Could you make a fortune by moving to Korn/Ferry?

Korn/Ferry International has been hiring. As the Financial Times pointed out this week, it appears to have been hiring particularly from Heidrick & Struggles, from whom it has pinched Sonamara Jeffreys, Heidrick's former head of EMEA financial services, and various others.

Korn/Ferry's expansion follows various reports about the transplantation of its cherubic chief executive from LA to London, where he has apparently arrived wafting a $300m cheque book.

Headhunters are immune to the compensation-concentrated wrath of the FSA and European Union. Korn/Ferry is therefore rumoured to be luring people with large packages and two or three year guarantees.

Korn/Ferry isn't commenting on its expansion, alleged generosity, or possibility of further hires, except to say it's made, "several hires from different firms," and is, "growing as a company."

Heidrick has holes to fill

Meanwhile, poaching by Korn/Ferry and elsewhere has left a few holes at Heidrick & Struggles.

Gavin Holland, head of the financial services practice at Heidrick, says they've hired six new consultant-level UK financial services people since the start of this year, that there are another two consultants close to being signed, and another two financial services consultant positions still open. In addition to that, he says they've hired 10 financial services associates, signed a further two, have another two close to signing, and have one more associate position open.

While Korn/Ferry is flopping out its cheque book for expensive big hitters, Heidrick's strategy is to hire hungry talent (including graduates and former bankers).

"Our strategy is to recruit well-educated, bright, driven people, either from smaller boutique search firms, or who we can train from scratch," says Holland (temptingly).