- Executives Say Awarding Bigger Titles Does Not Help Companies Retain Talent -

LOS ANGELES, October 25, 2006 – Nearly half (46 percent) of recently-promoted executives said that their responsibilities have remained roughly the same despite their new titles, according to the latest Executive Quiz from Korn/Ferry International (NYSE:KFY), a premier global provider of talent management solutions.

Additionally, four in ten respondents (42 percent) have observed a rise in the practice of companies awarding inflated titles in order to retain top talent. In fact, more than a third (36 percent) of executives reported receiving a promotion from their current employer within the past two years. Yet the vast majority (85 percent) said that a bigger job title would not entice them to stay at a job that they would otherwise leave.

“As employers compete for top talent, many see promotions as a way to make their people feel valued, strategic and rewarded,” said Joe Griesedieck, vice chairman and head of the CEO practice at Korn/Ferry. “While this is well-intentioned, what we are increasingly seeing is ‘title inflation,’ where promotions have little impact on an employee’s responsibilities. This makes it difficult to accurately gauge a person’s experience and abilities and we have found that on its own, giving employees more impressive titles is an ineffective retention strategy.”

The survey also explored some of the inflated job titles that are increasingly emerging in the workplace. Among the strangest titles cited by respondents were: Chief Cheerleader, Chief Inspiration Officer, Director of Decisions, Director of First Impressions, Process Change Manager and General Manager Reporting to the General Manager.

Methodology
The Korn/Ferry International Executive Quiz is based on a global survey of executives registered within the firm’s online Executive Center, ekornferry.com. 279 respondents from several dozen countries, representing a wide spectrum of industries and functional areas, participated in the most recent Executive Quiz from June 23-29, 2006.

About Korn/Ferry International
Korn/Ferry International, with more than 70 offices in 40 countries, is a premier global provider of talent management solutions.Based in Los Angeles, the firm delivers an array of solutions that help clients to identify, deploy, develop, retain and reward their talent.

# # #

Media Contacts:
Asia Pacific: Marta Grutka, + 65 6231 6215, marta.grutka@kornferry.com
EMEA: Stephanie Cohen, + 1 310 226 2645, stephanie.cohen@kornferry.com
North America: Amy Jaick, + 1 212 576 2700, ajaick@goodmanmedia.com
South America: Marcel Dellabarba, + 11 3017 5300, marcel.dellabarba@edelman.com