Cold Weather? Hot Market!

Even as the northern hemisphere feels winter’s chill, we see our clients landing at a furious pace—more than 1 per day so far in 2024—indicating a hot hiring market for executives (at least if they hire the Barrett Group).

Some recruiter-oriented sources seem to be reporting a slowdown in hiring, but the Barrett Group’s clients learn to tap the whole market, not just the recruiter market or online ads, and, as usual, the unpublished market does not disappoint with fully three-quarters of our client landings coming in positions that were never advertised.

Here’s a sample of their new titles:

• Chief Merchandising Officer (Restaurants, Food & Beverage)
• Chief Operating Officer (Technology)
• Chief Operating Officer (Nonprofit)
• & Chief Operating Officer (Agriculture)
• Senior Vice President (Health Care)
• Vice President (not reported)
• Head (Health Care)
• Head (eCommerce)
• Controller (Management Consulting)
• General Manager (Retail)
• Derivatives Trader (Financial Services)
• Strategic Product Manager (Information Technology)

Here’s a sample of their compensation—all of them significantly higher than before: 

We are so confident of our program’s effectiveness after more than 30 years in the game that we publish (anonymous) results each week on our Frontline Report.  And that is another reason that Forbes has recognized us for years now as one of the most effective recruiters in the business (even though we are not strictly a recruiter since we work for the candidate executive, not the employer).

Of course, the main reason clients invest in our service is because they recognize that Results Don’t Lie: It’s the ROI.  They see a significant return on their investment in our services, not only in the speed of their go-to-market execution but in clarifying their professional targets, especially through the exemplary package negotiation support clients enjoy once the offers start to come in. 

Here’s how one landed client reported on his experience:

Farid learned of an opportunity as CIO of an insurance company in the Midwest that seemed perfect for him. He applied. To his great surprise, he didn’t get the job.

“I thought it was a slam dunk. I had all the experience and qualifications, but I wasn’t even a finalist. And I wondered what was missing. I could have done that job with my eyes closed, yet I lost out,” said Farid. “It was then that I considered that I had never conducted a serious job search in my career. I had come to all my jobs organically. It was time for me to refresh my approach.”

[Farid ultimately received and accepted an offer as COO at his target compensation level.]

“Having someone holding me accountable and keeping me focused was really important. Every time I hit a brick wall, Anne [his career consultant] would have suggestions of things to do. She was encouraging and kept me sane and motivated. If not for her encouragement, my landing would never have happened. I would probably have resigned myself to being a consultant forever.”  [Read More]

You see, many experienced executives are blindsided, like Farid, by their self-perception.  They think the market is just waiting to embrace them.  Unfortunately, many will be disappointed, which is why we highlighted this issue in a recent blog: Marketable or Makeover: Perfecting Your Packaging.  Because we have helped literally thousands of executives reinvent themselves over the decades, we see a lot that the average executive simply cannot see due to a lack of experience in a career change.

Other executives are reluctant to put a toe in the water because they fear the timing may not be right, but frankly, the market is virtually always hot if you know where to look.  Our Industry Update series reports on more than 450,000 executives changing jobs each year—every one of them an opportunity for career advancement.

Maybe you would rather stay home in this cold weather, and we cannot blame you, so why not work remotely?  [Read More.]  That’s another reason clients come to the Barrett Group: they want to change industries, locations, functions, or their working conditions.  We are not like a “plug-and-play” recruiter who can only fit a square peg in a square hole.  To us, our clients are fully rounded-individuals with a unique set of experiences, circumstances, and desires.  Our Clarity Program©—the initial “targeting” step—assures exactly that.

Here’s how Farid felt about the Clarity Program©:

“Justin [his Clarity Coach] was very professional and relaxed. There were no revelations, but it was good validation and an opportunity for me to refocus on gaps. I make my decisions and opinions quickly, for example, and I sometimes pull the trigger without thinking enough about the people and personalities that I’m interacting with. It was good to have a reset.” 

Other clients take this “targeting” opportunity to completely change direction professionally.  Either way, the Barrett Group prepares clients for success and satisfaction.

So don’t let the cold weather dampen your ardor.  There is abundant opportunity in this hot market, and we can help you come out of the cold.  Give us a call to explore!

Submit your Resume!