A Bounce or not a Bounce: that's the Question

Our good friends at the expensive search firm Korn Flake conducted an equiz, and found that

Despite Acknowledging the 'Severe Recession,' Percentage of Executives Who Believe the Economy is Recovering Nearly Doubled in March

Nearly doubled? Yeah. From 7% to 13%. The moods of the executive participants in the equiz improved.  Do they piggy-back the stock index?

Quoting the above, a thought came up. When global search firms are press-releasing mellow platitudes as news, I believe we are still a long way from hearing champagne bottles uncork on their side of the Atlantic.

Apart from patting their own backs, it seems to me their cheerleader  still suffers from a heavy hangover.

On our side, I can confirm that we see since March a clear and steady growth in search assignments, with the trend accelerating in April. This applies for the region we focus on, mainly CEE and MEA. I have no idea yet if the US or Western Europe follow suit. The possible reasons for this bounce are manifold:

• The multiple non-integrated economies we are active in are somehow resistant to the bug that sickens the US and Western Europe.
• Multinational clients prioritize developing their talent pool in the emerging market zone.
• Global firms are replacing expensive expatriates with less expensive, but equally qualified local talent.
• We kick butt, we are lucky, maybe both. I can't stop wondering what the talent index of Heidrick & Struggeling would predict for our part of the world, anyone?

And now for something completely different.

Mr. Joe Griesedieck, vice chairman and managing director, CEO Services for Korn Flake sees executives as "conflicted" about the relationship between government and business. Anyhow, in his generosity he concludes the press release by sharing with all of us the following gem of executive insight:

“What executives do agree upon is that consumers, business and government all play vital roles in our recovery.”

I could not agree more. Yawn.