Demand for senior staff tapering off
The strong increase in demand for senior and managerial staff, which began in the last quarter of 2003 and peaked in the second quarter of this year, is beginning to recede, according to a survey by Kantor Humanis for the third quarter of 2004. Between July and September, only 706 ads for senior and managerial staff were published, compared with 1,433 between April and June, showing a 51 percent fall in demand. This can be attributed both to the end of the Olympic Games and to the market’s sense that a period of slower economic activity for businesses will follow. However, the year-on-year increase is a healthy 43 percent from July-September 2003. The Kantor Humanis survey also showed that trade, services and industry account for most of the demand, led by companies trading in construction products and materials, telecommunications and computing solutions, as well as in the food industry. Sales, financial services and marketing experts enjoy the highest demand in the market. Demand for senior and managerial staff in sales is high across all business sectors, while accountants are demanded mainly by trade and services companies. Marketing staff is required in trade and industry, with services focusing their interest more on computer staff. Out of a total of 706 ads, 70 percent were published in print media and 30 percent on the Internet, slightly down from 33 percent in the previous quarter. However the generally strong trend of using the Internet to fill vacancies continues this year, as opposed to 2003. Most ads (58 percent) were anonymous.
