2007 Lean & Six Sigma Talent Demand Study Results Six Sigma and Lean Talent Demand: Finally Reaching Parity Third annual study by Lean & Six Sigma executive recruiting and search firm The Avery Point Group finds Lean gaining ground on Six Sigma while companies continue to leverage both methodologies to gain competitive edge. Lean & Six Sigma Talent Demand Trends | Lean & Six Sigma Job and Career Trends

1. The Avery Point Group  Six Sigma
 Lean Transformation
Let Us Lead You to Executive Talent SM  Operational Excellence
 Plant Management
 Operations Management
 Supply Chain Management
 Finance Management
2007 Study Results The Avery Point Group:
Executive Search for Lean
Six Sigma and Lean Talent Demand: Finally Reaching Parity & Six Sigma Talent
The Avery Point Group is a global
executive recruiting and search firm
Third annual study by Lean & Six Sigma executive recruiting and search that assists companies in identifying,
firm The Avery Point Group finds Lean gaining ground on Six Sigma assessing and recruiting mid-level
management to senior executive Lean
while companies continue to leverage both methodologies to gain
& Six Sigma talent. Our firm leverages
competitive edge. its principals’ decades of executive
Lean & Six Sigma operations and
The relationship between Six Sigma and Lean is starting to show signs of becoming a staffing experience to provide the
more balanced partnership. According to an annual study by The Avery Point Group, a highest quality executive search
leading national executive search firm, there are increasing signs that these two services.
corporate initiatives are finally achieving parity.
Download our web brochure:
quot;As an executive search firm, we have a unique vantage point from which to observe Executive Search Brochure (PDF)
the latest trends taking place in industry,quot; says Tim Noble, managing principal of The Learn more about our process:
Avery Point Group. quot;Trends in industry are often telegraphed into candidate Lean Sigma Search (PDF)
requirements in job postings, and they can serve as a window into the latest corporate
Visit our Jobs Blog:
initiatives. Our annual study continues to offer useful insight into the latest trends
LeanSixSigmaJobs.blogspot.com
taking place in the area of corporate continuous improvement.quot;
Lean Sigma Talent Demand Trends:
Based on its third annual sampling of Internet job postings, The Avery Point Group LeanSigmaTalent.com
found that Six Sigma no longer outpaces Lean by a wide margin when it comes to
desired skill sets, as was found in its two previous annual studies. Demand for Lean
talent has grown in the past year to almost equal that of Six Sigma. The growth in How is Our Lean & Six
interest in Lean talent has not, however, come at the expense of Six Sigma; rather the Sigma Executive Search
study shows an overall increased demand for continuous improvement talent utilizing Firm Different?
these skill sets.
With our team’s significant Six Sigma
The study also found, for those companies seeking Six Sigma talent, 38 percent are and Lean executive experience, we are
looking for practitioners who have Lean expertise as part of their tool set as well. For uniquely qualified to help our clients
companies seeking Lean talent the desire is only slightly greater for candidates to find, assess and recruit the right
exhibit Six Sigma knowledge also, with 42 percent of all Lean jobs posted requiring Six continuous improvement and
Sigma exposure. As further validation for the value of these skill sets, the study found operational excellence talent. Our key
demand for Six Sigma and Lean talent from almost every function and industry principals are Six Sigma Master Black
segment. Belt and Lean trained by globally
recognized industry leading Fortune
quot;When it comes to desired skill sets companies want to have their cake and eat it, too,quot; 500 companies and have real-world
says Noble. quot;Even though companies may not have a full-blown Six Sigma or Lean executive experience leading their
deployment underway, our study shows each year they increasingly desire candidates application in manufacturing,
that possess Six Sigma, Lean or both skill sets in their DNA.quot; distribution and service-based
industries.
The Avery Point Group study also found that demand for Six Sigma talent has become
increasingly quot;operationalizedquot; with less than one-fifth of Six Sigma postings seeking to Our key principals have managed
specifically fill Master Black Belt and Black Belt roles. quot;Companies are increasingly global operations and led key Lean &
opting instead to inject candidates who posses Six Sigma and Lean skill sets into Six Sigma initiatives in Eastern Europe,
regular line roles versus creating standalone structured continuous improvement roles, Western Europe, Latin America and
as often was the case with Six Sigma positions in the past,quot; says Noble. quot;Lean, for the throughout Asia. Our principals, with
most part, has always been an operationalized-based approach, and for Six Sigma this their global perspective, understand
trend is a natural progression for a widely deployed maturing corporate initiative.quot; what it takes to find, assess and recruit
talent for companies to succeed in
Noble concludes, quot;The continued strong demand for Six Sigma and Lean talent, as today’s global economy. Unlike other
shown in our study, is evidence that companies are increasingly seeking to leverage Lean & Six Sigma executive search
these key continuous improvement methodologies as an integral part of their firms, we truly speak the language of
operations in an effort to remain competitive in today’s global economy.quot; our clients and candidates.

2. The Avery Point Group  Six Sigma
 Lean Transformation
Let Us Lead You to Executive Talent SM  Operational Excellence
 Plant Management
 Operations Management
 Supply Chain Management
 Finance Management
PROCESS and Lean Sigma SearchTM Process practice services a wide spectrum of industries,
spanning manufacturing, distribution and
SERVICES service-based companies.
Our Contingent Search Services:
 Leverage our principals’ decades of executive
operations and staffing experience.
 Leverage our extensive proprietary database of
contacts and candidates.
 Leverage our Lean Sigma Search™ value
Search excellence starts with the sound stream process to find the ideal candidate.
foundation of a well-defined and consistent  Our clients only pay upon the successful
search methodology. Our Lean Sigma Search™ placement of our presented candidates.
value stream process methodology incorporates  Fee is based on a percentage of the candidate’s
a unique Lean Six Sigma approach to filling our first year’s total compensation.
clients’ staffing needs.  We offer our clients a 60-day replacement
guarantee.
An important foundation of Lean Six Sigma
methodology is the concept of waste and defect Our Retained Search Services:
elimination. Lean Six Sigma defines a defect in
terms of meeting the specifications, expectations  Leverage our principals’ decades of executive
and requirements of the customer. What is a operations and staffing experience.
defect with regard to the executive search  Leverage our extensive proprietary database of
process? Presenting unqualified candidates, contacts and candidates.
candidates with missing skill sets and candidates  Leverage our Lean Sigma Search™ value
who don’t fit the corporate culture and chemistry stream process to find the ideal candidate.
of the client are just some examples of waste  Client site visit to gain improved insight into
and defects that can result from a poor search company culture = improved candidate fit.
process.  Face to face or video conference interview with
full candidate assessment process
At The Avery Point Group we practice what we methodology: Position Benchmarking
preach when it comes to Lean Six Sigma. Our Specification, Full Written Interview Evaluation,
experience has shown us the importance of and Full Candidate Summary
incorporating the voice of the client (VOC) at  At a minimum, 3 - 4 candidates meeting our
each critical phase in the value stream clients’ requirements will be presented in 60
placement process. We take great care in days.
defining and characterizing the client’s critical to  Fee is based on a percentage of the candidate’s
quality (CTQs) requirements, up front, to ensure first year’s total compensation.
successful screening and placement of  One-third of the estimated fee is paid up front to
candidates, thus avoiding waste and defects engage our search services.
that can cost a client time, money, and worse  We offer our clients a 90-day replacement
yet, a poor placement. guarantee.
Each phase of our Lean Sigma Search™ value
stream process is designed to move the process
along efficiently and effectively through our
executive search value stream, thus enabling us
to exceed our clients’ expectations and
requirements.
The Avery Point Group, Inc.
Executive Search Services 4555 Mansell Road – Suite 300
We provide both a contingent and retained Alpharetta, Georgia
search focus with functional expertise in the 30022 USA
areas of Six Sigma, Lean, operational
 excellence, plant management, operations
P: +1 678-585-9804
2004 -2009 management, supply chain management,
distribution management and finance. Our F: +1 678-585-9832
The Avery Point Group