doctor ordered after a severe case of hypertension caused by his high-pressure previous executive positions.
As GESG moves beyond the first 20 years, Canilao is now setting his sights on expanding outside the Philippines—probably starting with fellow Association of Southeast Asian Nations members Indonesia and Malaysia.
But wherever his search for future business executives takes him, Canilao will continue to be guided by his personal definition of leadership.
“True leadership is not only about guiding companies or governments—it must be rooted in compassion and, most importantly, integrity, [which] is the core value and foundation of our work. Leaders must be strong, compassionate and accountable, because without these qualities, where would we go?”
“At any given time, leadership requires transparency, mutual trust and confidence. Accountability is essential; leaders must own their actions and decisions. This is critical not just for companies, but for governments as well. Leadership with these qualities ensures that organizations and communities can thrive even amid challenges,” he says.
