The Private Equity Podcast, by Raw Selection
Hosted by Alex Rawlings, Managing Partner of Raw Selection, a specialist executive search firm. Join us as we interview the leading experts in Private Equity, unlocking their secrets of success to share with you.
Discover how some of the top Private Equity professionals got into Private Equity, how they rose to success and learn about some of the mistakes they made along the way.
Alex has strong connections to the Private Equity industry through his executive search firm, Raw Selection, which specialises in working with Private Equity firms and their portfolio companies across Europe and North America. Alex is straight talking and to the point and aims to unlock real gold you can build into your firm or portfolio companies. Find out more at www.raw-selection.com
The Private Equity Podcast, by Raw Selection
Creating the Gold Standard in Hiring and People Development For Your Private Equity Firm with Sam Adams
Welcome to The Private Equity Podcast! In this episode, we are joined by Sam Adams, Managing Director of Talent at Berkshire Partners. Sam shares invaluable insights into the importance of talent development and hiring beyond the conventional Private Equity norms. Discover Berkshire Partners' innovative approaches to nurturing talent, their unique selection processes, and the impact these strategies have on their overall success. Sam also discusses the cultural elements that support growth within a Private Equity firm and the unconventional paths to hiring that have proven effective. Stay tuned as we dive deep into how Berkshire Partners sets the gold standard in people development.
Breakdown:
[00:00] Introduction to Sam Adams and the focus of the podcast on advanced talent management practices in Private Equity.
[00:28] Overview of Berkshire Partners' innovative approaches to talent development and hiring.
[01:57] Sam shares her unique journey from advertising to becoming the head of talent at Berkshire Partners.
[04:44] Discussion on common mistakes Private Equity firms make in talent assessment and how Berkshire addresses these challenges.
[07:04] In-depth look at how Berkshire develops its talents, including the training and mentorship programs available.
[10:48] Sam discusses the structured mentorship and the robust performance review processes at Berkshire.
[14:08] Influence of firm culture on talent development and the integration of functional experts within deal teams.
[18:00] Details on the managing director development process and feedback mechanisms used at Berkshire.
[22:12] Sam emphasizes the importance of getting the hiring process right to ensure smooth operations and development within the firm.
[28:49] Recent changes and improvements in Berkshire's selection process based on lessons learned.
[33:00] Further discussion on the non-predictive nature of traditional educational scores in hiring.
[38:16] Explanation of Berkshire’s comprehensive approach to building internal infrastructure to support its operations and investment strategies.
[42:00] Exploration of the firm's cultural emphasis on talent and the historical roots of this focus.
[45:22] Closing remarks and thanks to Sam for her insights.
To connect with Sam, you can visit her LinkedIn profile here.
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