Taipei Times: Who is Boyden Taiwan and what specific expertise draws organizations -- foreign and domestic -- to utilize your services?
Farrell: Boyden Taiwan is a leading global executive search firm. I think it is a rather unique combination of key attributes that draws new clients to the Boyden operation in Taiwan and keeps them coming back. The first one is trust -- trust between ourselves and our clients and ourselves and our candidates. This trust is developed through Boyden's high level of integrity, discretion, and strict adherence to professional ethics. At the same time we offer our clients a very high degree of personal attention allowing us to develop a strong relationship and a deep understanding of their needs. Given our very unique ownership and management structure, in most offices a client is being served by a business owner, one who approaches each project with the commitment of an entrepreneur. Finally, Boyden has global reach. Some 62 integrated offices worldwide with the services required by demanding multinational companies. Few people may realize that not only did Boyden bring the concept of a global, retained, executive search practice to Taiwan in 1982, Boyden is credited with inventing the industry back in 1946. Today we offer specialty practices in financial services, information technology and telecommunications, consumer products, healthcare and industrial products.
Boyden is very often the first choice of companies in need of an executive search when first setting up an office in Taiwan or restructuring their existing organization.
TT: Media reports say Taiwanese companies are moving to China to expand their business. What industries or companies are migrating across the Strait and what kind of strain has this put on the local talent pool?
Farrell: This is not new, but has been a trend for a long time. I recall back in 1991-1992 when the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei first set up the China business committee, the big buzz was investment in China and then it sort of faded away. Then in the past couple of years it has picked up again, especially with the locals, and lots of stories from people coming back from places like Shanghai saying `Oh you won't believe it! Oh my God what are we going to do?' So there is a lot of hype. But on the other hand, sure, there is movement across the strait. What started out as low-end manufacturing such as shoes, textiles and basic electronics manufacturing ... (has) recently moved up to higher-end electronics manufacturing. Back in the early 1990s multinational companies that had a base here were thinking now let's get into China. So this is not a new trend. As for a strain on the management pool, yes there is some strain. Frankly there was a period in the mid-1990s when it was tough to find a top-notch, fast moving, consumer goods sales person. Because of the great lure of the China market a lot of those people moved on to regional jobs or returned to Taiwan. As a result of the manufacturing move, people that are of the plant management level and above, yes there is some exodus, but I don't think that to date it has put a great deal of strain on the market. But the companies that are operating in China -- whether Taiwanese or multinational -- will look at a large pool of candidates, and Taiwan is just one place for them to look.
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