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Client belt tightening not so frightening for Mekon Creatives
Though the shadow of recession has added its blackness to the annual drawing-in of winter nights, the outlook for competitive recruiters remains surprisingly bright, says Mekon Creatives’ Operations Director Ed Wills.
The parlous state of the economy means that not only are large firms tightening belts and reining in recruitment, but also that they are seeking better value from their recruitment partners.
‘We are increasingly seeing Preferred Suppliers Lists (PSLs) being reviewed, and long-standing suppliers thrown out if they can’t provide a competitive service,’ said Ed. ‘As firms cast their nets wider in their search for new, more cost-efficient recruitment partners, it is those with more competitive rates and value-added fee structures, such as Mekon Creatives, who stand to gain.’
Another consequence of the global downturn is the shift from a candidate-driven market to a client-driven market. With fewer positions available, competition for the remaining jobs is fierce, and will become even fiercer as the recession really begins to bite.
‘Because the market is so competitive, recruiters are only putting forward their top candidates,’ says Ed. ‘Now is not a good time to be a “sub-prime” applicant. Even for the very best job-hunters, the days of holding out for a higher salary (or other demands) are over. It is, and will remain for some time, a hirer’s market.’
‘Aspiring candidates should also bear in mind that, increasingly, clients are demanding designers with cross skills (both print and web). It seems that, in these bleak economic times, employers prefer the surety of skills to the more ambiguous advantages of experience.’
Find out more about our competitive recruitment services here.
