Firm praises tyrants’ leadership

One recruitment firm - which claims to place HR directors - has been criticized for extolling the virtues of Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin.

BY Hannah Norton 21 Jul 2015

The words “superattainers” and “high achieving individuals” probably aren’t what come to mind when describing the likes of Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Attila the Hun and Mao Zedong.

Nor is Hitler’s contribution to Germany’s autobahn likely to be the main thing the Nazi leader will be remembered for.

But one Manila-based recruitment firm – Charle Associates – is under fire after extolling the virtues - and these actions - of the ‘leaders’ on its website.

While HRM could no longer find the information on the firm’s website, and the company could not be reached for comment this morning, an article in the South China Morning Post on Friday said the notorious tyrants appeared as part of a long list of leadership exemplars on the website.

The company’s website states that Hitler was “instrumental in building the autobahn (superhighway) as well as putting German industry back on its feet”.

There was reportedly no mention of the Nazi regime’s genocide which resulted in the murder of around six million Jews.

The company’s website states it “focuses its headhunter recruitment in the emerging countries of Southeast Asia”, but operates in the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Singapore, Cambodia and Laos, as well as the Middle East, Africa and Canada.

Its website stated that the company recently filled two human resource director positions at a large pharmaceutical company.

“The client has roughly 1000 people in Philippines and is growing quickly. The Managing Director needed a senior person to manage HR for his complex organisation,” it said.

“The client had specific requirements with regard to experience, technical skills, management culture background and even area of residence.”

Charle presented five candidates, two of which were eventually hired as HRDs.