I recently saw an interview with Warren Buffett. The billionaire commented on economic developments. Exciting. I shared the video. A friend who knows his way around the financial world replied: „That’s fake. Buffett doesn’t give such detailed interviews.“ He was right. Wow! This episode reveals a contemporary problem: fake news, which is not new. But the perfection with which it is produced today is new. Deepfakes, AI-generated content – the line between truth and fiction is blurring. Everyone needs to deal with it. Especially in business.

Fake News Spreads Quickly

An MIT study* shows that fake news spreads six times faster than verified information. Not because it is more credible – it’s the opposite: it has a greater emotional impact. So we tend to believe it. These days, the credibility of information depends less on its source than on whether it fits our world view or our beliefs. And this is precisely what people in positions of power systematically abuse: They use these cognitive patterns to set their narratives – whether in organisations, politics or markets. Those who are unaware of their own filters become easy prey.

How to Check the Credibility of News

I think it’s a good idea to reconsider whether an information is true or false. These questions may help:

Who says it – and why? Is it based on expertise or economic interest?

Is it also true in other contexts? A fact can be correct and still be misinterpreted.

How emotional is the message? The more emotional it is, the more it’s worth pausing to reconsider.

This seems banal – but at the same time, it is existential. Those who make decisions without questioning the quality of information are making emotion-based decisions. And that can be dangerous.

What Does This Mean for Business?

In executive search, we operate in data-driven worlds. But data is never neutral – it reflects what has been collected, filtered and weighted. In pharma and medtech, we know that data can prove or blind. A CV can look impressive and still be manipulated. A market trend can be real and still be misinterpreted. A good researcher must recognise motives, tolerate contradictions and understand how truth is constructed in different cultures and companies. This is not optional – it is the basis of good judgement.

The Bottom Line

Fake news is not a media problem – it is a reflection of our own perception. The trick is not to expose all lies. The trick is to know your own filters and use them consciously.

In our daily business life, judgement has become a key skill: between data and interpretation, between knowledge and wisdom. Between what we want to see and what actually is. As the historian Yuval Noah Harari says: „In a world dominated by data, the most important skill remains the ability to distinguish between truth and illusion.“

Have you fallen for perfectly made fake news too? How did you notice?

Vosoughi, S., Roy, D., & Aral, S. (2018). „The Spread of True and False News Online.“ Science, 359(6380), 1146-1151. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aap9559; The study examined all verified true and false news stories on Twitter from 2006 to 2017 – approximately 126,000 stories that were shared by around 3 million people across 4.5 million tweets. The finding: False news is roughly 70% more likely to be retweeted than true news.

Der Beitrag What The Fake? erschien zuerst auf Blog | kanzlei.jobs.

It’s always the right moment to reflect on fee structures.

The question of appropriate consultancy fees often leads a shadowy existence – rarely addressed openly, even less frequently thought through strategically. Yet the quieter summer months offer an ideal opportunity to reflect on a fundamental business reality: Why do consulting services cost what they do? And why is this pricing not only justified but economically essential?

The Hidden Cost Drivers

Current industry analyses make it clear: Daily rates in consulting are far from arbitrary. They follow detailed calculation models that reflect the realities of the business. Personnel expenses – including social contributions – make up nearly two-thirds of all costs in management consulting. This alone illustrates how people-intensive the industry is.

But the visible service is only part of the equation. A large share of expenditure is tied up in non-billable work: market research, preparation of complex proposals, and client discussions that don’t result in an engagement. On average, consultants spend around 20 working days per year on offers that don’t convert. It is evident that successful mandates must also absorb the cost of unsuccessful ones.

Specific Challenges in Project-Based Services

Executive research and similar specialized consulting fields face additional challenges. Costs arise from deep preparatory work, multi-step assessment procedures, and intensive personal conversations – often invisible, yet decisive for project success.

This investment in quality pays off. International studies show that failed C-level hires can cost companies three to five times the annual salary of the position in question. In this light, a thoughtful fee structure is not about profit maximization – it’s about minimizing risk.

Time for Transparent Communication

While pricing may seem an unglamorous topic, its importance goes far beyond individual industries. At its core, it’s about the value we place on expertise, the trust we build through structured processes, and the courage to talk openly about economic realities.

Especially in times of increasing AI integration, human judgment and experience become key differentiators. Companies that take this seriously should use the summer slowdown to reflect on their pricing models – and to communicate openly what high-quality consulting really costs and why it’s worth the investment.

This perspective builds on thoughts shared by Dirk Lippold and other experts who have long called for greater transparency in the economic foundations of consulting services – insights that remain highly relevant today.

Your Experience Is in Demand

How do you handle the topic of fees – whether as a consultant or a client? Which strategies have helped foster transparent communication and mutual understanding around costs? Where do you see the greatest added value – and where the most frequent misconceptions?

Share your perspective in the comments. Because only through honest dialogue can we develop fair and comprehensible standards – together.

Der Beitrag Why Good Advice Is Expensive erschien zuerst auf Blog | kanzlei.jobs.

23. Januar 2023

By Stephan Breitfeld 

I recently read an article written by a young woman, explaining why she didn’t strive for a career. Why indeed she thought we should stop working altogether and enjoy some unemployment. Of course the article was probably meant to ruffle some feathers but it got me thinking: Do we actually still have something of a „generation contract“?

What contract do generations have?

The „generation contract“ is a concept that refers to the social and economic expectations and obligations that exist between different generations. It is a kind of unwritten agreement between different age groups, where each generation has certain responsibilities towards the others. However, in recent years, the generation contract has become less clear, and the expectations and obligations between generations have shifted. There are several reasons for this change, including demographic shifts, economic insecurity, and changes in social values.

Let’s have a closer look at the latter: Changes in social values have led to a shift in expectations between generations. Younger generations may prioritize individualism, personal fulfillment, and social activism over the traditional values of hard work and respect for authority. This can lead to conflicts with older generations who may not understand or appreciate these values. The validity of the generation contract is a matter of debate, and there is no clear consensus on whether it still holds true in today’s society.

Everybody’s signature?

On one hand, some argue that the generation contract is still relevant and necessary. They argue that each generation has a responsibility to support the others, both financially and socially, and that this is essential for the sustainability of society. On the other hand, there are those who argue that the generation contract has become less relevant in today’s society. They argue that economic, demographic, and cultural shifts have made it more difficult for different generations to connect and work together.

Ultimately, whether the generation contract is still valid or not depends on one’s perspective. While there may be some truth to both arguments, it is important to recognize that the relationships and expectations between different generations are complex and multifaceted. It is up to each individual and society as a whole to determine how they want to approach these relationships and obligations, and to work towards building a more inclusive and sustainable future for all generations. Despite these challenges, it is important for different generations to work together and find common ground. The generation contract is not a one-way street, and each generation has a responsibility to support and respect the others.

In the end, the generation contract is being renegotiated constantly. While older people might want to cash in on their contribution during their work lives and discover a younger generation that seems unwilling to do their part, there is a huge demographic problem, that no generation can ignore. What does it take to reinstall the balance? Is the contract even still there? What do you think?

Der Beitrag The dying wish for a career – can we dig out the generation contract? erschien zuerst auf Blog | kanzlei.jobs.

by Stephan Breitfeld

As an executive search consultant, I look at salaries in from many different angles. Especially lately with the ever-tightening candidate market and increasing difficulties filling positions, it seems to be fair game in the salary expectations. But there’s more to it – and there’s economic realities – something that concerns us all! Such as these:

Salaries are on the rise – and drop

A recent economic outlook by OECD showed how much real wages are declining in relation to inflation in the different OECD countries. Between the beginning of July and the end of September, the increase in nominal wages in Germany was far from sufficient to compensate for inflation, partly due to drastically increased energy and consumer prices. Real wages in the third quarter of 2022 were around 4.3 percent below the level of the same period last year. The Federal Statistical Office even assumes a price-adjusted drop in real wages of 5.7 percent with consumer price inflation of 8.4 percent. According to estimates by the OECD, the need for wage increases to compensate for inflation and maintain purchasing power is unlikely to decrease significantly in the coming years either. According to data from the Federal Statistical Office, the current drop in real wages in Germany is the longest-lasting and strongest since 2008. And that is although employers feel high pressure to pay much higher wages as it is.

That’s the interesting part about perspective here. There’s a lot of discussion around that employees` need to be paid more (which they absolutely do!) and their perspective in their unlimited choices on the job market but I also hear a lot of voices from the employers saying, yes but we need to be able to pay that. Money needs to come in accordingly and that also is tightly linked to production and energy prices as well as incidental wage costs.

Pay is a societal question

I think the question of salary is a societal issue. It has a big context, and a lot of discussions are falling short of the big picture. It’s not just the candidate who should earn this and that, there’s also the reality of budgets within companies (that may also be “just” salaries that need to rise accordingly) and there is a chain of realities in production that result in higher prices, higher productivity, higher pay, etc. That’s not to argument against better pay and appropriate wages but more to argument for seeing what all goes into this discussion. There not only the candidate`s perspective, there`s not only the employer`s perspective, there`s also budget structures, there`s wage cost regulations, there`s even hinders to employ foreigners, we so desperately need. The reason for the situation the OECD put into numbers (above), and we all deal with every day is complex.

Let’s take an example: You want to pay candidates what they want – good for you.

But what about the employees you already have? Do they all get a raise?

What about the budget structures on your client`s side that haven`t increased in 10 years? Where are you cutting that off for rising wages?

What`s at the end of the rising wages, more need for income/productivity/growth, burnt-out people, rising wages, more need… circle?

Is it fair to pay someone so much when the nurse / kindergarten teacher / caregiver earns so much less? What is the work worth really?

It feels like there`s a lot of questions to ask. Feel free to add in the comments!

more: https://bit.ly/3Y2Lo4H

Der Beitrag Money, money, money – why don’t we just pay people more?! erschien zuerst auf Blog | kanzlei.jobs.

In diesem Jahr feiert ingeniam sein 20. Firmenjubiläum. Darauf sind wir sehr stolz. Wir möchten uns bei allen Geschäftspartnern, aktuellen sowie ehemaligen Mitarbeitern und Partnerkollegen, die uns auf diesem spannenden Weg begleitet haben, ganz herzlich bedanken

EIN EINGESPIELTES TEAM – WIR WACHSEN WEITER

Neben den fünf Gesellschaftern und drei Partnern freuen wir uns sehr, dass wir dieses und letztes Jahr sechs weitere Partner hinzugewinnen konnten. Mit aktuell ca. 25 Mitarbeitern decken wir für unsere Kunden ein noch breiteres Branchen- und Dienstleistungsspektrum ab und sind für die kommenden Herausforderungen sehr gut aufgestellt. Auch im nächsten Jahr möchten wir unser Wachstum fortsetzen und planen, unsere Teams zu verstärken.

INTERNATIONALE BUSINESS TEAMS – ARBEIT NACH HÖCHSTEN STANDARDS

Mit der Zugehörigkeit zur AESC stehen wir weiterhin für höchste Qualitätsstandards in der Branche. Durch die langjährige Mitgliedschaft zur weltweit operierenden IIC Partners Organisation können wir unsere Kunden jederzeit international begleiten und dabei gleichzeitig unsere nationale Flexibilität beibehalten.

Das ganze ingeniam-Team freut sich auf viele erfolgreiche Projekte mit unseren Kandidaten und Kunden. Für weitere Informationen besuchen Sie uns gerne unter www.ingeniam.de.

ingeniam Executive Search & Human Capital Consulting GmbH & Co. KG
Grüneburgweg 12
60322 Frankfurt am Main
Telefon: +49 / 69 / 9 59 09 19 0
E-Mail: info@ingeniam.de

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