It's been interesting to watch the debate over bonuses at RBS this week. Back in 2008 the Government had to take an 84% stake to save the bank after bad investments nearly destroyed the bank. This week the bank announced a £3.6bn loss but that it was still paying £1.6bn in bonuses. The City had expected a loss of around £5bn.

What stands out is the comments made by Stephen Hester, head of RBS. On Radio 4 he suggested that losing top staff had cost the bank a further £1bn in profits and if the bonuses weren't paid then there'd be a further talent drain costing the bank and ultimately the tax payer more.

I think this reflects what has happened in the wider talent market. Those individuals at the top of the game are nearly always going to have options in most situations. If someone can add value beyond their cost then it's a easy decision.

And this reflects the changes happening in the recruitment market. At the more general end of the market we're seeing more and more fixed fee recruitment, multi-poster job boards and so on. But in the specialist market it's still difficult to find and convince top talent to move. I think this is where the recruitment market gets interesting and ultimately more rewarding.