The "placement" of the new Pope: A recruiter's perspective

We have a new Pope- Jorge Bergoglio, now known as Francis. What does this have to do with Digital and Direct Marketing Careers.....?

....absolutely nothing.  But I gotta tell ya, I would have loved to have been the recruiter who placed him there. 

Talk about a great reference.  What would that recruiting call have been like?  If it had been a contingent search, I might have decided to keep the name of the client cloaked:

"Hello.... is this Jorge?  Jorge Bergoglio?  Hi, this is Jerry Bernhart with Bernhart Associates Executive Search, and I recruit senior leaders for world class companies.  I was looking around on Linkedin and found your profile.  Love your interests-- 'winemaking' and 'chalice restoration.'  Looks like you and I have a common connection- Kevin Bacon.  That guy's connected to everyone, isn't he?   

Say, I'm calling about an opportunity to lead global operations for a brand new client of mine.  I know what you're thinking:  Another call from another headhunter about another crazy high risk start-up.  Let me assure you, these guys have been around a couple of years.  They also have built up quite a customer base of, shall we say, faithful followers.  They've been in the same location as long as, say, any other Fortune 500 company.   And I have to say, these guys really embrace Christian values.  In fact, they have a pretty in-depth employee handbook.  I've even seen it- it's 1,100 pages, but if you boil it down there are really only ten major rules and regulations you need to know about.  You're probably already familiar with some of them.  You get a company car, although I'm told you don't want to drive it under low bridges.  Judging by your profile, I'd guess you're probably in your mid-70's, correct?  That's perfect-- Just the kind of high-energy, youthful exuberance they're looking for. There's a dress code, but let's just you'll be able to leave your belts at home.  And the best part is that it reports to someone who I'm told is really out of this world." 

He says he's interested.  I start to qualify: 

"So, Jorge, may I ask you a few questions?  Great, thanks. This will take just a few moments. 

I don't suppose by any chance, by any slim possibility you like to pray, say 8-10 hours a day?  You do?

Awesome.  Are you relocatable?  You are?  Terrific. Have you spoken with the war department about that?  I'm sorry, I meant your wife.  You're not married?  Fantastic!!  I mean..... that's good to know.   

So, just for the heck of it, let's say I had an opportunity overseas.  Let's say, as a wild example, it's in Europe, and let's pretend it's in…..Italy, of all places, and just for argument's sake, let's assume they have offices near, let's say, Rome.   Let's make it even crazier.  Let's pretend your staff wears robes and funny hats.  Would that work for you? 

I probably shouldn't ask this but you seem like a cool guy.  Are you Jewish?  Why do I ask?  Oh…. just curious. 

I should mention- these guys do most of their business on weekends. Can you work on Sundays?  Oh, and I need to ask- are you allergic to white smoke? No? That's good. 

By the way, how are your knees?   

This may seem like a crazy question, but what kind of shoes do you like to wear?   You what?  You'll wear anything except loafers?  You hate loafers, and you especially hate ruby red?  You are kidding me, right?

You're not planning to retire anytime soon, are you?  Why do I ask?  Oh, I just think they'd frown on it, that's all. 

What sort of compensation and relocation assistance would you need to see?  What's that? You live in a small apartment, you take a bus to work and you give your plane tickets to the poor?  Cool. Not sure, but I think they could match that.  Would you need an employment contract?  Two years, you say?  No guarantees, but I think they could do a long-term deal.  What's that?  You're also looking for a stable organization with long-standing traditions and where you might have some influence on high-level strategy. Hmmm… that might work.  You're interested in a position with advancement potential?  Not sure that would be there with this one.  The boss upstairs has been in charge for a long time.  Seems like eternity.  You're interested in a job where you're more of an individual contributor working alone, rather than being a team leader?  Well, you should know that this has dotted line responsibility to around…. give or take….. 1.2 billion people. 

(click)... Hello?"

_________________________________________________________________________________

Bernhart Associates Executive Search, LLC, since 1990. 

"An expert in direct and digital marketing hiring practices"-  the DMA, 2009. 

As seen on AdAge, MarketingProfs, the CMO Council, ChiefMarketer, SeekingAlpha, Target Marketing, Mobile Marketer, BtoB Online, Chief Marketer, DIRECT, American Marketing Association and listed on Marketing Sherpa's "Best Headhunter and Recruiter Sites for Marketing Pros"

Are we LinkedIn?  If you're a digital or direct marketer, feel free to send me a LinkedIn request.  Also, sign up for our new LinkedIn group, Digital and Direct Marketing Careers, to keep up to date on the latest opportunities offered by Bernhart Associates.

Bernhart Hiring Survey: Jobs Outlook Weakens

BERNHART ASSOCIATES’ Q4 HIRING SURVEY RELEASED:

MARKETERS’ EMPLOYMENT OUTLOOK WEAKENS

Companies report less hiring ahead, hiring freezes rise

Written by Jerry Bernhart

Owatonna, MN, September 26, 2012—Digital and direct marketers hoping for a big rebound in hiring will have to wait until at least next year, according to Bernhart Associates’ Quarterly Digital and Direct Marketing Hiring Report for the fourth quarter of 2012. 

"In terms of job creation we're only a few points ahead of a year ago," said Jerry Bernhart, leading direct and digital marketing recruiter and principal of Bernhart Associates Executive Search, LLC, which conducts the widely tracked quarterly hiring survey.  “Much like the overall US economy, our employment indicators have remained within a narrow range for the past year and a half.   We'd like to see better numbers, but for lower to mid-level digital and direct marketing job seekers there is plenty of activity out there".

The following are key findings from Bernhart Associates’ quarter-four (Q4) survey:

•   46% of companies responding to the survey said they plan to add to staff in the current quarter, down from 50% in the Spring.  One year ago the index stood at 40%. 

•   21% of respondents currently have a hiring freeze, up from 13% during the spring quarter.

•   The percentage of companies planning layoffs in Q4 increased slightly to 5%, compared with 4% in the second quarter.

•   Agencies are leading the way in new hiring, with 52% reporting plans to add to staff before the end of the year.

•   After trailing BtoB for most of the year, BtoC marketers are now running even in all of the major indicators including hiring plans, expected layoffs and current hiring freezes.

Bernhart said agency hiring has been running strong all year and is picking up steam heading into the final quarter.

"Most of the calls we're getting are from agencies, " said Bernhart, who added that many agency openings are taking much longer to fill compared with a year ago.  Bernhart noted that the problem is especially acute for fast-growing digital agencies located in smaller markets.  

When asked what positions will be in greatest need during the coming quarter, employers listed analytic-related jobs on top, followed by marketing, web designers, account management and sales.  

"Some of the more specialized positions mentioned included tablet developer, a full-time blogger, and a mobile experience specialist", Bernhart added.

 "We're also seeing something of a bifurcated job market when it comes to experience.  Demand at the executive level is being far surpassed by openings for more junior level talent, and that gap has been widening in recent quarters." 

Bernhart shared these other empirical observations:

• "We're starting to hear the word 'desperate' from employers more often, particularly in the areas of web analytics and creative.  In some cases, that is resulting in offers to bump salary as much as 15-20%."

• "Counter-offers are on the rise.  No surprise given some of the shortages mentioned above."

• "While representing a small minority of job-seekers, we're fielding more calls from individuals who have decided to quit before finding something better.  This trend is a sign of growing confidence in the digital and direct marketing labor market."

• "Most executive recruiters are busy.  A good sign, because we're often the hiring solution of last resort."

• "Job openings are being posted on multiple social networks, underlining the importance of using social media in a job search.

Not surprisingly LinkedIn takes the lead, but don't forget Twitter."

• "I would estimate that the overall unemployment rate for digital and direct marketing, if we could calculate and track such a number, would be at least a couple of points below the jobless rate for the entire US economy.  We're in a good space."

Bernhart Associates’ Q4 hiring survey was emailed on September 13 and 19 to more than 15,000 senior executives, hiring managers, human resource officials, and other key participants in online and offline direct marketing.  A total of 450 organizations responded to the nationally followed hiring-trends survey, which is now in its thirteenth year.

According to the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), in 2011, marketers—commercial and nonprofit—spent $163 billion on direct marketing, which accounts for 52.1% of all ad expenditures in the US. Measured against total US sales, these advertising expenditures generated approximately $1.96 trillion in incremental sales. In 2011, direct marketing accounted for 8.7% of total US gross domestic product. Also last year, there were 1.3 million direct marketing employees in the US. Their collective sales efforts directly supported 7.9 million other jobs, accounting for a total of 9.2 million US jobs.

Results of past surveys can be found in the DMA’s annual Statistical Fact Book and on Bernhart Associates' website.

Companies interested in participating in the Bernhart Associates’ Quarterly Digital and Direct Marketing Hiring Report should send an email to survey@bernhart.com with “Opt-In” in the subject line, or they can sign up directly on the front page of the digital and direct marketing recruiting firm’s website.

Visit our website at www.bernhart.com
jerry.bernhart@gmail.com Google

Marketers' Employment Outlook Stable- Layoffs/Hiring Freezes Are Down, New Job Creation Levelling Off

Owatonna, MN, April 17, 2012—After a big spike in first-quarter hiring, employers plan to hold firm on staffing this spring, according to Bernhart Associates' Quarterly Digital and Direct Marketing Hiring Report for the second quarter of 2012. 

“The good news is that the downward trend continues in hiring freezes and staff cuts, and in some categories, layoffs are at an all time low,” said Jerry Bernhart, leading direct and digital marketing recruiter and principal of Bernhart Associates Executive Search, LLC, which conducts the widely tracked quarterly hiring survey. “But we’re not seeing improvement in the rate of new job creation.  The same uncertainties that worry economists and financial markets apparently also worry digital and direct marketers.”

The following are key findings from Bernhart Associates’ quarter-two (Q2) survey:

• 50% of companies responding to the survey said they plan to add to staff in the current quarter, down  from 52% last quarter. One year ago, the index stood at 45%.
• 13% of respondents currently have a hiring freeze, compared with 19% during the winter quarter.
• The percentage of companies planning layoffs in Q2 dropped to 4%, compared with 6% last quarter.
• Business-to-consumer marketers continued leading the way in planned new hiring at 54%.
• Among business-to-business participants, 47% said they expect to add to staff in the spring quarter, down slightly from 48% last quarter.
• Layoffs at agencies, services and marketers collectively have dipped to an all-time survey low of 3%.

When asked what positions will be in greatest need during the current quarter, employers listed analytic-related jobs on top, followed by marketing, web designers, sales, and account management.

"This is the first time in the 12-year history of the survey that demand for web designers has reached the top five," said Bernhart. 
The second-quarter Bernhart report comes on the heels of a separate report released earlier this month by the online careers and recruiting firm Monster Worldwide, showing that its own employment index was unchanged from February.

Bernhart Associates’ Q2 hiring survey was emailed on April 3 to more than 14,000 senior executives, hiring managers, human resource officials, and other key participants in online and offline direct marketing. A total of 384 organizations responded to the nationally followed hiring-trends survey, which is now in its twelfth year.

According to the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), in 2011, marketers—commercial and nonprofit—spent $163 billion on direct marketing, which accounts for 52.1% of all ad expenditures in the US. Measured against total US sales, these advertising expenditures generated approximately $1.96 trillion in incremental sales. In 2011, direct marketing accounted for 8.7% of total US gross domestic product. Also last year, there were 1.3 million direct marketing employees in the US. Their collective sales efforts directly supported 7.9 million other jobs, accounting for a total of 9.2 million US jobs.

Results of past surveys can be found in the DMA’s annual Statistical Fact Book and on Bernhart Associates Executive Search, LLC’s website.

Companies interested in participating in the Bernhart Associates’ Quarterly Digital and Direct Marketing Hiring Report should send an email to survey@bernhart.com with “Opt-In” in the subject line, or they can sign up directly on the front page of the digital and direct marketing recruiting firm’s website.


Visit our website at www.bernhart.com

Marketers' Employment Outlook Weakens For Remainder of 2011

Owatonna, MN, September 26, 2011—The sputtering US economy is impacting job prospects for digital and direct marketers, according to Bernhart Associates’ Quarterly Digital and Direct Marketing Employment Report for the fourth quarter of 2011.

“All three of our key employment indicators—new hiring, layoffs, and hiring freezes—have weakened slightly since our last survey in April,” said Jerry Bernhart, leading direct marketing recruiter and Principal of Bernhart Associates Executive Search, LLC, which conducts the quarterly employment survey. “Despite this, overall employment levels remain strong in digital and direct marketing, and, in fact, many employers actually are telling us that they face challenges filling critical openings because of a shortage of qualified candidates.”

The following are key findings from Bernhart Associates’ quarter-four (Q4) survey:

• 40% of companies responding to the survey said they plan to add to staff in Q4, down from 45% six months ago and 52% at the beginning of the year.

• 20% of respondents currently have a hiring freeze, up from 16% in the spring quarter.

• The percentage of companies planning layoffs in Q4 rose to 8%, compared with 4% six months ago.

• Marketers are reporting the most aggressive hiring plans, followed closely by service providers and then agencies. Bernhart added that not a single agency reported they’re expecting layoffs in the coming quarter, and business-to-consumer is slightly outpacing business-to-business in both new hiring and fewer hiring freezes for the remainder of 2011.

When asked what positions will be in greatest demand during the coming quarter, employers placed analytic-related jobs on top, followed by marketing, sales, creative, and IT.

“Overall, we’ve been seeing layoffs creep higher in recent months, and that is the most worrisome trend,” said Bernhart. “I’ve noticed that first-hand just from the jump in the number of resumes that have been coming into our office since the beginning of summer.”

Bernhart said that 61% of employers who responded indicated they were experiencing various degrees of difficulty attracting the right talent for their open positions. Among that group, when asked what was causing those challenges, they cited the following:

• 50% attributed it to a shortage of qualified candidates.

• 18% said candidates were looking for more compensation than was being offered.

• 18% cited lack of specific job skills or technical skills.

• 10% blamed relocation obstacles.

“Employers offered plenty of anecdotal observations in connection with this question, and several pointed out that as fewer people have been tasked with doing more, there is a growing need for people who offer multiple areas of expertise,” said Bernhart.

“On the surface, it seems paradoxical that positions are going empty with the US jobless rate as high as it is,” Bernhart observed. “But if there were a national unemployment figure for digital and direct marketers it would probably be half that for the overall economy. Most digital and direct marketers are working, and in this economy they’re just as leery about leaving their jobs as employers are selective about filling theirs.”

Bernhart Associates’ Q4 hiring survey was emailed on September 12 and 20 to more than 11,000 senior executives, hiring managers, human resource officials, and other key participants in online and offline direct marketing. A total of 398 organizations responded to the nationally followed employment-trends survey, which is now in its eleventh year.

According to the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), in 2010, marketers—commercial and nonprofit—spent $153.3 billion on direct marketing, which accounted for 54.2% of all advertising expenditures in the United States. Measured against total U.S. sales, these ad expenditures generated approximately $1.8 trillion in incremental sales. In 2010, direct marketing accounted for 8.3% of total U.S. gross domestic product. Also, in 2010 there were 1.4 million direct marketing employees in the U.S. Their collective sales efforts directly supported 8.4 million other jobs, accounting for a total of 9.8 million U.S. jobs.

Results of past surveys can be found in the DMA’s annual Statistical Fact Book and on Bernhart Associates Executive Search, LLC’s website.

Companies interested in participating in the Bernhart Associates’ Quarterly Digital and Direct Marketing Employment Report should send an email to survey@bernhart.com with “Opt-In” in the subject line, or they can sign up directly on the front page of the digital and direct marketing recruiting firm’s website.


Visit our website at www.bernhart.com

Bernhart Associates Employment Survey Released: 2011 Starts Off Strong, Hiring to Rebound

Owatonna, MN, January 18, 2011—Digital and direct marketers are planning a surge in hiring this winter with agencies leading the way, according to Bernhart Associates’ Quarterly Digital and Direct Marketing Employment Report for the first quarter of 2011.

“I expected a bounce, but nothing like this, which is very encouraging,” said Jerry Bernhart, leading direct marketing recruiter and Principal of Bernhart Associates Executive Search, LLC, which conducts the quarterly employment survey. “This is the most positive quarterly improvement we’ve ever seen in the 11-year history of our quarterly survey.”

The following are key findings from Bernhart Associates’ Quarter 1 (Q1) survey:

• Fifty-two percent (52%) of companies responding to the survey said they plan to add to staff in Q1, up from 41% last quarter (Q4).

• Sixteen percent (16%) of respondents currently have a hiring freeze, down sharply from 35% in Q4.

• The percentage of companies planning layoffs in Q1 dropped to 4%, compared with 8% in Q4.

• Sixty-three percent (63%) of agencies responding to the survey plan to add staff, with none planning cutbacks and only one agency reporting a hiring freeze.

Survey results show that marketing hiring budgets are still being pinched on the client side, which are lagging the agencies and service providers in planned hiring. But Bernhart notes that nearly one out of every two marketers still will have positions to fill in the current quarter.

“Business-to-business hiring plans outpaced business-to-consumer, and also reported fewer expected layoffs and hiring freezes,” added Bernhart.

Bernhart said that while direct marketing may not reach the boom levels seen prior to 2008, he expects hiring to continue building momentum in 2011, noting the following key trends:

- Digital and direct marketers are revising upward their projections for 2011 as margins improve and demand picks up, creating the need for more headcount.

- The number of online digital and direct marketing-related job listings has been up sharply in the past couple months.

- Bernhart Associates, a nationally recognized digital and direct marketing recruiting firm, has seen a “dramatic” decline in the number of resumes from recently laid-off digital and direct marketers.

-Bernhart further noted that he is fielding more calls from companies asking about executive searches, adding, “you don’t see that happen unless job recovery is taking hold.”

Among those companies planning to add staff, Bernhart said digital and direct marketing openings will be across the board and at all levels. “Usually we see a couple of job categories stand out, but this time it’s very broad-based with marketing, analytics, and sales topping the list, along with a strong showing among IT-related positions.”

Bernhart Associates’ Q1 hiring survey was emailed on January 5 and 12 to more than 11,000 senior executives, hiring managers, human resource officials, and other key participants in online and offline direct marketing. A total of 399 organizations responded to the widely followed employment-trends survey.

According to the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), in 2009, marketers—commercial and nonprofit—spent $149.3 billion on direct marketing, which accounted for 54.3% of all ad expenditures in the United States. Measured against total U.S. sales, these advertising expenditures generated approximately $1.783 trillion in incremental sales. DMA further reported that, in 2009, there were 1.4 million direct marketing employees in the U.S. Their collective sales efforts directly supported 8.4 million other jobs, accounting for a total of 9.9 million American jobs.

Results of past surveys can be found in the DMA’s annual Statistical Fact Book and on Bernhart Associates Executive Search, LLC’s website.

Companies interested in participating in the Bernhart Associates’ Quarterly Digital and Direct Marketing Employment Report should send an email to survey@bernhart.com with “Opt-In” in the subject line, or they can sign up directly on the Bernhart Associates’ website.

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About Bernhart Associates

Bernhart Associates Executive Search, LLC, is owned by Jerry Bernhart, a leading and nationally recognized digital and direct marketing recruiter, writer, and speaker. Founded in 1991, Bernhart Associates today recruits for positions at all levels in Multichannel Direct Marketing, CRM, E-Commerce, Database Marketing, Business Development, and Marketing Analytics. Respected as a leading authority on issues related to digital and direct marketing recruiting, Jerry is a frequent speaker at national marketing conferences and is often quoted by the industry news media. Jerry has written dozens of articles for the leading online and offline multichannel marketing publications.

The Bernhart Associates’ Quarterly Digital and Direct Marketing Employment Survey, now in its eleventh year, has become the most widely followed employment report in digital and direct marketing and measures employers’ hiring plans for the coming quarter. It is the only forward-looking employment survey of its kind in digital and direct marketing and unparalleled in size and scope.

Bernard Silverman and Affiliates, Naperville, IL, contributes research and analysis for the Bernhart Associates’ Quarterly Digital and Direct Marketing Employment Report. Bernie can be reached at bernie@bsilverman.com.

Douglas Berger Communications, New York City, provides communications services for the Bernhart Associates’ Quarterly Digital and Direct Marketing Employment Report. Doug is the former Director of Executive and Member Communications for the Direct Marketing Association. He can be contacted at douglasbergernyc@gmail.com.

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Visit our website at www.bernhart.com