McDermott & Bull is a proud member of Agilium Worldwide, an international consortium of independent, owner-managed, retained executive search firms with members in virtually every market. Today, Agilium Worldwide ranks among the Hunt Scanlon Global 25.
Rod McDermott, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at McDermott & Bull Executive Search, recently attended the 2016 Agilium Worldwide Annual General Meeting, which was held in Stockholm, Sweden. During this conference, McDermott and his fellow attendees had the opportunity to strengthen relationships, collaborate on business opportunities, and gain key insights and takeaways pertaining to the dynamic world of executive search. Below, McDermott shares his recap of this valuable gathering:
“The world of executive search is ever-evolving, and one of the emerging topics we touched on at this year’s meeting was Millennials. Recruiting Millennials is different than previous Gen X or Y’ers, as they are more concerned about making a difference and company culture, and will not take a job unless they feel it would be a great fit, both personally and professionally. These aren’t new concepts, but since some of these individuals are now reaching mid-management ranks in companies, they are having a much greater impact on executive recruiting. Our firm, as well as our clients, needs to continue to evolve to attract this generation of managers and leaders.
With senior leaders from all over the globe in attendance, we also discussed the state of the economy worldwide and its impact on executive search. While some countries are still experiencing very slow growth, companies continue to invest in recruiting the right talent that can help them grow in tough markets, either with skills in product development, marketing, or geographic market expansion.
Brexit, while originally very concerning for all in Europe, hasn’t proven to slow down company hiring plans. Our partner in Ireland is dealing with uncertainty over Brexit, and it’s made some clients cautious. However, the country experienced 7.5% GDP growth over the last year, so they are enjoying a significant tailwind right now, even if caution is the tone of the day.
Latin America is still in the doldrums, but companies are hiring strategically and our partners in that region are starting to see some light. While Brazil and Argentina are especially soft, Brazil is hoping that the recent impeachment of their President and a change in power will lead to more optimism, and therefore more hiring throughout their economy. Not sure what the catalyst will be for Argentina, as its new President has implemented necessary austerity measures which are having expected negative effects on the economy, at least in the near term. Mexico and Colombia are doing fairly well, and Colombia is hoping its recent cease-fire with dissidents will give the country the opportunity to build during this time of relative peace.”