Talent shortage and the need for executive search firms

Talent shortage is omnipresent. A survey conducted recently by Agilium Worldwide, among its members in around 30 different countries, confirmed the fact that it is currently becoming harder and harder to fill certain positions in business due to a shrinking availability of qualified and suitable candidates.

Enter Agilium Worldwide’s member firms! These executive search firms provide expert assistance and advice in candidate search and hiring processes, to both companies and candidates. And specifically these services are currently proving to be indispensable. Meticulous, optimally-structured, tried and tested, customized search methodologies, as applied by Agilium’s executive search firms, are turning out to be the strongest solution these days, in a candidates’ market.

Under the changing talent-related circumstances, exactly how are candidates acting? The majority of the members responded that candidates are demanding higher salaries, more benefits and increased flexibility. Not only that, they tend to take distinctly more time to decide on applying for and/or accepting the job, if offered. There is even a growing tendency for candidates to drop out of the process more easily and effortlessly, parallel to a lack of urgency on their part.

So, how are hiring companies reacting to this? As expected, the majority are indeed offering higher salaries and even (new) signing bonuses. New kinds of benefits, greater flexibility in working hours and models, a larger variety of perks, may all be in the package too. In some cases, accelerating the decision process on the employer’s part proves to be conducive to a successful filling of the position. However, a fifth of companies are still not changing their hiring behavior which may mean that, despite the expert and specialized support of an executive search consultancy, it can overall take considerably longer to fill important, economically-crucial positions in management and on the board.

Founded in 1984, Agilium Worldwide LLC is an international executive search group of independent, owner-managed retained executive search firms, with members who are active in virtually every market. Agilium Worldwide ranks among the world’s top 40 executive search organizations.

Agilium Worldwide’s member firms offer personalized, specialized, client-oriented services. By eliminating the formally structured, pre-programmed approach they can remain proactive and secure prompt, skilled and expert service to their clients, to help them find the “Perfect Fit” – the right person for the right position, at the right time, at the right location.
Agilium Worldwide member firms are trusted advisors to companies from the Fortune 500, as well as to upcoming and start-up companies around the globe. Clients get the best of both worlds: an entrepreneurial approach with global reach and local perspective.