Companies are “more aggressive” in hiring executives. According to an Apec study published on Thursday, 62% of them have revised their remuneration upwards in 2022. An increase in the salaries offered which comes in a context of persistent tensions for recruitment.
The survey by the Association for the Employment of Executives reports that in a very dynamic market, recruitment difficulties are increasing further: 64% of companies having recruited at least one executive in 2022 were concerned, compared to 48% in 2019. These growing difficulties are mainly linked to the lack of applications (76%) and the gap between the applications received and the needs of companies (62%), faced with competition from other employers on the same profiles (58%), indicates the study.
Recruitment time increases
As a result, the average recruitment time has increased, reaching 12 weeks (compared to 9 in 2020). Faced with these difficulties, almost all companies (91%) “consented to adjustments” in 2022, notes the study. Firstly, she cites the upward revision of the remuneration initially planned (62% of companies, compared to 55% in 2021). For large companies, which have more leeway, the use of this lever rises to 76%.
Among the other adjustments, Apec also cites the profile of the successful candidate, most often having less technical skills or less experience than initially desired. Adjustments to employment conditions (hours, possibilities of teleworking, etc.) are “less frequent, but are not marginal”, notes the study.
Additional benefits
To make a difficult recruitment a success, 4 out of 10 companies would be willing to accept that the successful candidate works part-time or benefits from additional advantages such as a company car. Companies are a little less inclined to grant more days of telework than expected (30%).
They also ask candidates for a cover letter less frequently (56% in 2022, -11 points compared to 2021). Within large companies, the decline is even more marked (58%, -18 points). To recruit, they are also turning more to social networks, now the second most used channel behind the job offer, whereas it was only the 4th in 2019. The study is based on a telephone survey conducted from January 16 to February 13, 2023 with 1,150 companies with 10 or more private sector employees who recruited at least one executive in 2022.