Leaders are like eagles. They don’t flock. You find them one at a time

This is a great time to recruit top quality staff.
It is a great time to realise your true value if you are a top candidate.
Times are tough. Everyone knows that. Many candidates have been laid off.
To an extent this has led to the commoditisation of some candidates, where those who are recruiting will be inundated with CVs and may feel they have a lot to choose from. However, it is not that simple.
At present only the most ambitious are hiring. While 2008 was the year that Asset Managers laid off staff and cut back on staffing costs, 2009 has been the year of the Life Office restructure.
In our last newsletter, we looked at some of the selection methods used by companies when reducing headcount. It is clear that there are as many methods as there are companies. However, with the exception of companies exiting the market altogether, there is some form of selection being used.
This can make it very difficult for any manager or director fortunate enough to be re hiring in the current market. Almost inevitably, the candidates you interview will have been selected out of their current environment. There can be many reasons for this, and no company gets the selection right 100% of the time, but how can you tell who will do well in your company? Likewise, if you have a vacancy there will almost certainly be high expectations on the quality of the individual you will be recruiting.
Often the harsh reality is that you are replacing an underperformer or weaker member of your team and therefore need to stack the odds in your favour when replacing them.
In any case, directors and managers are under increasing pressure to deliver results, outperforming their competitors and peer group. Those who rise to the challenge will make progress at the expense of others whose careers may founder.  

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