The latest quarterly employment survey conducted by Owatonna, MN-based search firm Bernhart Associates Executive Search shows that among the 300-plus direct marketers surveyed, few expect much change in their hiring plans for the upcoming quarter.
Bernhart president Jerry Bernhart says that about one-third of respondents still have hiring freezes, and about half of those surveyed plan to add to their staffs. “Those two key indicators,” he said in a statement, “haven’t improved for the last year and a half.”
Bernhart did cite one encouraging trend: New hires will outnumber replacement hires three to one, Bernhart reports. Among the positions with the most openings likely to be available for the short-term are account managers, sales reps, and analysts.
Among other findings, 55% of respondents said they intend to hire in the coming quarter–unchanged from the fall; 30% said they currently have hiring freezes in effect, and most of them said they were unsure when their freezes would be lifted. Nine percent said they’ll be reducing staff, while another 6% said they might.