INDUSTRIES & FIELDS OF EXPERTISE
hartmann consultants advises objectively and with a focus on opportunities, with the aim of placing executives and supervisory board members with the ability to apply their future-oriented competencies and implement their ideas in an organisation. This requires close monitoring of our search mandates and the continuous development of industry and methodological expertise.
We always succeed in finding the right candidate when clients transparently reflect where their company stands. This enables us to check whether candidates can realistically assess and tackle the dimensions of the challenges facing their future employers. Resilient and focused implementers are more in demand than ever, regardless of industry segment.
Digitalization & Disruption
Blockchain, Metaverse and NFTs – how do they fit into our clients’ business strategy? hartmann deals with this question in depth and brings the know-how of specialists such as Salesforce and Highsnobiety to our clients. Our experts agree: Web3, with all its technologies, will become an identification generator without limit. This applies to the individual user as well as to companies present there. What does this fact imply for employer brands in order to win over the best talents of the real and digital job market?
Also, to be able to name brand new job profiles and their requirements in addition to long known digital roles that have been successfully filled numerous times in recent years, such as Head of E-Commerce and Head of Online Marketing, and to be able to inspire these often non-stereotypical careers? By no means should we be talking about an abstract parallel world here, but rather conquering this expanded corporate action space from an HR perspective with a lot of creative power. Won’t it become mandatory for any future-proof HR strategy to shine with a hip Web3 presence on the one hand and at the same time to understand the interaction of NFTs and Web3 as well as relevant technologies such as virtual reality and augmented reality as soundly and quickly as possible?
Fashion & Lifestyle
The fashion & lifestyle industry is present at the heart of everyday life. Both enable us to communicate without saying a word. They allow us to show off who we are, or who we would like to be. Both are the most expressive and conspicuous forms of communication we have as human beings. What we wear turns the spotlight onto our own distinctive individuality. Even fashion haters who shun trends transmit their own clear-cut attitude towards fashion in their choice of clothing.
In the fashion & lifestyle business, change is the sole constant. The industry has to keep pace with trends at all times––or, in fact, be one step ahead in anticipating consumers‘ mindsets and values. In the past decades, new trends could not come fast enough; today’s fashion companies need to square the circle, facing the new challenge of juggling trends and new looks with sustainability and circular supply chains as environmental considerations move into the spotlight. It’s clear that the fashion & lifestyle industry will continue to be driven by permanent change in the future. But what opportunities do companies have to safeguard their operations in these times of upheaval? What will tomorrow’s executive management positions look like? And where will we find the right candidates to fill them?
These are the demanding questions that hartmann consultants are passionate about for our clients and that we ask ourselves in order to screen the relevant search pools.
Mobility & Sports
In Germany, cars have long had the favored status of “everybody’s
darlings.” But does that still hold true? There’s simply too much attraction in that powerful surge as the accelerator is floored, the rush of adrenaline, the sleek, sophisticated lines of a well-designed car. Soaring levels of nitrogen emissions and often nerve-racking traffic conditions are significant burdens on the atmosphere and the people that live in it. Environmental aspects are taking front and center stage for all customer strata. Young urban-dwellers in particular no longer see any good reason to own a car of their own. The Mobility sector is pursuing new paths, with companies abandoning the role of the classic manufacturer and instead becoming multifaceted mobility managers or flexible digital platforms. New technologies, alternative drives are the future and need to be rapidly implemented and financed at national level. Services such as mobility management, vehicle management, infotainment, and data marketing are being pushed as car sharing and ride sharing are expanded at national and international level.
And sport is getting society on the move, be it for amateurs or pros, leisure sports, classic forms of sport, or up-and-coming sport trends. Digital information options are eroding customers’ brand loyalty. Purchasing behavior is additionally dictated by virtual sports, e- gamers and influencers, with aspects such as breathability, modularity, layering, and packability taking center stage. Climate change presents further challenges for the sports industry; while the bicycle market, say, may benefit from a longer season and enjoy sales growth from its aura of eco-friendliness and health and from the advent of e-bikes, manufacturers of winter products are battling to keep up with seasonal shifts.
Beauty & Wellbeing
The cosmetics industry is booming, with a never-ending stream of innovations. Eco-friendly production methods and natural, “clean” ingredients have long been a pillar of the industry—and now point up its pathway into the future. Cosmetic companies have been faster than other industries to recognize the significance of digitalization. Today’s cosmetics customers develop an emotional connection to “their” brands, drawing their information from digital channels such as social media, and following influencers who drive trends with their selfies and YouTube videos. Purely online brands are making the most of digital technology from the outset and showing rapid growth, while longer-established cosmetics companies are catching up, replacing their conventional marketing with new marketing strategies in the fiercely competitive environment. To keep pace in the online sector, established brands are snapping up small digital cosmetics start-ups. We support niche markets and global players alike on their transformation journey, turning our national and international spotlight on new directions for HR and on top talents that prove their mettle as outstanding interdisciplinary performers.
The wellbeing market is likewise booming, and alongside it is a flood of gendered offerings for “sleep hygiene,” “mental health,” “detox and immune system boosts,” and many more. hartmann consultants has incorporated this lucrative and socio-politically prominent topic into the lineup for its SHIFT event, examining the business strategy of the online company FEMACY––a concept tailored to the needs of women––and thus addressing topics in urgent need of answers such as the gender health gap.
Interior Design & Luxury
Luxury brands and products have a fascinating attraction for many people. Even during the pandemic, the sector continued to report stable growth. However, as China has begun to stumble and the recession is biting, even luxury goods companies must face up to new challenges. Digital opportunities need to be expanded further, yet without compromising on exclusivity, and companies need to root the new demands of the millennials and GenZs firmly in their DNA. Many top spenders no longer have the aim of buying or owning everything; hiring, not buying, is growing as an acceptable option.
The interior design industry, whose growth was directly linked to the pandemic, is likewise experiencing this shock. The home, one’s own four walls, is a refuge, a place of retreat for family and friends. Seeking a contrast to the threats of everyday life, we long for the minimalism of ‘Slow Living’ to replace all-out maximalism; it is one of the main trends at present. Companies must seek out better informed customers with more discerning tastes and capture their loyalty; the market is dominated by products that showcase individual personality, variety, and experience-based lifestyle concepts. Sustainability is a key demand, with craftsmanship, quality materials, and artistic quality as highly sought-after characteristics. The interaction of trend identification, differentiation strategy, and efficient value creation is more vital than ever before.