Recruiters Anticipate Increased Demand for Executive Talent

October 19, 2009 – Despite mixed economic reports, recruiters anticipate the demand for executive talent will increase during the next two quarters, according to the results of ExecuNet's Recruiter Confidence Index (RCI). According to September's survey of 165 executive recruiters, 56 percent are confident or very confident the executive employment market will improve during the next six months – up from 49 percent last month. This also marks the RCI's second highest reading during the past 13 months. “There's a consensus among the nation's top recruiters that the worst is over for the executive employment market,” says Mark Anderson, president and chief economist of ExecuNet. “We're already seeing an uptick in hiring, as companies look to improve their management teams with a quality of talent that wasn't readily available in recent years.” Recruiters' short-term confidence reached a 12-month high in September, as 27 percent are confident or very confident the executive employment market will improve during the next three months – up from 24 percent in August. An equal number (27 percent) of recruiters are not confident the job market will improve during the next three months – down from 34 percent last month and the lowest reading since August 2008. During the fourth quarter, 65 percent of all executive search consultants are expecting at least a 10 percent increase in search assignments received from corporate clients.