September 7, 2025 | 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines — With near 2,000 workers and at the least 60 shopper corporations, Alex Genil is sitting on prime of a human assets empire. What’s shocking is that the present vice chair and CEO of ZMG Group really didn’t research or take the standard profession path to turn into a Human Sources specialist.
A licensed chemical engineer, his first job was in glass manufacturing and furnace operations as a course of management engineer. However along with his openness to embrace alternatives as they got here, difficult his left and proper mind, Genil made many profitable profession pivots regardless of one try at retirement, perhaps his solely unsuccessful transfer.
As head of one of many nation’s main expertise recruitment companies, what’s your typical day like?
I take a look at the placements we made the day prior to this particularly probably the most senior roles. The ZMG Group has three direct recruitment companies and amongst them, at any given day, we’re working to refill tons of of roles requested by shopper corporations. The remainder of the day are stuffed up with conferences about sourcing methods, with prime contacts and shoppers, and interviews with senior abilities. I additionally attend city corridor conferences and enterprise evaluations, plus normal membership conferences of trade and enterprise associations.
I spend many hours every day studying: from normal information, financial briefs, socio-political developments, trade reviews, to developments within the human capital house. Whereas the worth we provide to shoppers is to search out the very best candidates for his or her enterprise, we’re most frequently consulted on folks and enterprise challenges that they face. Our understanding of present occasions makes us best companions in addressing organizational challenges.
You’re a chemical engineer who moved to gross sales and advertising then switched to human assets. How do you determine on these profession adjustments?
The quick reply is I simply took any problem or alternative to study and progress in my profession.
With an engineering diploma, the plain profession path was in manufacturing. On my second job, I spotted that gross sales is a greater profession possibility for its versatile hours plus the advantage of an organization automobile. When my firm was absorbed by one other, I attempted my hand at a gross sales coaching job. This was my pivot to HR. As I didn’t have stable HR information and expertise, I used to be despatched to Harvard Enterprise College to attend its Strategic HR Administration Program.
As HR Enterprise Accomplice I labored with enterprise heads to deal with their folks challenges. In 2010, I used to be expatriated to South Africa to go HR operations in our factories and distribution facilities. At age 52, I took benefit of early retirement and went again residence. However I used to be promptly provided an HR lead position in a number one firm and never lengthy after that, I joined ZMG Ward Howell the place I’ve stayed for 13 years now.
Earlier than you grew to become an HR practitioner, what was your view of the occupation? Did they assist form your profession progress, or had been they extra on the sidelines caring for the executive aspect of organizational operations and growth?
I used to have a look at the HR operate as about crafting insurance policies, making and implementing guidelines and disciplinary actions, industrial relations, facilitating firm occasions, worker companies. In abstract, principally administrative operate!
Right this moment, progressive corporations take into account HR as a strategic companion in organizational growth to drive enterprise progress. With prime administration help, and offered the appropriate instruments, competent HR professionals are capable of facilitate growth of the corporate tradition, drive worker engagement and morale – thus making a excessive performing group.
From the place you at the moment are, what do you see because the frequent errors folks make when selecting their subsequent job?
There are nonetheless many individuals whose predominant motivation is wage. Based mostly on our analysis although, an important concerns these days are firm tradition (whether or not the candidate will match), adopted by versatile work arrange, then coaching alternatives and profession progress. Compensation is available in third or fourth solely.
Different frequent errors usually are not clarifying position expectations, not doing sufficient analysis or asking about firm – from fame, monetary well being, management, failing to note “crimson flags” like obscure solutions from interviewers; and accepting the primary provide with out negotiating – know your price and negotiate respectfully.
Are you able to share the highest 3 questions folks ought to put together for once they sit for a job interview?
1. Why do you assume you’re certified for the job? This implies having a superb, prior understanding of the job and making an trustworthy evaluation of your capabilities and dedication to ship. Be ready to quote concrete achievements or proof of particular abilities set that you just possess.
2. What do you worth most as an individual and as an expert? This permits the interviewer to evaluate your match with the corporate tradition and whether or not you possibly can navigate the facility and political dynamics within the group. That is additionally a sense-check for the candidate after doing analysis on the tradition and organizational norms of the corporate.
Be ready additionally for the usual 3. Inform me about your strengths and weaknesses. This query is requested to validate and supply extra context to your {qualifications} and, for the weaknesses, to remind the hiring supervisor of potential gaps or growth areas.
What profession recommendation did you give to your youngsters once they had been on the lookout for their first jobs?
The overall recommendation I gave my 4 youngsters was to go for the for probably the most troublesome or difficult ones. New graduates are inclined to flock to desk-bound or acquainted jobs. There’s much less competitors for distinctive or troublesome jobs. They’re additionally character constructing.
Within the case of Marella, my eldest daughter, she was selecting between an entry-level position in a financial institution, procurement assistant in a distribution firm and buyer help supervisor in an enormous grocery store chain. She took the final possibility upon my recommendation. I believed that this primary job would offer her with probably the most real-world expertise working with shoppers together with dealing with buyer complaints. It additionally concerned “supervising” employees which are assigned to collect push carts and help customers carrying their grocery luggage to their vehicles. That’s management expertise at age 20.
The sooner of their profession folks expertise and overcome challenges or deal with management duties, the quicker their trajectory might be.
Any daring predictions on the subsequent large jobs within the subsequent three to 5 years, as AI continues to realize traction?
We will anticipate extra jobs in administration, clerical, meeting line, customer support and all these in repetitive, predictable, transactional and process-driven capabilities to be affected probably the most.
Jobs is not going to disappear in a single day. They may evolve, requiring new abilities and hybrid roles. It will be significant for everybody to be open to upskill or reskill so as to adapt and be related. Human oversight will nonetheless be crucial in areas like ethics, creativity, complicated decision-making, and naturally, management.
As for future jobs, examples of AI-adoption associated jobs we anticipate to see are techniques architects, machine studying engineers, AI governance and compliance officers and generative content material designers, to call a number of.
For these aspiring to work in HR and in expertise recruitment, what recommendation are you able to give?
It is best to actually just like the job and have ardour to have interaction folks. The essential motivation or mindset helps folks within the office. At all times be ready to do a balancing act between driving administration targets and championing employees’ pursuits and welfare.
Many occasions, private sacrifices are required of the HR practitioner. Recruitment is like matchmaking. You could perceive the necessities and expectations of either side and suggest how gaps might be bridged. This requires time and might be actually irritating work that requires persistence. A recruiter should like chasing and interesting folks and may be capable of deal with rejection or failurewell.