What a whirlwind start to the New Year! Digital Personnel has been literally “snowed in” with requests from our clients looking to bolster their teams with digital media talent.
Signs are good for this year, 2009 was tough for a lot of people but we are on the long road to recovery so even though the steps may be small, at least they are in the ascendancy once more!
Digital Media was not hit too hard, but it was interesting to note that although the biggest agencies in this space increased their incomes last year, profits were down. Efficient business units will be the aim this year, not necessarily along the lines of cutting costs, just getting full value from each and every employee. As a recruitment business this is mission critical, that we supply talented individuals with a passion and determination to succeed so that our clients get an even greater return on their investment.
For potential candidates it is clear that whatever the level of opportunity there will be quality competition for all roles. Therefore your demonstrable skills are unlikely to be enough, you will need to have a real desire and show this to the employer, making the interview process even more important.
I expect more urgency from employers this year. It was interesting to note that a recent placement here at Digital Personnel was completed in just one day! The process of interview(s) to offer is typically 1 – 2 weeks, however a respected client of ours recognised the importance of securing the services of a real talent within the Search Marketing arena immediately. A morning interview was followed by a second interview in the afternoon and an offer being made by early evening. The candidate was so impressed with their professionalism that the offer was accepted and a start date agreed before Eastenders! I think this is an example of the need for employers to act fast when a candidate ticks all the boxes.
Another significant event early this year involved a large global corporation and their decision to increase the salary range for a particular role. After a round of interviews it was apparent that more experience was going to be required for immediate value to be added to the role and instead of asking for more candidates at the same salary level, a decision was made quickly to raise the salary band and therefore freeing up a whole new selection of candidates. This pro-active mentality will enable businesses to attract the very best talent, therefore giving the company the best chance of seeing those profits rise.
Ashley Seddon