Nearly One in Four Companies Expects to Hire for Executive Level Positions

As caution continues to dictate the economic climate, many companies are recruiting top talent to navigate uncertainty and maintain a competitive advantage. Twenty-three percent of employers expect to hire for executive-level positions over the next six months, according to CareerBuilder’s new nationwide survey of more than 2,600 hiring managers and human resources professionals conducted from August 15 to September 8, 2011. The survey is in conjunction with CareerBuilder’s launch of HeadHunter.com – a job search and recruitment site for management and executive-level candidates.

 

Consistent with hiring expectations for all workers, information technology companies are leading the way in executive hiring, with 35% reporting they’ll fill top positions over the next six months. Other areas expecting to recruit executives include healthcare (25%), sales (24%), professional and business services (23%), financial services (23%) and leisure/hospitality (23%).

 

HeadHunter.com connects high-level professionals with thousands of exclusive management and executive-level jobs at no cost; the site is also free of advertising. Members receive competitive data reports that show how they stack up against other applicants in aggregate for each position. Reports include the number of applications received and other applicants’ years of experience, desired salary and education levels. HeadHunter.com members have professional management experience and have been active in the workforce for more than seven years.

 

“Companies have a perpetual need to attain competent, agile senior leadership. At no time is this more important than during an uncertain economic recovery,” said Brent Rasmussen, president of CareerBuilder North America. “HeadHunter.com is designed to highlight opportunities for talented professionals looking for jobs on multiple levels of an organization – from senior managers and department directors to vice presidents and C-level officers.”

 

Profile of Executive-Level Candidate

 

The survey found that recruiting for executive-level positions is not necessarily an internal task. While a third of employers prefer to look for executive level candidates internally, 18% prefer to look externally and half place equal emphasis on internal and external candidates. One-in-five employers look for a candidate with an M.B.A., comparable degree or higher level degree when recruiting executive-level positions. While prior industry experience is an important asset for many employers, 47% would still be willing to hire a candidate without it, suggesting that past accomplishments and leadership style are paramount in the executive recruitment process.

 

The forecast confirms that, for the most part, the right experience comes with age. According to employers, the average executive is age 41 or older. Forty-five percent of executives are between 41 and 50 years old and 29% are older than 50. Twenty-six percent of executives are age 40 or younger.

 

These are other qualities employers look for most in executive-level candidates:

 

• Proven ability in addressing problems with effective solutions (74%)

• Adept at motivating others (63%)

• Can act with speed and agility in a changing market (55%)

• Creativity (52%)

• Emotional Intelligence (46%)

• Experience in different areas (44%)

 

This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive© on behalf of CareerBuilder among 2,696 hiring managers and human resource professionals (employed full-time, not self-employed, non-government) between August 16 and September 8, 2011 (percentages for some questions are based on a subset, based on their responses to certain questions).

 

HeadHunter.com is a recruitment site for management and executive level talent.