Talent Insights
Where To Find Top Talent Today?
Pandemic or not, hiring rush or slow season, the rules of the HR game haven’t changed. Particularly at the leadership level.
Remote Interviews Only?
A quarter of the corporate workforce is now back in the office. Yet hiring chiefly through remote interviews has remained commonplace. Is this a bad thing?..
Remote Work Is Here To Stay. Adapt!
Two years after the lockdowns, the work paradigm shift seems to have taken hold and not letting go.
How Do You Know Your Compensation Is Competitive?
Whether you are the employer or the employee, competiveness and fairness in the compensation offered and received is central to the longevity of a relationship.…
Is The Job Market Still Hot?
Although the answer varies from industry to industry, the general indicators show resilience.
Recession And Layoffs… Or Not?
Headlines say the US economy is headed towards a recession and that nobody is hiring.
Compensation: A Need To Know
Compensation is perhaps the most labored-over topic in the entire workforce —
Are job hoppers ok now?
To use a tired cliché, with unprecedented volatility in the job market in the last few years, including mass layoffs in 2020 and 2023,..
A POST-PANDEMIC QUANDARY
The pandemic is over. For businesses, it is time to rebuild the culture, requiring return to the office. But employees resist the idea.
AI & Recruiters
As AI models progress from narrow AI to AGI, universities and corporations develop and refine automation algorithms to replace human labor with technology.
Budweiser to Tighten Executive Screening: HR Blunder Confirmed
Anheuser-Busch finally acknowledged the Mulvaney fiasco in a private meeting with their largest distributors, announcing internal measures to avoid a repeat of the catastrophe:
Hiring Agile-scrum Trained Sales Executives
There are reasons why Google Trends shows “Scrum” has been consistently uptrending since 2004.
Hiring: Same as Listing a Home?
When you list a home for sale, the first 2 weeks are the most crucial. This is when you get multiple offers. If the home doesn’t sell, potential buyers begin to think “What’s wrong with the house?” There’s no second shot at making a great first impression.
Cyber Security: 3 Statistics to Describe the Urgency
[1] A poll of 1,100 C-suite executives published by Deloitte in Oct 2022 reveals that “in the past 12 months, 34.5% reported their […] accounting & financial data was targeted by cyber adversaries […]”
The Bud Light HR Blunder
With a big PR problem on their hands, a boycott by their core consumers, and a $6bn market cap shrinkage, the brass at Bud Light is now in full damage control mode.
Outsourcing Executive Search: A Real Upside
HR Managers know hiring for the C-Suite is both a serious challenge –
– considering the fallout of making a wrong decision — and a time-consuming process that may last several months. The higher the position, the higher the stakes.
Zeitgeist & Hiring
In this job market, employers court top talent intensely to prepare for a recession and HR Managers focus their hiring on two factors:
Branding Impact on Hiring
Targeting existing and prospective employees? A strong branding attracts more top talent and retains employees longer.
Most In-demand Skills in 2023?
Virtually every business has an online presence of some sort today. For many, that extends to a social media presence.
How Do Your HR Managers Deal with a “Bare Minimum” Attitude?
You probably are aware of a new trend in the workplace: “Quiet Quitting”. The term describes the attitude of someone doing the bare minimum at work. Just enough not to get fired. Disengaged, no enthusiasm.
Job Market Slowdown Precedes Rebound
Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 311K in February, slightly below the average 343K
monthly gain over the prior 6 months (BLS 3/10/23).
Hiring Outlook – March 2023
Each day brings its load of mass layoff reports nationwide, spreading fear and shaking security everywhere. Employers react by taking a more cautious approach to hiring.
AI to Recruit Humans?
In a post-pandemic era, AI tools like ChatGPT are making fast inroads in the workplace.
Confidential Executive Searches: Why is it Better to be Discreet When Searching for a Candidate?
In this video, David Kant, CEO of Dynamic Search Consulting, explains the main reasons why, when searching for a high level executive to replace one leaving or one that is about to be terminated, it is highly preferable to conduct a confidential search using a retained search partner.
DEI: Identifying Risks to Sustainability
Reflecting a longing for long-term change in the social construct towards more egalitarian models, DEI now has a government policy framework that favors its adoption by Corporate America.
Hiring in a Recession: Shortening Assessment Forms?
Google up ‘hiring in a recession’ and you get a crop of “7 tips to ____”, “6 strategies for ___”, etc. Strangely enough, the top articles offer no relevant advice but oddities such as [to avoid missing on good talent] “offer longer breaks and nicer bathrooms”.
SAAS: Does Your C-level Blend Dreamers & Doers?
Judging by revenue growth, the SaaS industry seems to be recession-proof. According to Statista, worldwide user spending could reach $195 Bn in 2023. According to Ernst & Young, 2022 was already the second highest investment year on record in Q3
How Did ‘MLK DAY’ Become a National Holiday?
As every 3rd Monday of the month of January, our nation celebrates today the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. •MLK Day• didn’t just “happen” without any battle, however.
Gold Rush for Talent: It’s Time!
If you keep up with news and current events, endless headlines are painting a doom & gloom picture. Recession! Inflation! Massive layoffs in Corporate America! Bleak. There is a flip side to the coin however, and it’s called OPPORTUNITY.
Demand for SAAS Grows Despite Economy
According to Statista, the Software as a Service (SaaS) market grew from $31B in 2015 to a projected $195B in 2023, up from $146B in 2021. No slowdown despite the 2020-2021 economic crash, but actually continued rapid growth — something very few other industries can boast.
Corporate America and Job Stability: Myth or Reality?
As a recruiter, I often hear candidates stating they only want to work for a large company — a Tier 1, household brand-name. They perceive Corporate America as offering more stability (big corporations are less likely to go bankrupt), and more opportunities for career advancement.
Goal Planning: How Well are you Prepared for 2023?
As we navigate away from 2022 and its uncertain weather, we enter 2023 and waters that could be frankly rough. No matter how the economy and social tensions evolve, businesses that stand the strongest chances to make it through will necessarily
Ghosting: Not Just a Dating Issue?
The word “Ghosting” is born in the dating community. Two persons make contact, go on a first date, continue texting afterwards… Then complete radio silence on one end of the line. No explanation, no goodbyes.
Your Organizational objectives for 2023?
The new fiscal year is around the corner. Q4 is traditionally the time for organizations to reflect on their OKRs and KPIs for the next year. We owe the first roadmap to sound OKRs to Andy Grove of Intel, and his protégé John Doerr, who codified the method in his book “Measure What Matters”.
How is the Job Market Really Trending?
Executive recruiters have a unique pulse on the job market and, by extension, the economy. Why? Their job is to speak with Hiring Managers and candidates from various companies in any industry, on a daily basis.
Buy the Rumor, Sell the News
What indicators does your organization use to plan out its hiring for the next 6-12 months? Does your C-Level suite agonize over the bipolar beat of “doom-&-gloom” vs. “all-is-well” media reports? Or do you have reliable sources to draw from?
Getting Ahead of the January War for Talent
What’s the most difficult time to hire top talent? Q1. Why? And how do you get ahead of the curve? It’s about that time when people will start wishing each other “Happy Holidays!”. A period of significance for recruiters…
Celebrating Courage, Selflessness, Sense of Duty
Most families have members who served. Many served. Some died serving. Beyond parades, today we honor Courage, Selflessness, Sense of Duty. All values…
Inflation, Layoffs, Tight Job Market: What Does This Mean for Hiring?
After a wild run, inflation slowed down (temporarily?) last month but the impact on purchasing power led retail big names to curtail their projections…
A Counter Intuitive Advice for Your Executive Search
“Choose a Recruiter that will Unrecommend a Candidate.” Wow! Does that sound strange? Executive Search Consultants are just that: consultants…
DEI: The Recruitment Controversy
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is a hot topic and poised to remain at the forefront of HR priorities in the world of executive search…
2023: Saving Money Utilizing External Search Partners
The New Year is just around the corner. For most companies, this is strategic planning time, which most likely includes budgeting for key talent…
Could Resilient Retail Sales Boost Business Confidence in Early 2023?
Retail sales remained unchanged in September, up 0.4% m/m, and 8.2% y-o-y. This better-than-expected figure would find a partial…
Does The Job Market Contradict The Recession Story?
The latest job market report is interesting: “Total nonfarm payroll employment increased by 263,000 in September… Notable job gains occurred in leisure an…
Unemployment Rate Close to Record Lows: Pendulum Swing to Come?
The labor market definitely looks different from the GDP and the inflation rate. We are hovering close to the record levels of 2019, with a nationwide unemployment rate of 3.7% in August…
To Raise or Not to Raise?
The Consumer Price Index rose 0.1% in August, bringing inflation to 8.3% y-o-y. Restated for the prices of food and energy, the CPI rose 0.6% last month, and 6.3% y-o-y…
If the “Great Firing” Happens, How do you Brace up Middle Management
Inflation figures are persistently high, and the general sentiment is that the “period of steady growth” of the economy is about to turn…
In a Recession, Picking the Right Key Exec is Incredibly Vital
According to a recent article published by Gizmodo, the well-known hi-tech online magazine, Silicon Valley companies have laid off 32,000+ workers sinc…
2 Top Picks, it’s Decision Time: Personality & Cultural Fit
Two contenders remain for the position to fill, and you have to select one. Let’s look at “personality” and “cultural fit”, two elements of choice not found on a resume.…
How to Decide Which Candidate to Hire-on Paper
This series is meant to help hiring managers make the critical decision of who to hire when a hiring campaign is down to the top 2 finalist candidates and you don’t have a clear winner standing out.
How Competitive is Your Pay Scale?
Employers need to know how their pay scale compares with current market rates. Lacking this insight, it is only a matter of time before a recruiter or a competitor’s HR manager calls your key…
Cold-Calling is Dead. Use the Power of Mystery
When it comes to sales, a live call is the only way to dispel concerns, treat objections, and eventually make a sale. In this regard, the executive search industry is no…
A Headhunter’s #3 Trade Secret: Insistence Demands Attention!
If your efforts to reach out to a selective list of executive profiles does not pan out, what do you do?
A Headhunter’s Trade Secret #2 to Find Suitable Executives: Reaching Out
Once you have built a strong target list of potential executive candidates, your next step is to reach out massively…
A Headhunter #1 Trade Secret to Find Suitable Executives
When approached by a company looking for assistance in filling a key position, I often hear: “We posted ads everywhere, blasted LinkedIn, exhauste…
Why Keep Executive Searches Confidential? Avoid Worrying Your Staff
When searching for an executive, keeping the search confidential spares your staff unnecessary stress and uncertainty…
Keeping Executive Searches Confidential: Key Departures Aren’t Good PR
Why does it make sense to keep an executive search confidential, i.e. without your staff, the general public, or even your competitors knowing about it? Key executive departures aren’t usually good PR events for a corporation…
Confidential Searches: 3 Very Good Reasons Why
A confidential executive search is a replacement search that needs to be conducted without your staff being aware of it (outside of a select few), or…
Active Candidates vs. Passive Candidates: What’s the Big Deal?
Active candidate. Passive candidate. Two qualifiers that mean a lot in the headhunting industry. Active candidates are executives actively looking for…
Exclusivity: Why Would a Recruiter Bind an Employer?
“Exclusive” or “exclusivity” is a common term in the headhunting industry. When an employer hires a recruiter for an executive search, exclusivity is…
Executive Search Firms vs. Staffing Firms vs. Temp Agencies
Among the various areas of focus in the world of recruiting, the first is called Direct Hire or Permanent Placement. Both designations mean the same thing,…
Executive Search: What Exactly Are We Talking About?
Each subject has its own nomenclature, the executive search industry included. Knowing the nomenclature helps you navigate the various offers coming your…
Counter Offers: Why You Shouldn’t Accept One When You’ve Put Your Notice – David Kant
If you are a hiring manager or recruiter, this is useful information in helping you to convert candidates at the sensitive post offer acceptance stage in ensuring they show up on their first day…
Switching Job? Why Shouldn’t you Accept a Counter-offer?
In our previous two posts, we looked at 4 reasons why no one leaving a job and giving their 2-week notice should consider and accept a counter-offer from the…
Changing Jobs? Why You can’t Play the Counter-offer Game – Reasons #3 & #4
REASON #3: THEY DON’T APPRECIATE YOU It took you quitting… for your employer to realize you were unhappy and not being paid…
Changing Job? Reasons #1 and #2 Not to Accept a Counter-Offer
If you are an executive about to put your notice in and change jobs, this is for you. Having coached executives for the last decade in their job …
2022 Back to the Office… or More of the Same?
In view of the forces animating the job market since last year, the Great Resignation movement observed in 2021 and the current imbalance…
Range of Salaries Paid to Top Executives Across Industries
The BLS (Bureau of Labor Statistics) publishes a Occupational Outlook Handbook, a chapter of which is dedicated to executive salaries across the economy…
Why Retained Search (Part 7)
Reason #7: The final reason why partnering with a retained search firm to hire your top-level talent is a better idea than going with the contingent search model.
Why Retained Search (Part 6)
Reason #6: In this video, 6th of a series on the benefits of the retained search model, CEO David Kant expounds on when this model brings in a degree of confidentiality that the contingent search model can’t, and why it is important for a company when hiring C-level execs.
Crafting an Executive Offer Letter? Don’t Forget This
The “perfect fit” candidate has been found and given the nod. Time to craft the offer.
Employers want candidates excited to come work and stay long-term, without…
Switching Jobs and Leaving Money on the Table? How About a Sign-on Bonus?
Employers know top talent are in a job today, with some form of golden handcuffs they may have to walk away from…
Dynamic Search Consulting Seeks Two Key Roles for Neeyamo – Hunt Scanlon Media
San Jose, CA-based Dynamic Search Consulting (DSC) has been enlisted to help fill two key roles—global head of alliances and head of sales—for Neeyamo, a platform-based global payroll provider…
War In Ukraine Impacts The It Industry In The U.S
As Ukrainians leave their country in large numbers, and GBS/BPO operations are disrupted, the world is experiencing a disruption in the supply of offshore IT services. Ukraine is a major source of IT talent…
How Will You Outpace Inflation in Wages Paid
WaPo published an insightful article last January about the impact of inflation on wage growth. Relying on figures published by the BLS (see above), private wage growth has been wiped out by inflation…
Defusing The Impact of The War in Ukraine in Your Organization
SHRM.org just published a thoughtful article about the impact on human resources of the war in Ukraine. America being a melting pot of nations, your organization may deal with, or employ stakeholders…
4 Key Factors to Consider When Selecting an Executive Search Firm
What to look for when selecting an executive search firm for your recruitment needs?
1. Dedication of time and resources to your search: The “Retained search” model is best for this, as it ensures your search mission receives enough…
Why Retained Search (Part 5)
Reason #5: Executive search firms operating on the “retained search” model thoroughly screen their candidates…
Selecting an Executive Search Firm: Top 3 Factors at Play
Scenario: There is a critical hiring need to fill at your organization. 90 days later, you’ve exhausted your network, resumes received are off-the-mark, and internal recruiters are not getting it done…
President’s Day Honors Washington & Lincoln
“President’s Day” –originally called “Washington’s Birthday”– was enacted in 1879 as a holiday for government offices in Washington DC. A bill that kept the name “Washington’s…
Threatening to Quit to Get a Raise Don’t
Why not? I’m glad you asked. In a previous post, I likened interviewing to dating and a job offer to an engagement. Well, now that you work for the company, you’re married.
Corporate Social Responsibility, Your Culture, and Your Next Executive Hire
MBA students are taught the importance of Corporate Social Responsibility. Tom’s Shoes distinguished itself from other…
Move Over, Corporate America… Hello, Small Business America
Corporate America certainly plays a major role in the job market. Yet, the feedback I hear from many candidates working for big business is how…
Why Retained Search (Part 4)
Reason #4 why selecting a “Retained Search” partner is a wiser choice: Guaranteeing a Long-Term Hire. Every employer wants to know that the candidate they just hired will last long-term…
Why Retained Search (Part 3)
Reason #3 for why the retained search model is better than the contingency search model: Direct recruit top passive talent…
Why Retained Search (Part 2)
Reason #2 for why a retained search is the better choice: Retained Search = Custom Search…
Why Retained Search (Part 1)
Why choose Retained Search over Contingency Search? In Part 1 of this series of videos, David explains that Retained Search gets you a dedicated partner…
2 Final Candidates, 1 Offer – How to Decide
Hiring managers often find themselves struggling to decide who to pick once they have narrowed things down to two candidates.
Headhunter Offers Unbiased Hiring Advice to Employers
Recruitment firms contact employers daily, hoping to assist them with filling some of their critical hiring needs. As much as headhunters would love to say outsourcing to a search firm is always the best first move…
Jobless Claims Rise as Omicron Worries Continue
The number of Americans filing for unemployment insurance rose by an unexpected number as Omicron continues to impact the job market. David Kant of Dynamic Search Consulting joins Hunt Scanlon to discuss what he is seeing in the job market and how his firm has adjusted.
The Next Variant? Optimism!
Times are a-changing for the better! March 14 will mark 2 years of “pandemic life”… but there is a shift afoot. We’re seeing more positive headlines:
How Important is It to Have a College Degree?
The short answer: it depends. If looking at the entry level job market, it is crucial. There is little-to-no work experience or other means to measure and differentiate one candidate from the rest. Some companies will even look at GPA and extra-curricular activities…
New #1 Reason Employees Quit
Until a couple years ago, the #1 reason employees left was: burnout from a long commute. They switched for a job with a shorter commute, or enabling them to work from home.
2022 HR Budget Conundrum: Cut or Spend?
A conundrum the C-level suite agonizes over, especially in these times of uncertainty: How do we compress costs, eliminate redundancies, and cut operating expenses while…
2022 Goal Setting: Why Aim at The Pre-Pandemic “Old Normal”?
As Norman Vincent Peale, author of The Power of Positive Thinking, wrote: “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss you’ll land among the stars”. These word…
What Perks To Attract & Retain Talent in 2022?
SPOILER ALERT: Think less “ping pong tables” and “free beer”. Think more “Time” and “Money”.
Silicon Valley big tech companies and hot start-ups became famous…
Calling in Sick: PTO Revisited
Until the pandemic turns into an endemic –which we all hope is soon — the days of taking a sick day are gone as this turns into a 2-week quarantine.
As a result, PTO benefits have increasingl…
The Rush For Talent Is On… And It Is Massive!
The holiday season has come and gone, January is here. Most companies have finalized their annual budget; they are ready for another year of expansion.
This includes…