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Chapter 124 Another Talent

Do all men like beautiful women? Absolutely.

However, for the upper class, beautiful women are a scarce resource compared to the lower class. The scarce resource in the upper class is not beautiful women, but the influence that a woman can bring.

For example, when it comes to a top female celebrity, wealthy people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds are thinking about how to spend a fortune on her, how to win her smile, and whether they will eventually have the chance to get close to her.

But in upper-class society, such thoughts would never exist.

Because celebrities are readily available to them, the scarce resource among women in the upper class is the weight of their words.

Take Guo Wengui, for example. In the eyes of the upper class, her influence far surpasses that of those big-name female celebrities; the two are simply not on the same level.

The Huo family's marriage to her brought about a qualitative change in both their social standing and the weight of their words.

After Fok Tai-heng's death, the Fok family actually lost contact with the mainland; their ties were severed.

But after marrying Guo Jingjing, the Huo family became more well-known, reconnected with the mainland, and gained more influence—something that marrying celebrities couldn't bring.

In other words, in the upper echelons of society, the standard for judging a woman is not whether she is beautiful, but how much help she can provide and how much influence she can have.

And now, there is such a woman, so rare in high society, sitting across from Ernst.

The CEO of Ernst Asset Management has always been his focus; otherwise, it would be difficult for him to abandon the business and leave New York.

The headhunting firm provided many candidates, but Ernst was not entirely satisfied with any of them.

Until the woman in front of him appeared, he felt as if he had been ordained by fate.

Jane Fraser, a woman who had to make changes because of her family.

Her resume is impeccable. She received a top education at Girton College, Cambridge and Harvard Business School. After graduation, she joined McKinsey, a well-known consulting firm in the United States, and became a partner at McKinsey in just a few years.

But in Ernst's eyes, he saw the future CEO of Citigroup, the first female leader of a Wall Street giant, and one of the top three most influential women in the world.

"Can you tell me why you chose to switch jobs?" Ernst asked.

"The data shows that your salary has remained unchanged for more than three years since you became a McKinsey partner. And your former subordinates, because of your temporary departure during your maternity leave, are now on equal footing with you, and some have even become your direct superiors."

"Obviously, salary, promotion opportunities, or self-esteem are not the reasons you changed jobs, otherwise you wouldn't have waited until now."

"Because of family," Jane Fraser answered without hesitation. "Nothing makes you more grounded and more aware of what is truly important than having children."

"I'm a top analyst at McKinsey, but this job means I can't take better care of my children because I don't have any control over them."

Ernst nodded, inwardly satisfied with her answer, and didn't foolishly ask, "Does becoming CEO mean I can be completely unrestrained?"

For someone in the financial industry, no position allows her to take care of her child anytime, anywhere, but at least a CEO has more freedom.

Moreover, better salaries and benefits can also change many practical problems to some extent.

Companies select employees based on a few criteria: good character, a tolerant attitude, and a non-greedy personality.

The "three good things" refer to a good education, a good background, and good stability.

A good degree is simple: it's the school you graduate from. Cambridge's Gurton and Harvard's MBA are both prestigious institutions.

A good background isn't about family background, but rather whether you've worked for a large company in the past and whether you've seen or built anything there.

The first "seeing" refers to the act of actually seeing something. It means you need to have seen the internal standard processes, management systems, and standard operating procedures (SOPs) of a good company.

The other "jianguo" refers to the construction aspect, meaning that you have actually worked on and led real projects within the company.

What kind of company is McKinsey? It specializes in consulting for American officials. As a McKinsey partner, a top analyst, and a team leader, Jane Fraser must have met and worked at McKinsey.

Of course, having a good family background is also a plus.

The third advantage is stability. A stable professional should work in a company for at least three to five years without changing jobs and resist external temptations.

You can't just jump ship because someone offers a 5% raise. This is about choosing a CEO position, not a regular job.

Jane Fraser joined McKinsey after graduation and has worked there for more than five years, meeting the requirements in this regard.

Then there's the attitude of tolerance and the character of not being greedy for money.

Tolerance refers to your tolerance towards your subordinates and your forbearance towards matters.

Once a company reaches a certain size, it will inevitably embrace all kinds of talent and allow them to join.

To retain talent, you must cherish, value, and be inclusive of them, allowing them to serve you.

The same applies to business; no company can be without making mistakes, and a giant corporation makes mistakes every day.

We must be tolerant and inclusive of them so that businesses can continuously improve their business models through trial and error.

However, not being greedy for money doesn't mean not being competitive; you take whatever salary the company offers.

Instead, you need to know when to fight for it. You can't just jump out and demand huge salary bonuses when the company is just starting to improve and is preparing to expand and become stronger.

Money will come, but the CEO's perspective on money is also key to whether a company can develop smoothly and quickly.

Jane Fraser's treatment remained unchanged for three years after she gave birth. Her former subordinates were now at the same level or even surpassed her, but she continued to do her job diligently.

From this perspective, she passed both assessments.

Of course, the most important thing is that this woman proved herself in another world.

Moreover, the fact that the other party became the CEO of Ernst Asset Management Company would bring a vast network of contacts.

McKinsey is a top global consulting firm, serving clients ranging from multinational corporations to senior government officials.

Having worked at McKinsey for so many years, how could I not have my own network of contacts?

Furthermore, her husband is one of the heads of European affairs at Bank of America, which provides her with a vast network of connections.

"What about salary and benefits? What are your requirements?"

Jane Fraser shook her head. "It's already quite good, but I have one request."

"What?" Ernst took out a cigar and gestured to it. After receiving permission, he began to process it. "When there is no conflict between major decisions concerning my family and company, I have the right to choose between the two."

"The reason I agreed to meet with you from Korn Ferry is precisely because of this. My husband is stationed in Europe for extended periods, so I need to shoulder more family responsibilities."

Ernst realized that if it were about salary, the other party would probably have been poached by other companies long ago.

"Why do you think I'll agree?" Ernst was curious about this; the other party wouldn't have come to New York if he wasn't certain.

"Because of your past and experience, I am an analyst, you are not a traditional entrepreneur, you don't follow the rules, and you value talent enough."

It seems they had analyzed themselves before coming.

Ernst smiled and extended his right hand. "We can't let this interfere with work. Welcome to the Ernst Asset Management family."

A smile instantly appeared on Jane Fraser's face. "I think I can handle this."