Finding a successful manager

Belgrade, Serbia & Montenegro – March 22, 2004 – Founder of Prodirekt in an interview with daily Danas speaks about managers and trends in executive search industry in southeast Europe

Dejan Trpkovic, founder of Prodirekt, the leading retained executive search firm in Serbia, was interviewed by Vesna Sekerezovic, of Danas, leading daily newspaper in Serbia and Montenegro (SCG), about the recruiting industry, its regional development trends and advantages of engaging management recruiters.

“Foreign capital and competition entered much faster in the East European markets than in SCG, causing a rapid increase in compensation packages for top managers. This trend may repeat in SCG as well, providing the government continues with the reforms and attracts much higher foreign investment,” comments Mr. Trpkovic.

“Successful managers are already in good positions in their companies; therefore, they are less willing to consider a change in their careers. Executives are looking, with the utmost discretion, for most qualified and respectable consultants to help them better evaluate a potential career change. Trust is the main factor in this culture,” says Trpkovic. “That is one of the main reasons why management candidates prefer working through the recruiters rather than directly with a company’s HR department.”

When asked about the potential differences in the management recruiting practice in the SCG and Western European markets, Trpkovic points out that the SCG market still lacks professionalism and differentiation in the service level. “A manager’s ultimate success depends not only on the skill set and competency fit, but also on the critical cultural match. The best executive search consultants are able to strike the right balance between the client needs and candidate career goals,” says Trpkovic.

Full story: Vesna Sekerezovic: “The right path to a successful manager” in Danas (March 22, 2004, in the Serbian language).

About PRODIREKT
Prodirekt provides strategic management and human resource consultancy services to clients ranging from large corporations to emerging growth companies in southeast Europe, across a broad range of industries and sectors. The company has earned a reputation for successfully completing the most complex management searches in the region due to Prodirekt consultants’ in-depth knowledge of specific industry sectors and years of direct senior-level experience and long-standing relationships with top leaders.