Many of today’s top executives are the products of internal leadership programmes that they have enjoyed in other companies during the course of their careers. And managers who have undergone leadership training in companies with a real interest in leadership development are considered to be amongst the most sought-after gems of the corporate world.

According to Debbie Goodman-Bhyat, MD of Jack Hammer Executive Headhunters, the investment by top corporates in their leadership/ graduate/ management training programmes has resulted in a substantial talent pool, not only for these organisations, but for South African business in general.

“Typically, employees who have benefited from good leadership training move on to join other organisations at some stage, and in doing so add value to more than one company” she says.

“There can be no question about the transferability of management skills learnt in these environments. Core management skills are valued in any industry and across the corporate world.

“These include leadership, project management and financial management skills, and anything to do with building teams and motivating people.”

“In many cases it is considered an accolade to even be selected for one of these management/ leadership programmes and this nature of training definitely catches the eye of a hiring HR manager.”

Goodman says the most prestigious and well-regarded in-house graduate, management and leadership programmes are very selective about their delegates, and are usually only offered to rising stars and high achievers.

“It is not just the money thrown at these programme that drives their value and prestige but rather the demonstrable fact that business leaders continue to emerge from these organisations. As always, the ‘proof is in the pudding’”, she notes.

“Often, these courses are so rigorous, that they will serve to separate the ‘wheat from the chaff’, so to speak. At the end of a one to two year graduate programme, only a very limited number of offers of employment might be extended, out of a sizeable group of twenty to thirty delegates. With this type of competition, it is no wander that the top programmes will yield a good number of tomorrow’s leaders.

“However, the downside of being part of one of these graduate programmes is that those who aren’t made offers of employment, the question on every potential employer’s mind will be – ‘why not?’

“And, after a year or so of doing the rounds of the various business units, an employee might have very little substantial experience to speak of, having spent only a few months in each division.”