Executive Search Industry Expects Growth

January 19, 2011 – Optimism in the senior recruitment market continues to take hold as 68 percent of executive search consultants report a positive outlook for 2011, according to the Association of Executive Search Consultants (AESC). Confidence among recruiting leaders is said to be at a peak since its low point at the end of 2008. Sixty-eight percent of respondents indicated that their search practices are planning to hire more consultants in 2011. “The New Year outlook by our members is most encouraging and confirms the renewed demand for executive search services that we witnessed in 2010,” said Peter Felix, president of the AESC. “Our members are more confident about their pipeline of assignments and although not all markets around the world are recovering at the same pace the underlying trend is strong. This creates more positive planning support for the expansion of resources that in many cases were severely depleted in 2009.” Global findings revealed that the industrial, energy/natural resources and financial services sectors are expected to see the most growth in executive hiring in 2011. Consultants in the Americas held particular optimism (no news there) for financial services, technology/telecoms, energy/natural resources, not-for-profit, private equity/venture capital and real estate/construction.