Market Research Job Market Heating Up

has been awhile since my last Market Research ‘State of the Union’ volley, and quite a time it has been! More supply-side industry consolidation and client-side mergers… layoffs here and hiring binges there… commoditizing of research yet premiums being charged by some boutique players… preferred vendor lists putting roadblocks to established multi-year relationships… just a crazy year!

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Things are picking up!

I’m happy to report that from my perspective anyway, things are definitely on the upswing. Recruiting activity has picked up markedly and I’m once again seeing candidates receiving multiple job offers. While I’m not claiming a return to an ’07 market, my clients are certainly back in more of a hiring mood. The difference is that both sides of the hiring equation are being pickier. At least from the candidate perspective this seems counterintuitive, but it actually makes sense. Here’s why:

Hiring

From the hiring side you can easily see the symptoms: a lengthier, more rigorous interview process, more use of aptitude and personality profiles, and the ‘perfect match’ mentality. Gone are the days of getting a warm body- even a competent one- to fill an opening. Hiring managers are much more aware of the not-so-hidden cost of a bad hire and are willing to suck it up until the right piece fits perfectly into the puzzle. One client told me, “this is probably a 95% match to my exact candidate, but I am looking for 97 or 98%. I just can’t afford to go through this again in a year or so.” Fair enough!

Job Offers

Meanwhile, though it seems that candidates would jump at job offers these days (especially those out of work), I’m seeing careful choices become the rule. After being laid off, one recent candidate jumped to accept the first offer that came along. Then they were burned by the ‘Last In, First Out’ mentality when things got rough for their new employer. Their response? They took 9 months carefully judging their next opportunities and ultimately had their choice of 3 excellent offers. Smart move if you can do it, since they avoided that dreaded label of ‘job-jumper’.

Careful career planning primer

OK, so you have that little guy on your shoulder telling you “I can’t take it anymore!” First question is, have you truly done everything you can to try to make things work? That means being painfully honest with yourself about how you may unwittingly contribute to the problems you’re having in your job. Just like customers, it’s always easier to keep an existing one than replace it. Just because the grass seems greener doesn’t mean you won’t wind up in the same miserable situation when the afterglow of the new job has worn off. There is a world to be said for a good boss, worthy co-workers, etc.!

And on the ‘job-jumper’ subject, please try to avoid more than one consecutive move of less than 2 years’ tenure. Sometimes it’s unavoidable, but do what you can to stick it out whenever possible. Like typos or grammar errors on resumes (zero tolerance!), it’s a kiss of death to many a hiring manager. [Quick note here: many of my candidates become hiring managers, and many hiring managers become candidates. Keep your options open!]

What Do You really Want?

OK, if you decide you really need to make a change, then…

Think about what it is that motivates you, what you’re good at, and what would truly make you look forward to getting up and going to work each day. And beware the urge to move up the ladder just for the sake of it- it may not lead you to happiness!

From my perspective as a recruiter, the more a candidate has thought through and can verbalize what they want, the better I can help them. My goal is a successful long-term placement that keeps my client happy. If you just want a new view from your office or cubicle, I can’t very well recommend that you would be a good long-term solution for my client. Write down specifics and let your recruiter know them.

Keep In Touch!

Next, stay in touch. I recently had a candidate get very offended because I failed to get back to them after an introduction. Fair enough- I failed them and they should be disappointed. What they should not do is get their back up. I can make excuses about all the calls I make in a given day and how some things fall through the cracks. Bottom line- to help keeping this from happening, check in with your recruiter regularly, especially if there are changes on your end. Your recruiter should know you like an old friend; what you like and don’t like, what turns you on in a job, and what turns you off.

I have relationships with many candidates where I have a good feel for their next ideal job, and if I see it I’ll send it their way. They can throw their hat in the ring or say, “Thanks I’m doing fine right now.” No problem. If I don’t know that ideal job for you, how can I keep an eye out for it? Similarly, if I lose touch with you and then see your ideal job opportunity, you’re out of luck. STAY IN TOUCH and make sure you regularly update your contact information (and personal contact is much better than company contact info, or else when you move on, we'd lose touch). Also of note- I get hundreds of responses to this ‘State of the Union’, so if I don’t get right back to you, I apologize in advance!

Zen Talent process

To keep in touch with us, we use a simple 5-minute Profile Survey on the JobSeekers’ page on our website. There is also a link for submitting your resume. We do not introduce you anywhere without your consent, and please run from any recruiter who would not make the same promise.

Until next time!