The Perfect Fit

Tight job market is putting slow-to-act employers at risk

Published on: August 12, 2016 By St. Louis Post-Dispatch, USA

Written By Shobhana Chandra

It’s another sign that America’s job market is hot. Workers are in no mood to stick around too long while businesses make up their mind about hiring them.
Al¬most one of every four employees loses interest in an opening if they don’t hear back from a prospective employer within a week of being interviewed, according to a survey by staffing firm Robert Half.

Make that two weeks of waiting, and the share jumps to 46 percent.

Further, 39 percent of people surveyed said they’d move on to chase other openings when faced with a lengthy hiring process.

“They have options, they want to move quickly,” said John Reed, senior executive director of the technology staffing division at Robert Half, the world’s largest specialized staffing company. “The market is so strong that candidates can have a lot of influence in the pace of the interview process.”

Since the survey, done in June, was the first of its kind for Robert Half, it doesn’t offer comparisons
on how workers’ expectations have changed. Still, Reed said he noticed about two years ago that the leading companies started to move faster as they realized good applicants were less willing to be patient.

The relentless hiring spree of the past few years has reduced the unemployment rate to near an eight-year low and the pool of excess labor is vanishing, making it tougher for companies to find the workers they need. Filling open positions is also a problem for small businesses, the National Federation of Independent Business reports.

Of course, economists predict that the pace of hiring will cool later this year as the economy approaches full employment. For now, workers are calling the shots, at least on getting quick answers.

The largest share of respondents in the Robert Half survey — 39 percent — picked seven to 14 days when asked to define what was “too long” a process, starting from the initial interview to when they got the job offer.
Companies need to step up their game, or risk losing out on good hires. That doesn’t mean carelessly rushing through an important decision. But striving to get that verbal offer out quickly helps,and frequent communication will prevent the applicant from walking away, Reed said.

“Secure those candidates before the competition does,” he said.

STL Retained Search: Life/Bio Science or Pharma Account Director 16071

We're pleased to be working with this St. Louis Client again.  They continue to consistently grow and have current needs for strategic Account Service leaders, who have experience in Pharma, Life or Bio Sciences.  This is simply an exceptional career opportunity.  Read on and see if you don't agree!

General Description:
We are working with a St. Louis agency  that has an opportunity for an experienced account pro to manage the day-to-day marketing and communications campaigns for premier Life/Bio Science and Pharma Clients.  The account director will serve as the lead marketing and communications strategist on accounts and will work with a cross-discipline agency team, including creative, digital, public relations, media and analytics, to develop and implement campaigns that provide results exceeding Client expectations.

This position will also serve as the primary Client liaison for the Agency, and play a prominent role in developing, presenting/defending agency plans and creative work to clients.  The Account Director is responsible for partnering with Creative and other agency leadership while leading and mentoring a team (4-5) within account service.

The ideal candidate will have 8-10 years of experience in marketing or advertising and in the life science or pharma sector. An MBA would be helpful.  The position will work directly with the Client’s senior management team on a day-to-day basis to contributing to and staying apprised of the company’s direction, strategies and plans. This

The Best Candidates Trust Bishop Partners!

I’m proud of the reputation established over the past 15+ years.  It is an incredibly valuable benefit to my clients and as a result, I have candidates getting in touch on a daily basis, asking for help in representing them.  A good percentage of those candidates are top performers, who develop a relationship with a recruiter to help them advance their career.  It’s not so much that they’re unhappy where they are, but they are ambitious enough to realize that there are significant career opportunities that recruiters can (and do) present to them.

I  have clients call from all over the country, who call to ask about a certain kind of experience, skill or role and do I happen to have candidates like that in our database.  Clients realize that there are recruiters with the reputation that attracts top performers, so they call to check what’s (or who's) available.  Top talent is not getting any easier to find, especially with the rapidly evolving skill sets necessary for success.

Those are smart clients for any number of reasons, not the least of which is that the fee for “existing” candidates can be dramatically less than standard recruiting fees.  The titles range from Art Director to Chief Creative Officer, SVP and Managing Director or EVP Chief Digital Officer (i.e. this includes