Of course you do!  And I’ve discovered that one of my greatest contributions to humanity (well, just the broader executive community) is as a source of information on packages. Or more accurately, I’m the person your brother, your cousin living in Joburg, or your old digs mate – all of whom are now relatively far [...]

It’s with all the noise on executive packages that has come about in our current ‘strike season’ (did you know, in South Africa, we apparently have 5 seasons….Winter, Spring, Summer, Autumn and…Strike) that I thought to comment on an interesting angle to the usual boring chant about high executive packages.  So here is the interesting [...]

I usually blog about stuff that’s going on in the various industries we work in related to our executive clients and candidates, their career moving and grooving, and the trends associated with executive search….as I see them.  Well, not today folks….today I’m going to beat Jack’s drum a bit (I started to type ‘blow Jack’s [...]

A decade or so ago, with new approaches to management and leadership penetrating both big corporates and entrepreneurial business alike, two trends became noticibly fashionable: 1) breaking down office compartments and styling offices in an open-plan design, and 2) limiting corporate hierarchies and striving for so-called ‘flat’ management structures.  What has transpired over the years [...]

Do you know where your matric certificate is? No? Well, best you start searching, particularly if you’re considering the possiblity of alternative career opportunities.  ‘But I’ve got 20 years experience as a senior manager, and here are my other tertiary academic certificates. Surely the logic is that I would not have been allowed to register [...]

When it comes to executive and senior management appointments, one of the lesser noted factors that come into play in the decision-making process is the companies that the candidate has worked for in the past.  Note my emphasis on the word ‘company’, as opposed to qualification, role, experience, achievements, etc (which I have spoken about [...]

These days, no one gets appointed to a job after one interview…..no matter how senior or junior the role, there is a process to follow –  Meet the line manager, meet the other ‘dotted’ reporting lines in the matrix, meet the other members of the management team (peers), meet the direct reports, meet the representatives [...]

I’ve finally caught up on my pile of business mags that have been accumulating over the last few weeks, and found myself really impressed with this month’s issue of  ‘Entrepreneur” ’ (you can catch the online version at www.entrepreneurmag.co.za), and in particular, an article written by Jennifer Wang on some recruiting tips from Google’s hiring [...]

The second least productive month of the year is over, together with the chocolate-egg-eating marathon, and we’re all back at our desks trying to make up for lost time.  In spite of the general rush of the week, I managed to pause momentarily to reflect on an interesting discussion.  One of my long – held [...]

One of my business colleagues called this week to wail about a key employee who had been ‘stolen’ by another organisation.   ‘He’s leaving me at a critical time….how can he do this to me….and how can I ensure that none of my other key people leave me….how can he do this to me!!!”  Well, I [...]