Bruin’s Post

Work with the best in Liham Consulting

The consultancy world is going through some really interesting change at the moment – all sized firms are launching new service lines and even carving out entire functions. The challengers are really taking the fight to more established firms as well, creating a much “busier” landscape. We hear of pitches against competitors unknown a few year’s back..   How do the best consultancies differentiate themselves? They hire a new kind of leader, those with an expertise that might sit outside of their core offering. They bring in teams of experts to support this and continuously look at ways to upgrade their offering. The internal investment in these new areas is substantial and most likely will continue to grow. It’s not limited to talent either, with expansion into new geographies also a key focus area - developing new propositions in markets that have clear gaps in opportunity. This is all tailored towards new ways to impact topline in industry.   Executive Search Consultants who really understand both the talent space and market dynamics can act as a “guide” into these new territories and disciplines. That’s why the role we hold has changed and grown so much in the past few years as well. #growthconsulting #reveugrowth #commercialexcellence #corportatestrategy #consultancy #expansion #acquisitionstrategy #globalnetwork

The key to scaling successfully 👇 There comes a time in the growth cycle of any ambitious business when the Owner / Founder can no longer do it all. They have to trust professionals to do a better and more cost effective job so they can focus on the real high value tasks. A prime example of this is using executive search consultants. When a business is small, it makes perfect sense for business leaders to make all critical hiring decisions, often leveraging personal networks to build their initial teams. Yet, there is usually one or two specialised roles, like a CFO or Compliance Director, where the level of expertise may not be as strong. In such cases, turning to an executive search professional isn't just helpful—it's necessary. However, as the business grows, the most important hiring decisions need to remain with the director. But... all the grunt work such as identifying top talent, especially those not actively looking, and managing the shortlisting process, can be efficiently managed by a trusted headhunter. This strategic delegation marks a pivotal shift where a Directors time becomes more valuable than the cost of hiring. If you're in this stage of the growth cycle and feel it would be beneficial to have a conversation witha headhunter about your hiring requirements, please get in touch. #businessgrowth #leadership #executivesearch #delegation #scalingup

🔍 Keep your eye on the consultancy industry! 🌟 💼 When it comes to transferable skill sets, executives from consultancy firms are leading the way. 💪 📈 Through our analysis of placements, we discovered that these professionals possess a broad range of skills and excel at collaborating and influencing stakeholders. 🤝 🌍 It's no wonder that many organisations are seeking executive leaders with these qualities. 🏆 🔥 If you're looking to bring top talent into your organisation, don't overlook the power of the consultancy industry. 💼 👑 Join the ranks of successful businesses with our executive recruitment services. 🌟 #executiverecruitment #behereforQueensland @behere4QLD #talentstrategy #QueenslandGovernment #recruitment #kingstonhumancapital #ExecutiveRecruitmentBrisbane

THIS week I will post three highly unpopular, though probably true, observations distilled from several decades worth of employment and consultancy work. These posts will be controversial😮, I might even make some enemies😠 , but there is possibly real value💰 in "exposing" these matters. Observation number one.... Most so-called "Managers" are shockingly bad at their jobs! They are, conversely, very good at identifying and capitalising on minutiae that keep them employed e.g. company politics, inter-office relationships, organisational systemic weaknesses, exploitation of superiorly talented subordinates, superficial appearances of competence... A true and accurate measurement of their ACTUAL output quality and quantity would result in most company senior managers being fired without pity, pomp or ceremony... #management #incompetence #shallow #unskilled #incompetent #unpopularopinion #truth #truthtopower #consultancy #skills #employment

Companies fail to choose the candidate with the right talent for the job 82% of the time. The above headline first appeared in a HBR article entitled, “Why Good Managers Are So Rare”, and is also published on Gallup’s website under a similar heading, “Why Great Managers Are So Rare”.  I am not sure the article really answers the question, “Why?”, the real or root “why” that is, but what it does reveal is that the talent required to be a great manager is rare (only one in ten people possess the talent to manage), that conventional selection processes are a big contributor to the failure, and that companies apply little science or research to find the right person for the role. The authors also point out the benefits of finding the right person, for example, 147% higher earnings per share over the competition, and the costs of choosing the wrong one, pointing out what we have seen time and time again, that bad managers cost businesses (and investors) billions of dollars each year, and having too many of them will bring down a company.  The only defence against this massive problem is a good offence, because when companies get these decisions wrong, nothing fixes it. Companies should systematically demand that every team has a great manager, but first, companies have to find those great managers. And if the talent required to be a great manager is so rare that only 10% possess it, and most of the people who do (possess it) aren’t in leadership roles already, then, once you add in everything else that makes up the leadership requirement, you are looking for a golden needle in the proverbial haystack.  As mentioned last week, if you look for the wrong person and are successful, then that is who you will identify and appoint, so a good offence starts by defining what the right person “looks” like, and this always starts by answering the most important question, “what is the problem statement?” “What is the why of this role?” The second element of a good offence is having a clear, coherent and compelling why, i.e. why you, why now, why this problem, why this market, and so on.  The final element (of a good offence) is the process a company employs to identify, engage, evaluate and assess the market. We have found that traditional search techniques, and we use all of them, aren’t enough to ensure that everyone who should be considered for a particular position is. The search industry’s own data suggests the same with most searches failing, either because they don’t identify anyone, or because they identify the wrong one, so, eight years ago, we challenged the anatomy of the recruitment process and re-architected search to deliver the right person, the first time, every time. We have worked in 30 different countries across the African continent helping clients develop and execute a great offence. If you need help with, or would like to discuss, yours, then please message me, david.plummer@triage.ag.

What should you do when you have a critical competence gap? An important CXO position is vacant, and the situation is critical. How do you make sure to quickly get the right person in place without missing out on important experiences and skills? A recruitment process for a CXO-role often takes six months or more, and if you don’t have anyone in the organization to fill the role, important projects can be delayed, and vital functions will be without leadership. Taking someone from within the organization often means that you don’t get the right competencies for the role and, as the person still has his/her normal job, there is a risk that none of the roles are properly and efficiently handled. In these cases, an Executive Interim Manager is essential for the company’s success. Up and running within two weeks, an interim CXO provides access to a highly qualified professional who will ensure that the business continues according to the strategy and goals. During the time of the recruitment for a permanent placeholder, the Interim Manager can drive necessary changes and transformations. #interimmangement #strategy #bestadvice #transformation

We know through many years of experience, that one of the most common reasons people use us for an Interim Manager, is to fill a critical structural role in their organisation. And our support doesn't end there, with the Interim Manager in place, our Executive Search team will be working alongside, to find the permanent hire for the role. At Grichan Whitestone we have a stellar track record of placing Interim Managers into structured, project-based, outcome orientated roles. If you would like to find out more about our Interim Management solutions get in touch with Robert Smith, one of our founding partners who heads up Interim Management and Business Consultancy. #businessconsultants #interimmanagement #strategicsupport #executivesearch

Looking to fill an executive role? Make precision your ally. At Cerius Executives, we've seen firsthand how crucial the right job description is to finding the perfect interim executive. Don't settle for vague descriptions that lead nowhere. Be specific about your expectations and future goals. Forget the past. Focus on the future. Your new executive should be tailored to where your organization needs to be a year from now, not just a temporary fix for today. Prioritize cultural fit. Your interim executive should add value and enhance your company culture, not disrupt it. Ready to find your ideal interim executive? Visit https://lnkd.in/gPFn5pcq now. #ExecutiveSearch #InterimExecutive #BusinessLeadership

The priorities of top consulting talent have evolved dramatically in recent years. The allure of big brand names is no longer the primary draw. Instead, senior professionals are looking for meaningful pay differentials and a clear, transparent path to long-term value creation within the business. They want to move beyond the role of a corporate vendor and step back into a more advisory position, where they have a voice in strategic decisions—along with executive perks that are typically reserved for senior leaders in smaller organisations. We frequently hear from consultants who are seeking a more entrepreneurial experience: greater autonomy and, most importantly, the ability to see their impact on the business. They’re not interested in being treated like middle managers, navigating layers of bureaucracy. They don’t want someone thousands of miles away scrutinising every taxi receipt; they want to be trusted to make decisions and be rewarded with benefits that recognise their contributions. The general sense is that very few Partners feel like true stakeholders anymore. For firms looking to attract and retain the best talent, the key is to offer a genuine Partnership experience, one that prioritises autonomy, transparency, and meaningful impact, along with more meritocratic pay that reflects the value they are bringing to the organisation.