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Filed Under: Business Confidence

 
For more than a year now, executive search firms have taken a very cautious approach to rebuilding their own consulting and research staffs in the wake of a global recession that forced some of them to close offices and many of them to downsize their teams.

 

 
A monthly ExecuNet survey of executive recruiters finds that 61 percent of them believe employers will leverage the economic climate by selectively "trading up" with new hires for existing senior management roles over the next six months, and an additional 23 percent of employers are expected add new executive jobs to their payrolls.

 

 
A monthly ExecuNet survey of executive recruiters finds most are confident the executive employment market will improve over the next six months, despite some slippage in that hiring indicator last month and a flurry of headlines about the sluggishness of the broader jobs market.

 

 
After a bruising four-year period during which many executive search firms — like their corporate clients — were forced to downsize, these firms continue to take a slow, purposeful approach to rebuilding their own consulting and research teams.

 

Published on: Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Executive Job Creation Extends Positive Trend

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A monthly ExecuNet survey of executive recruiters finds that more than one quarter of them expect employers will leverage the current economic climate by adding new executive management roles over the next six months.

In March, ExecuNet's monthly Executive Job Creation Index (EJCI) reached +19, its second-highest level since June 2011. Further, the 27 percent of companies expected to add new executive management jobs was also the second highest rate registered since June 2011.

 

 
A monthly ExecuNet survey of executive recruiters finds the highest levels of confidence that the executive employment market will improve over the next six months since May 2011.

In March, ExecuNet's benchmark Recruiter Confidence Index revealed that 59 percent of 123 responding executive recruiters indicated they were "confident" or "very confident" the executive employment market would improve over the next six months.

 

 
Executive search firms want to see more sustained corporate hiring at the management level and more consistent economic data before they rebuild their own firms by adding new consulting and research staff.

In February, ExecuNet's benchmark Search Firm Hiring Index revealed that 23 percent of 130 responding executive recruiters indicated they would be adding new professional research and consulting staff over the next three months, a decline of five points from January.

 

 
A monthly ExecuNet survey of executive recruiters finds that 28 percent of companies are expected to add new executive jobs in the next six months, and only 1 percent are poised to cut top management positions during the same time.

 

 
Confidence among executive recruiters dipped slightly in February but remained in positive territory as more of them expressed concern about the pace of corporate management hiring in the short-term.

In February, ExecuNet's benchmark Recruiter Confidence Index revealed that 51 percent of 130 responding executive recruiters indicated they were "confident" or "very confident" the executive employment market would improve in the next six months. That was down six points from January but above the important 50 percent level that historically indicates optimism for a broader expansion of the jobs market.

 

 
While most executive recruiters hold tight to a "wait and see" approach to matching internal resources with mounting corporate client priorities, more of them are considering expanding their own consulting and research teams to do just that over the next three months.

 

 
The number of employers expecting to recruit for senior-executive roles over the next six months is higher than the number of employers planning to shed management jobs during the same time, according to the results of an ExecuNet survey in January of 157 executive recruiters.

 

 
Confidence among executive recruiters edged up slightly in January as they projected that one in five companies will be adding executive level positions and almost six in 10 companies will selectively "trade up" their management bench strength by recruiting replacements for existing roles over the next six months. Only 1 percent of employers were expected to eliminate executive positions during the same period.

 

 
Most executive search firms are focusing on fully utilizing their existing consulting and research teams on client search assignments before moving to rebuild their own staffs.

In December, ExecuNet's benchmark Search Firm Hiring Index revealed that only 19 percent of 126 responding executive recruiters indicated they would be adding new professional research and consulting staff over the next three months, the same number as registered in November and October.

 

Published on: Thursday, December 29, 2011

Executive Job Creation Picked up in December

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The number of employers expecting to recruit for senior-executive roles over the next six months is higher than the number of employers planning to shed management jobs during the same time, according to the results of an ExecuNet December survey of 126 executive recruiters.

 

 
Executive recruiters enter the new year more confident in the growth potential for the executive employment market than they've been since mid-2011.

In December, ExecuNet's benchmark Recruiter Confidence Index revealed that 55 percent of 126 executive search firm respondents are "confident" or "very confident" the executive employment market will improve over the next six months, up 13 points from November.

 

 
Executive search firms continue to take a cautious position when it comes to doing their own hiring, reflecting broad uncertainty about the future course of the economy and how it will impact corporate executive hiring plans.

In November, ExecuNet's benchmark Search Firm Hiring Index revealed that only 19 percent of 180 responding executive recruiters indicated they would be adding new professional research and consulting staff over the next three months, the same number as registered in October.

 

 
In October, ExecuNet's benchmark Recruiter Confidence Index revealed that 37 percent of 139 executive search firm respondents are "confident" or "very confident" the executive employment market will improve over the next six months, up five points from September.

 

Published on: Monday, October 10, 2011

Recruiter Confidence Slides on Economic Volatility

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In September, ExecuNet's benchmark Recruiter Confidence Index revealed that 32 percent of executive search firm respondents are "confident" or "very confident" the executive employment market will improve over the next six months, down four points from August. The percent of recruiters who were "not confident" the market would improve moved to historically high levels of 20 percent.

"Our latest data suggests savvy executives who think a career move may be in the cards as well as those already engaged actively in management job search should be cultivating their professional networks because it could be a longer process than they expect," says Mark M. Anderson, president and chief economist of ExecuNet. "The economy certainly isn't doing them any favors, but opportunity favors those who know what it takes to influence the hidden job market because the most attractive executive leadership roles aren't publicly advertised online or in print."

 

Published on: Wednesday, September 07, 2011

Economic Uncertainty Weighs on Recruiter Confidence

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In August, ExecuNet's benchmark Recruiter Confidence Index revealed that 36 percent of executive search firm respondents are "confident" or "very confident" the executive employment market will improve over the next six months, down six points from July.

 

Published on: Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Recruiter Confidence Dips Amid Economic Uncertainty

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In July, ExecuNet's benchmark Recruiter Confidence Index revealed that 42 percent of 154 executive search firm respondents were "confident" or "very confident" the executive employment market will improve over the next six months, down 12 points from June.

 

Published on: Monday, June 27, 2011

Recruiter Confidence Sags Amid Mixed Economic Signals

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ExecuNet's benchmark Recruiter Confidence Index revealed that 54 percent of 153 executive search firm respondents were "confident" or "very confident" the executive employment market will improve over the next six months, down 12 points from May.

A string of mixed economic indicators and continued challenges related to unemployed weighed on recruiter confidence, which nonetheless remains in positive territory and which has trended very positively over most of the past 12 months.

 

 
A leading indicator of where executive hiring will go this summer and fall remains decidedly positive. In May, ExecuNet's benchmark Recruiter Confidence Index revealed that 66 percent of 162 executive search firm respondents were "confident" or "very confident" the executive employment market will improve over the next six months, up one point from April.

"In some years past, we've seen a seasonal slowdown in executive hiring activity due in part to corporate interviewers and/or management job candidates taking vacations," says ExecuNet President and Chief Economist Mark Anderson.

 

 
In April, ExecuNet's benchmark Recruiter Confidence Index revealed that 65 percent of 192 executive search firm respondents are "confident" or "very confident" the executive employment market will improve over the next six months, up four points from March.

Two leading indicators of future executive job market expansion — a monthly reading on recruiter confidence and a separate forecast of executive job creation — remain decidedly strong in the face of a variety of cautions about the continued growth of the broader economy.

 

Published on: Wednesday, April 06, 2011

Recruiter Confidence Showing Signs Of Strength

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Two leading indicators of future executive job market expansion – a monthly reading on recruiter confidence and a separate forecast of executive job creation – remain decidedly strong in the face of a variety of cautions about the continued growth of the broader economy, based on market research by ExecuNet.

In April, ExecuNet's benchmark Recruiter Confidence Index revealed that 65 percent of 192 executive search firm respondents are "confident" or "very confident" the executive employment market will improve over the next six months, up four points from March.

 

 
Executive recruiters' six-month forecast of growth of executive hiring activity softened in February but remains buoyant as client corporations continue to hire selectively for new management leadership roles and upgrade with new hires for existing roles.

In February, ExecuNet's benchmark Recruiter Confidence Index revealed that 68 percent of 164 responding executive recruiters are "confident" or "very confident" the executive employment market will improve over the next six months. That was down seven points from January but still far above the territory this index ranged in over much of the past year.

 

Published on: Friday, February 18, 2011

More Companies Eye Growth, Create Executive Jobs

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ExecuNet's benchmark Executive Job Creation Index (EJCI) held positive for a thirteenth consecutive month in January as executive recruiters reported employers are more focused on rebuilding depleted management teams than they are in cutting existing executive jobs.

Forecast hiring among employers expected to add executive jobs in January topped those planning to eliminate or postpone filling top roles by 12 points, signaling a slow but steady rebuild of management resources as employers focus on executing their 2011 strategic growth plans, according to the poll of 188 executive recruiters.

 

 
Confidence among executive recruiters continues to climb as an increase in management recruiting activity confirms that more companies are thinking about growth in 2011, and more business leaders are poised to explore their career options.

In January, ExecuNet’s benchmark Recruiter Confidence Index revealed that 75 percent of 188 responding executive recruiters are "confident" or "very confident" the executive employment market will improve over the next six months, reflecting a five-month surge in recruiter confidence in increased executive hiring activity.

 

 
Executive recruiters are gaining confidence that economic growth, increased consumer spending and growing investor confidence will weigh positively on corporate business objectives — and management hiring plans — over the next six months.

In November, 61 percent of the 147 search firm respondents to ExecuNet's benchmark Recruiter Confidence Index expressed they were either "confident" or "very confident" the executive employment market will improve during that time, based on their read of corporate hiring plans stretching well into 2011.

 

Published on: Wednesday, November 03, 2010

Recruiters Gaining Confidence in Executive Hiring Plans

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Executive recruiters are gaining confidence that the broader economic recovery will move more employers to add new executive jobs to their payrolls over the next six months.

In October, 55 percent of the 164 search firm respondents to ExecuNet's benchmark Recruiter Confidence Index expressed they were either "confident" or "very confident" the executive employment market will improve during that time, based on the growth-related hiring plans of corporate clients and prospective clients.

 

 
Management Hiring Expected to Remain Steady until Fall Elections

Executive recruiters report the management employment marketplace is showing improvements in certain sectors of hiring activity but is also marked by lingering employer hesitancy about investing in new projects and leaders ahead of a more convincing economic recovery and the fall elections.

Signs of business reinvestment and increased executive hiring in select industry segments such as healthcare, technology and life sciences, and for management roles in sales, business development, engineering and marketing reveal no immediate indication of a "double dip" in economic growth.

In September, ExecuNet's benchmark Recruiter Confidence Index found that 50 percent of 147 responding executive recruiters are "confident" or "very confident" the executive employment market will improve over the next six months, up four points from August.

 

 
Slower hiring by companies – even when they have vacant leadership roles – has dampened executive recruiters' confidence in overall management hiring activity through the end of the year.

In August, ExecuNet's benchmark Recruiter Confidence Index revealed that 46 percent of 181 responding executive recruiters are "confident" or "very confident" the executive employment market will improve over the next six months, down four points from July and the first index reading below 50 percent since October 2009.

 

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