Within the company, the role of the operations manager is to supervise, strategize and regulate the process of production. In addition, they are tasked with redesigning business operations as far as production is concerned. The primary focus of operations is to ensure that the business gets maximum value out of every asset that the company owns. This includes physical assets, as well as those that are intangible.
Effective recruiters and Chicago headhunters recognize that the operations manager facilitates efficiency; by ensuring that the resources used in the production of goods and services are as few as possible. An ideal manager however, needs to be able to effectively do this while ensuring that customer service and customer satisfaction are not compromised. Some of these resources include raw materials, manpower, time, energy and money.
It is a crucial balancing act and for this reason, the operations manager needs to possess the following qualities.
1. Understand Customer Needs
In some cases, customer needs may differ from customer wants. For instance, a customer may want to spend less time queueing at a bank. What they need however, is a bank that offers them comprehensive service, excellent customer care and affordable rates. The operations manager is able to tune out the noise, identify their clients’ needs, and prioritize them above other considerations.
During the recruitment process, the Chicago headhunter seeks out candidates with a track record in successfully identifying and meeting their clients’ needs, even when the decisions they made may not necessarily have been easy or popular.
2. Have a Deep Knowledge of the Company’s Financial Status
An effective operations manager makes financial projections, optimizes company assets and enables the company to save money. This is impossible to achieve if they do not know what the company is worth, in addition to having an understanding of how the company operates with regard to its resources.
An ideal candidate for this position is one who has done research that is specific to the company for which they are looking to work. An effective way to stand out to the recruiter therefore, is by making a presentation on one simple thing that the company can do to maximize on an asset and better meet the needs of their market.
3. Possess First-Rate Communication Skills
In many cases, the operations manager is going to have to make decisions that are unpopular among his team members. It is therefore imperative for him/her to be skilled at effectively communicating with and motivating his team. In this position, effective communication means that the manager adjusts the way he communicates; in order to suit the person with whom they are communicating. He/she will need to be able to communicate effectively with team members, customers and superiors at work. Recruiters and Chicago headhunters therefore take notice of candidates who are able to pass messages clearly and concisely: in written form, verbally, as well as non-verbally/ using their body language.
The operations manager is responsible for ensuring that standards are maintained within the company. In addition to ensuring that the company is running as it should, this also enables every team member to optimize their skills, provide better service to the company and consequently, satisfy their customers. The ideal candidate demonstrates leadership, consistency and reliability.