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A full quarter of the executive respondents indicated that the overall employment market improved over the last 30 days, while 65 percent declared it flat, and 11 percent thought it was getting worse.

In the longer term, however, search firm professionals were more optimistic than the executives. ExecuNet’s September companion survey of 125 executive recruiters found that 60 percent (up from 55 percent in August) were “confident” or “very confident” the executive employment market will improve during the next six months; while 60 percent were “confident” or “very confident” about the coming three months — down from 65 percent in August.

The executive search industry’s outlook for job growth during the fourth quarter remained bullish, as the vast majority of professionals (78 percent) are expecting at least a 10 percent increase in the number of assignments received from corporate clients before year-end. To help manage this growth, nearly half of all search firms (46 percent) are planning to add professional staff during this period of time. In the previous three months, 32 percent of all firms increased their staff.

“Based on the amount of pent-up demand in the market, predictions of strong executive level job growth through the first quarter of 2008 are well within reach,” says Anderson. “Given the current shortage of top talent, companies are well aware of the consequences of putting their hiring plans on hold — and very few are willing to take that risk.”

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Fast-forward and the pendulum has not only swung in the other direction, it has spun off its hinge. Social and business networking, “friending,” connecting, linking and the ability to successfully contact virtual strangers is an admired trait, and the number of connections one has is proudly displayed. No matter that we haven’t met face-to-face; I’ve seen your name online, Googled you to learn more about you, and emailed you an introduction. Now, we’re not only in each other’s networks, we are supporters, business allies, and I am comfortable referring you to others as if you were a childhood — and not just a virtual — friend.

But do these relationships have sustainability? Experts have mixed opinions. Just 39 percent of the technology pioneers and social analysts that the Pew Internet and American Life Project surveyed in 2004 agreed that by 2014 use of the Internet will increase the size of people’s social networks far beyond what has traditionally been the case, and therefore enhancing trust in society, as people have a wider range of sources from which to discover and verify information about job opportunities, personal services, common interests and products.

Twenty percent of the respondents disagreed with the statement and another 27 percent challenged the prediction. One expert wrote that the Internet “may increase the number of casual acquaintances, but not deep attachments,” and another said: “People will have a wider range of sources — but most individuals will settle on a small number that they will use repeatedly.”

While some may dispute the value of social networks, one thing is clear: senior-level executives continually agree that networking most often leads to career opportunities for them, and search firm and corporate recruiters are finding the majority of their candidates through their connections.

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• 61% of college students expect to remain with their first employers for less than 3 years
• 16% anticipate continuing to change jobs as quickly throughout their careers
• 34% said they plan to change jobs every 3 to 4 years
• 50% expect to switch employers every 5 years or longer

In response to ExecuNet’s 15th annual Executive Job Market Intelligence survey, senior-level executives routinely change jobs, companies and industries over their career-span, matching the movement that the college students anticipate. The two survey groups diverge at the expectation point: despite their experiences, executives are still casting loyalty as the ideal, with high hopes of remaining twice as long in jobs and organizations than they currently are.

The respective survey results suggest that college students have few loyalty behaviors to model, having seen parents voluntarily and involuntarily change jobs and companies with regularity. With the next generation entering the workforce with this transient mindset, it becomes more incumbent upon senior leaders to inspire managerial loyalty, in the absence of organizational loyalty.






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