Resolved to find a new job this year? Consider focusing your efforts on companies in the health-care, biosciences or technology industries. According to a recent article on CareerJournal.com, recruiters and economists say these fields will lead the nation in new-job creation in 2006.
In fact, research firm Moody's Economy.com recently released the following U.S. job-growth projections for 2006:
- Hospitals: 100,000, up 2.4% from 2005
- Physicians' offices: 86,000, up 4%
- Computer-systems-design and related service companies: 81,000, up 6.8%
- Biotech companies, a subset of the bioscience industry: 20,000, up 2.7%
But fear not if the health-care, biosciences or technology industries are not for you. According to a recent ExecuNet survey of 140 executive recruiters, 70% are confident or very confident that the executive employment market in general will improve during the next six months. And, in the first six months of 2006, the executive search industry is expecting a 26% increase in the number of assignments received from corporate clients — a significant increase from the 17% rise in assignments reported for all of 2005.
For those resolved to find new employees this year, this up tick in employment opportunities means employers need to pick up their decision making pace or they might find that their desired candidates are no longer ‘around.’
Here at CarterBaldwin we often liken the search process to a marriage proposal… once one party feels confident in the relationship and is ready to take the next step – the other party must be ready to move too. And, when one party is preparing to propose to the other, he or she must always put their best foot forward.
What our analogy translates into the corporate world is simple: Today’s employers simply cannot be slow in their decision making process nor can they expect to hire people for anything less than a ‘compelling’ offer.
Read on for our Top Tips for Recruiting Top Talent in 2006:
- Interview candidates in a compressed time period: Clearly set expectations of all individuals involved in the search process up front so that candidates do not lose interest in what can sometimes be a lengthy process.
- Don’t forget to SELL: In a tight labor market, employers need to do more than qualify and interview potential candidates. They need to SELL their company as today’s top candidates are often considering multiple opportunities and are looking for both a challenging environment and a management team that fits them.
- Provide concise and speedy feedback: Limited or no feedback for weeks after an interview will often lead candidates to assume that you are either moving forward with other individuals or that you simply do not have your act together. Keep the lines of communication open with your top candidates; for example, log a follow up call to let the top two candidates know where you are at in the process – it can prove invaluable in keeping their enthusiasm and interest.
- Make quick decisions: Candidates want to go to work for a boss that is able to make a quick decision… show them you are willing and capable of making one!
- Make offers that are compelling: In this highly competitive market, candidates are not just looking for “jobs”, they are looking for real reasons to leave the comfort of their current environments and step into the unknown. Money is key, but more important are such things as challenge, opportunity, culture fit and a chance to truly make a difference.
- Develop consistent candidate sources: In this market, nothing can be a greater asset than a reliable search firm that truly understands your company’s unique culture and growth strategies. Quality candidates are becoming increasingly harder to find and when a superstar comes through the doors of a search firm, you want to be in the position to be proactively notified first. A good relationship with a top search firm often times give you access to candidates that you never would have found on your own.
|
