Recruiter Confidence Falls

September 28, 2012 – Recruiter confidence ticked down slightly in the past month to 35 percent and almost reached the significantly low levels seen last year right after the U.S. debt ceiling crisis, largely due to circumstances beyond organizations’ control, according to the results of ExecuNet's Recruiter Confidence Index (RCI). Seventy percent of executive recruiters pointed to conditions external to organizations as factors dampening executive hiring. In ExecuNet’s recent survey of 152 executive recruiters, a combined 36 percent said the outcome of the U.S. Presidential election coupled with early agreement on measures to avoid the “fiscal cliff” in Washington were the most significant factors limiting executive hiring growth. Another 22 percent thought a rebound in consumer confidence would add to hiring, while only 12 percent said resolution of the European debt crisis would lead to hiring. “It seems clear that the lack of leadership in Washington is leading companies to take a 'wait and see' attitude toward executive hiring. And, with executive hiring normally being a leading indicator of other hiring, this is not a good sign that there will be growth in the next six months,” said Mark Anderson, president and chief economist of ExecuNet. “If there is a bright spot to the situation, recruiters indicate that only about three percent of companies anticipate eliminating executive jobs in the next six months, which remains very low by historical standards.”