The younger generation may not quite get this allusion (although serious readers of blogs will). At the end of the film Spartacus, starring Kirk Douglas and his dimple, the rebellious slaves are captured and one of the Roman Generals asks who is Spartacus? The aim being to find the leader and thus crucify him. Each and every one of the rebels then says 'I am Spartacus' and all are crucified, end of the film and one of those few times when you're allowed to cry in front of other men as the credits roll.



Now there is something here, valuable, for both management recruiting and for career development, but don't take the example too literally. Walking into an interview for a logistics director's job and indicating that you'd like your entire staff to be nailed up alongside the Appian Way is not known to lead to that key to the executive bathroom. Nor is the idea that all of your staff should be indistinguishable known to be a way to make that move from logistics manager to director.

Further, if you are working with a recruitment agency in, say, the construction industry, indicating that the current staff might be useful as roadside adornments will not get you the job of your dreams. But still, as we say, there is something extremely valuable in the scene that will indeed help in the process of job hunting and interviewing, whether it be directly or with the help of a recruitment agancy.

Two things in fact: the first is that when Kirk is asked, he states that he himself is Spartacus. A good manager is always ready and willing to take responsibility for the consequences, good or bad, of the actions that they have put in train. Spartacus owns up so that only he is executed, his followers not being punished. Responsibility, that's what managers have, that's what you're paid for.

The second is that more elusive quality, not just the above loyalty of the manager to the employees, but being able to engender loyalty the other way. It is perhaps redundant to point out that no one in the automotive sector will look kindly upon your job application, or the recruitment agency that sends you to them, if your first action is going to be taking the entire team on a three year wander around Vesuvius. Just as asking the stores clerk to die for you is a tad over the top these days, so is that sort of Outward Bound course.

But the lessons of the I Am Spartacus moment are still there: what interviewers are looking for above all is someone who will proffer loyalty to the team, take responsibility, and who will in turn engender loyalty from the team.