Export manager 2.0 requires recruitment 2.0

The corona pandemic, digitalization and the energy crisis have caused companies to think differently about travel and working remotely. This has impacted the role of the export manager. That function has become more hybrid, with less emphasis on being physically present, and thus on travel, than before. Of course existing customers are visited and for acquisition and market development, travel is also undertaken, but a lot of remote working is also done nowadays.

This raises the question of whether today’s export managers still get enough satisfaction from their work. At the same time, these developments may actually have made the work more interesting for people who do not want to be on the road all the time.

For example, these people have a knack for representing themselves and the company they work for well not only on location, but also online. We still see the business community limping along on multiple paths. Some are in a sense looking for a traditional commercial traveler who must always be on the road to get results, while others want to develop their export market primarily from the Netherlands.

How companies stand and deal with this varies by sector and type of customer, with the business owner’s view of the market also playing a big role. But the requirement to always be on the road as an export manager in today’s market will keep more and more professionals from applying.

Because of all these developments in recent years, many (potential) employees have come to realize that work can be done more pragmatically and efficiently than before. With less business travel, more often working from home and more work-life balance as the main consequences. Companies deal with this in different ways. Many employers offer flexible working hours and a hybrid working environment, but there are also companies where people must be present five days a week.

Whatever is required of export managers, the key is to manage mutual expectations well. People want to contribute to the success of the organization they work for. It is important to engage and stay in conversation about that so that employees maintain their motivation. If as a company you don’t move with the times in that area, you run the risk of losing each other. So it is important to pay attention to that.