The E&C profession is evolving in both exciting and challenging ways. The field is increasingly working to attract a diverse set of skills, qualities, competencies, and aspirations. So, what does it mean to succeed in the E&C profession today? Experts discussed this question at the Ethics & Compliance Initiative (ECI) October Best Practice Forum, where they shared their recommendations and experiences to help E&C professionals accelerate their careers. The panel was hosted by LRN Chief Advisory Officer Ty Francis, MBE and featured a panel of accomplished professionals in the ethics and compliance space including:
The panelists talked about the current job market for E&C leaders and professionals as well as the evolving skillsets, certifications, and knowledge that support successful E&C careers. Here are key takeaways from the discussion.
Gilmore and Olinger, both involved in the legal and compliance executive search firm BarkerGilmore LLC, observed that most job openings in the E&C space are cropping up in organizations where the risk tolerance of the chief ethics and compliance officer did not align with risk tolerance of the executive team. This is an important factor to consider when applying for positions. Gilmore noted that during the interview process, a CEO will often be thinking about whether a candidate will impede or enable their business as CECO. Simultaneously, candidates should be thinking about the potential reputational risk of working with an organization; if a company has been receiving negative press for compliance-related reasons, that could impact whether or not a candidate pursues an opportunity.
When it came to interviewing for E&C roles, panelists brought up two important topics:
Panelists were quick to affirm that succeeding in the E&C profession requires more than just a stand-out resume of qualifications. What many argued was just as—if not more—important to their careers was developing a set of key “soft skills” that focus on connections, breadth, context, and decision-making. Here are four skills they shared that helped elevate them in their E&C roles at various organizations.
At one point during the discussion, Greenberg and Hunt noted that the E&C profession is already experiencing a shift away from requiring J.D.s and more traditional legal qualifications for roles. The legal component to ethics and compliance, they agreed, isn’t important by itself anymore. Six other areas of expertise rose to the top of conversation:
In general, panelists emphasized the importance of continually investing in oneself to build up a diverse set of skills, experiences, and knowledge—and not being stagnant in one’s role. Pursing certifications and other professional development opportunities help demonstrate individual creativity, risk-taking, and curiosity. Panelists also mentioned that having the ability to translate business strategy into E&C strategy and understand how behavior plays out in an organization when there are conflicting priorities were two highly important skills.
In addition to these professional development areas, the panelists shared resources with further information on navigating a career in ethics and compliance: