Peter Križan’s story with the company Personality began in his hometown of Nitra. Today, the company has branches in Bratislava, Prague, and is launching in Dubai. When meeting new people, he trusts them 100%. He says that if the chemistry works, there’s no need to overthink employee selection. The company offers more than 300 TOP managers from 11 countries for hire. You can find an interview with him in the Trend Magazine. (See the translation below)
The Personnel Company Personality was Your first Business Idea. What led You to It?
The story began when I first met a headhunter. The process was standard until the end when they chose another candidate. At that time, I had already given my “internal notice.” I knew it was time to leave. I was working as a director at one of the most successful bauMax stores in Nitra. It occurred to me to do what the lady who offered me the job was doing, but differently. Better and more efficiently. So, I left the multinational company and embarked on the path of a headhunter.
Did You Ever Think About What Would Have Happened if You Had Successfully Passed the Interview Then?
I did. Two years later, a crisis hit. That company went bankrupt and laid off my “competitor.”
Did You Start in Nitra or Immediately in Bratislava as Well?
In Nitra, and since I knew we would grow (laughs), I rented a larger space right away. We opened in Bratislava in 2009, during the crisis, and it actually helped us. Competitive differences were erased more quickly. My team consists of 14 people working in Nitra, Bratislava, Prague, and we are launching a branch in Dubai. We fill positions for experts, specialists, middle, senior, and top management. I work with people who are not afraid.
What Exactly Constitutes Your Business?
We help companies have the right people in key positions. Primarily, this is done through headhunting and recruitment, i.e., filling permanent positions. However, I personally see the future in renting experts and managers for specific periods, i.e., their rental.
You Own the TopHeads.me Database, How Does the Quick Manager Rental Work?
Imagine you’re a startup, a company in crisis, or experiencing rapid growth and need a professional, but only for a certain period. We have them for you. The TopHeads.me project was created as a platform where we gather interim managers. They are willing to provide their expertise on a project basis for a certain time.
So, I Hire a Professional, They Solve What I Need, and Then I Say Goodbye Without Regrets?
Exactly. You pay for the days worked and within a pre-agreed scope. All administration with entry and exit is on us. The manager database is divided into 9 sectors. We select the most suitable candidate for the client based on pre-agreed criteria.
Can a Client Choose an Interim Manager Themselves?
The database is available online, and we handle the data very discreetly. Manager profiles are anonymous. Our service involves recommending suitable candidates to the client. These are managers willing to provide their expertise on a project basis. I often explain it with the example of the show “Yes, Chef!” with Mr. Polreich. A company has a problem or wants to advance, but experienced professionals are expensive. So, you call in an expert, they reduce your “menu items,” and teach you how to do it better and more efficiently in a short time. They can return later to check how the project is going. The company pays only for the hours worked and for the time needed.
How Many People Are in This Database?
The project has been running since 2015. We have over 300 registered people from 11 countries, and by the end of 2019, we plan to have more than 1,000 experts.
Does the Current Market Situation Favor a Project Like TopHeads.me?
There is increasing interest in this form of filling positions. In the last six months, demand has literally exploded. We cooperate not only with companies that have 50 to 500 employees, but large international companies also approach us with their demand.
In Which Areas Do Companies Most Often Need the Services of Rented Managers?
At the beginning, we sat down with more than 50 CEOs and built various hypotheses. We considered whether it is possible to categorize a company’s problems. We defined 9 areas from finance, IT, through process management, to strategy. An experienced person who has solved a similar problem before can help in a short time.
Where Does the Project Operate?
Slovakia and the Czech Republic. By 2022, we aim to become leaders in providing interim managers in Central and Eastern Europe.
How Did This Idea Actually Come About?
I don’t like telling capable candidates that they didn’t succeed in the selection process. At the time the idea for TopHeads.me came about, I was filling the position of CFO and had three excellent candidates. But the client, of course, only needed one. The remaining two could be effectively utilized by someone else. I often heard from clients that if I deliver a person who brings them results, they will pay us double the rate. It got me thinking. Once, while traveling from Prague, I sketched the entire business model on a napkin in the train. To this day, I have this visual business plan drawn on the wall in my office.
How Much Time Passed from the Napkin to the First Order?
About three weeks. I had the first order before the platform even saw the light of day. To this day, this client hasn’t paid for some of the services, but that’s okay. Because they gave me much more back then. Trust and showed me that the TopHeads.me project has meaning.
Why Rent a Manager:
- Efficiency and flexibility
- Gaining know-how in a short time
- Clear financing model
- Focus on the goal
When to Use the TopHeads.me Database:
- Growth
- Decline
- Change and Innovation
- Substitution
- Start-up