Aggressive recruitment continues outside the US and UK

A new survey of hiring trends covering businesses in 14 countries around the world has uncovered a positive picture of the employment market for managers and professionals despite the effects of the ‘credit crunch’.

The Global Snapshot, a survey from the international recruitment firm Antal, asked over 1,500 major companies across Europe, Africa, India and China whether they were currently hiring at professional and managerial level. It then asked whether they planned to do so in the coming quarter.

In Germany 57 per cent of companies were hiring now and 64 per cent expected to do so in the next quarter, while in Italy over 70 per cent were currently recruiting and expected to do so in the coming three months. In Spain, however, the picture was less positive. Although 63 per cent of Spanish businesses questioned were currently hiring, the deteriorating economy and a slowing of growth in GDP seem set to bite into the managerial/professional employment market next quarter with the hiring figure dropping to 50 per cent.

In India hiring levels are particularly high – as much as 100 per cent in the building material sector, 95 per cent in real estate and 82 per cent in fast-moving consumer goods. Only the banking sector had reduced its demand for staff – only 30 per cent of financial institutions questioned were recruiting now, although 60 per cent expected to next quarter.
In the UK, the survey helped to give credence to the perception that a downturn in economic activity is feeding into the demand for managerial and professional staff. Only 31 per cent of employers were recruiting at the moment.

However, the poll did produce two key findings which qualify this generally gloomy picture. First, employers do appear relatively optimistic about the future and are consequently expecting to ramp up their hiring plans as the year progresses – 48 per cent expected to hire in the next quarter.