Executive level recruitment has been significantly affected by the change in market conditions over the last 6 months. Roles at this level tend to follow a domino effect since the options are thin on the ground, so while senior executives feel less confident about making a move, this means there are slightly fewer opportunities created at this level.
A particularly interesting point of note here is that we have completed a similar number of senior appointments in the last 6 months as we placed in the same period a year earlier. Companies are obviously being very discerning but they always are and, in many ways, have found that recruiting in this area has been clearer for them since the playing field has been somewhat flattened as lots of businesses have had to hit a reset button and come up with a new strategy.
Another point of note is the number of companies that have requested a more discrete approach to the search and selection process which has resulted in a reduced number of roles being visible in the open market.
As infrastructure continues to barrel into the software world via Cloud and Automation, it has changed how business think about infrastructure as a whole which is giving rise to new opportunities for Infrastructure Managers and Head of Infrastructure since it has become an area of transformation and investment for many businesses. Salaries haven’t increased by much but that is more so due to the shift in the market than the value being put on these roles. We could see an uplift in this space in 2021 based on the supply to demand ratio.