Bó Lè Code of Ethics

Recognized as a leader and top provider of quality services, Bó Lè Associates has won numerous accolades and awards for our steadfast commitment to setting the highest international standards in the search industry.

As a leader, we have taken on the responsibility to advocate professionalism and ethical practices not only within our firm but also with our peers in the industry. Hence, together with other international firms, we have united to formalize and promote a "Code of Ethics" to highlight our standards of professionalism and ethical practices. These, we believe, will build strong and long-term partnerships with our clients.

Integrity: We conduct our business with integrity by avoiding deceptive and misleading practices.

Loyalty: As Business Partners, we serve our clients loyally by protecting their interests when conducting search engagements.

Competence: We perform all search engagements with competence, thoroughness and urgency and single-mindedly work towards customer satisfaction.

Tried and tested search process: We avoid short-cuts for the sake of expediency. Our process assures that only the most qualified candidates are endorsed within the clients' timetable.
Conflicts of Interest: We prevent and/or resolve through disclosure and waiver, at all times, all forms of conflicts of interest.

While we commit ourselves to professionalism and ethical standards, we also call upon our client companies to protect themselves from certain industry malpractices that tend to undermine our profession and credibility:

Conflicts of Interest:
1. Instead of protecting the interests of client-companies, certain search firms "raid" the executive talent pool of their own client-firms to fill up positions for other companies.

2. Certain search firms are known to "recycle" executives, i.e. they place an executive in Client A and within a year or so, entice this same executive for Client B.

Violation of Confidentiality: Without any authorization, some search firms indiscriminately distribute executive resumes, and in the process, violate the confidentiality that executive-candidates expect from them.

Predatory Marketing: Some firms "flood" companies with resumes, even without an agreement and without prior permission from resume owners. Such practice should not be tolerated by reputable companies desirous of promoting fair play and ethical practices.

Short Cuts: Many firms endorse resumes without the benefit of in-depth interviews. This off-loads the burden of screening, assessing and due diligence to the clients. Worse, these so-called search firms get paid for it.

Our "Bible" – Do's and Don'ts for Professional Consultants

    Do’s
  • Take initiative & responsibilities
  • Offer help
  • Ask questions
  • Respects client and its mission
  • Serves as the client's "ears and eyes" in the market
  • Commit time and knowledge to identify solutions, share knowledge & information with others
  • Be a "Key Coordinator" among all parties involved while avoiding conflicts of interest
  • Influence decisions without being pushy
  • Exercise self-discipline
  • Always be discreet and sensitive about confidentiality
  • Have a sense of urgency, superior sense of ownership and accountability
  • Think before you act
  • Promptly deliver reports to concerned parties
  • Adhere to project timelines and disciplines, while carefully managing expectations
  • Pay attention to quality of research reports and knowledge base
  • Seek easy access and innovative resources to quality research
  • Achieve Key Assignment Milestones through foresight, perseverance and courage to ensure successful and timely delivery of results at all costs  
  • Provide assistance in reducing cycle times
  • Always have a back up or alternative plan
  • Be honest and know that perception can break a deal and credibility
  • Stay healthy and smell clean
  • Be ready to help anytime and willing to try new approaches
    Dont’s
  • Don’t give up
  • Don’t be selfish
  • Don’t assume. Always ask.
  • Don’t be afraid to ask for help & offer ideas/opinions
  • Don’t recruit from your client & definitely not your successful candidate
  • Don’t talk about candidates or discuss any information related to any searches in the elevator or other confined public places
  • Never hang up the phone during a conversation
  • Never adopt an impolite, judgmental or arrogant attitude
  • Never leave a company’s name indiscriminately when calling candidates
  • Never present candidates whom you have not met personally
  • Never send a job spec or correspondence to clients/candidates without calling them in advance
  • Never present the same candidate to more than one client at the same time
  • Never ask for a "resume" & assume that the candidate is interested
  • Never tell candidates that their names were referred by their colleagues
  • When sourcing, never disclose any information to others who are working in the same company as the candidate
  • Don't be calculated in our time in servicing clients
  • Never look tired and smell bad
  • Don't have a messy social life

As a Bó Lè consultant, you are responsible to your clients, to our company, to your candidates, as well as to yourself!

Your Responsibility to Clients:

1. Keep the Client informed at all Times

  • Make the search more visible
  • Schedule progress reports
  • Provide market feedback
  • Build confidence and trust

2. Show an interest in the Client’s business

  • Visit the clients’ offices
  • Be an advisor and counselor
  • Demonstrate candor, concern and competence

3. Expand the relationship

  • Enlist the support of people who work alongside the key client executive during the process of the search

Your Responsibility to Bó Lè

  • Act like a true "Ambassador of Bo Le" – Personifying & upholding Bo Le's Reputation, Professionalism, High Standards and Quality Service.
  • Build a high quality database.
  • Communicate and share information with all Associates & Research Associates involved in a particular search at all times.
  • Exercise good teamwork with all colleagues, and provide and acknowledge assistance whenever necessary
  • Continuously upgrades our knowledge and understanding of our business environment, specialized areas, clients’ needs, etc.
  • Take initiative and responsibility at all times in all areas of our work
  • Build your network and continuously share your knowledge, experiences and learning with others!
  • Be a Good Mentor especially to more junior colleagues

Your Responsibility to Yourself

  • Continuously develop your core skills
  • Practice discipline, commitment and productive work habits in all areas of work.
  • Actively seek and give information and advice from others.
  • Exercise discretion and confidentiality in all matters.
  • Build confidence.
  • Earn respect and trust through reliable and consistent performance

Your Responsibility to Your Candidates

Adhering to our performance-driven culture
Meeting plans is everyone's accountability

  • A plan is a commitment, not a dream! Failure to meet plans is a ground for dismissal
  • Leadership means setting high standards and leading by example – to be a good leader one must be a proven performer at all times

Quality and teamwork define and differentiate us
Teamwork means:

  • Identifying the critical path and results expected for the team
  • Mobilizing the resources to ensure timely delivery and coverage
  • Understanding each team members' weaknesses and strengths
  • Protecting other members when challenged and questioned
  • Putting the team’s interests first
  • Team work also means a simple philosophy: "If I am good to others, others will be good to me" Team work relies on everyone’s conviction that "The whole is bigger than the sum of its individual parts"
  • Simple, flat, highly decentralized organization to allow maximum flexibility anchored on a strong common value and trust
  • Simple, flat, highly decentralized organization to allow maximum flexibility anchored on a strong common value and trust
  • Consultants have egos…the key is to ensure that ego is being put into good use for servicing clients

Quality means:

  • Attention to details: process, information, logistics, etc.
  • Quality is measured by clients' satisfaction and by results.
  • Quality of our candidates is the true testament and our ability to analyze and communicate our judgment can sometimes help to unleash the potential of a candidate, and shed new light to an otherwise ordinary candidate
  • Quality time spent with candidates leads to quality judgment and assessment
  • Clients are unforgiving and hence quality is non-negotiable and unquestionable, it is our daily responsibility

Superior execution is our competitive advantage
Execution excellence requires:

  • Highly trained and skilled consultants
  • Highly developed systems and tools to maximize efficiency and effectiveness
  • Current and "intelligent" database, i.e. our intellectual property
  • Empowerment! Consultants are expected to make mistakes and learn from them, but careless mistakes are unforgivable

Sustainable growth is for all, not just any one individual

  • As a company, our goal is to create growth that can sustain over time and bring added benefits to our clients
  • Sustainable growth must come from both individual consultant's professional growth, as well as adding new consultants and training/developing them to be more productive and provide “more engines” or “bigger engines” -- thereby raising the overall average
  • Pay for performance; senior consultants must also be "incentivized" to mentor and "feed" others
  • There is no need for a "manager" in a professional services firm; respect is earned from performances, respect knows no politics – hence "Manage by example"
  • People before business, i.e. we hire in anticipation of clients’ engagement