AER Launches Recruiting Research Project

February 15, 2010 – The Association of Executive Recruiters, the group within Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) that focuses on the executive search market, has launched a research project to identify ‘the future of executive search.’ The first of a three phase program brings together existing information about the state of the executive recruitment market, both nationally and globally, highlighting the intense pressure the executive search market has come under during the recession through reduced demand, pressure on margins and on factors such as more procurement involvement in contracts, more clients hiring their own their own internal search resources and greater use of technology and social media. The next two phases of research will gather data and insight from the clients and candidates so that the search industry can start to respond by improving standards and enhancing value creation. “This research signals the AER and REC’s intent to get seriously involved in executive search. As more search firms join, the AER and the REC will create a powerful voice about how to develop search firms so they can grow and add more value to their clients,” said Kevin Green, the REC’s CEO. “Executive search is an area which has been particularly hard hit by the recession and one which is facing significant change.”