Thursday, May 22, 2008

Business: Exec leadership, not HR should drive hiring: Korn/Ferry

Los Angeles, (ANTARA News/PRNewswire-AsiaNet) - Globalization and Increase of Women and Minorities in the Workplace Result in Significant Number of Korn/Ferry Searches Including Minority Candidates -

More than two-thirds (68 per cent) of executive recruiters say diversity hiring efforts should be spearheaded by top company leadership, according to international recruiters who completed the latest edition of the quarterly Executive Recruiter Index, released today by Korn/Ferry International (NYSE: KFY), a premier global provider of talent management solutions.

This overwhelming trend reflects the importance of diversity hiring practices in today's competitive market for talent.

Other champions of diversity, according to global recruiters, include the company's board of directors (13 per cent) and the human resources department (11 per cent).

Additionally, nearly half of recruiters (46 per cent) reveal that minority candidates are present in 25-75 per cent of their executive searches.

More than one-fifth of recruiters (21 per cent) report that diversity candidates had been included in three-quarters or more of their recent engagements.

"The recognition of diversity as an effort that needs to start in the C-suite and permeate throughout every level of the organization shows great progress," said Bob Damon, president of North America for Korn/Ferry International.

"As globalization continues to shape the workplace, our clients are seeking executive leadership who not only reflect today's talent pool, but who also understand the social and cultural nuances of varying markets."

Almost half (49 per cent) of recruiters attribute the increased visibility around diversity issues to globalization, while another 30 per cent cite the increased presence of women and minorities in the workplace as the leading reason.

Lastly, nearly 9 out of 10 recruiters (85 per cent) agree that companies that have successful diversity programs in place enjoy a competitive advantage in the marketplace.

Effective diversity programs provide a more robust talent pool for organizations around the world, allowing them to attract and retain more top talent amidst today's shortage of skilled professionals.

Methodology

The Executive Recruiter Index is based on a quarterly survey of 228 Korn/Ferry International consultants, who serve the world's largest corporations and not-for-profit organizations.

This survey was conducted online within the Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa from March 14-28, 2008.

About Korn/Ferry International

Korn/Ferry International, with more than 80 offices in 39 countries, is a premier global provider of talent management solutions.

Based in Los Angeles, the firm delivers an array of solutions that help clients to identify, deploy, develop, retain and reward their talent.

For more information on the Korn/Ferry International family of companies, visit http://www.kornferry.com.

SOURCE: Korn/Ferry International
CONTACT: Asia Pacific,
Shireen Nisha,
+ 65 6231 6123,
shireen.nisha@kornferry.com,
or EMEA,
Maggie Habib,
+1-310-556-8532,
maggie.habib@kornferry.com;
or North America,
Kevin Oates,
+1-310-584-8331,
kevin.oates@ketchum.com,
or South America,
Jose Luiz Schiavoni,
+55 11 3457 0200,
joseluiz@s2.com.br,
all of Korn/Ferry International
Web site: http://www.kornferry.com
(KFY)

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