By, Steven B. McKinney

McKinney Consulting Inc. 

1. Sixty-eight percent of employed executives are ready to jump ship.  

Executives are changing jobs more frequently than ever. In fact, according to ExecuNet's Job Satisfaction Survey of employed executives, 68 percent are ready to jump ship to another company if the opportunity is right. Having and communicating a strong corporate vision and execution plan to deliver the results enhance retention programs. American workers also want more from their companies.

2. Recruiting Trends reports that more and more Americans are looking for "caring" companies [Recruiting Trends].

According to Deloitte & Touche, 72 percent would choose to work for a company that supports charitable causes when deciding between two jobs with the same location, responsibilities, pay and benefits. A record 94 percent think that it is important for companies to make charitable contributions or donate products/services to nonprofit organizations in the community and 65 percent believe that supporting charitable causes helps to communicate a company’s values.

3. Under-employment affects entry-level job seekers.

CollegeGrad.com figures reveal that 18 percent of recent college graduate job seekers (USA) are under-employed. While many recent graduates are working, they are in a job that does not match their degree or skill set, rendering them under-employed. Due to the last four years of slow economic growth, graduates fearful of unemployment have chosen to take a position that leaves them still searching for one that will fully showcase their talents. In Korea today, half of all college graduates are unemployed or under-employed.

4. Discovering top talent should be easy with all of this available talent, but it is not so simple.

Generation gaps still exist and create a challenge in hiring. Years ago, the culture was pretty easy to understand. There were three television networks, three car companies, two political parties, low divorce rates, one kind of bread, instant or perked coffee, factory jobs, no microwave ovens, no computers and no Internet. Back then things were either mainstream or not. Now, you might have three different generations working within the same department. The audiences are smaller and more niche, and commonality is hard to find as we have so much variety and levels of taste. Finding the right person for the job is more difficult today than in the past when the expectations were simpler.

5. In this age of globalization, cultural understanding is a top determinant for executive recruiting.

Top Mandate for Global Execs Executive Recruiter reports that in a study conducted by Columbia Business School’s Executive Education division, "cultural understanding" is cited as the key leadership attribute followed closely by "people skills" and "communication" as valued traits for executives of international enterprises. The survey also reveals that 64 percent of global executives surveyed report general managers are being placed in those positions at a younger age, nearly ten times the percentage (6.7 percent) of those who believed that general manager placements are going to older candidates. Findings also show that despite technological advances like video conferencing and web cast, global team meetings are still predominantly held in-person.

6. Now, what does it really cost to not hire and leave a seat empty within your organization?

One calculation is that for every 90 days that a position remains vacant an increase of 50 percent in salary is occurred in overtime expense. Since extended delays in hiring adequate numbers of workers will inevitably result in large morale problems and higher attrition rates, we assume that no enterprise can survive the consequences of delaying the hiring process by more than 90 days.

7. Delaying a hiring decision also costs money and time on the recruitment side.

Resumes age. Within six months of the receipt of a Resume, there is a 100-percent likelihood that the credential information has changed. Active candidates take new jobs, and additional training is a component of most new employment settings. During that same time, there is a likelihood of 25-percent change in the contact information. 10% of all new employment involves a move.

8. Knowing that a particular candidate is available for work at a certain time is worth its weight in gold.

As the availability date approaches, the candidate is more willing to compromise on a range of compensation issues. Urgent requirements can be filled more quickly if there is a way to limit the recruiting phone calls to candidates who are readily available. In addition, only 10 percent of all potential candidates are willing to relocate as a part of a job change. An executive recruiter who knows which candidates are in this pool can reduce the amount of time and costs in recruiting.

9. The correct salary is determined by a range of factors including relative shortage or surplus of the specialty in a regional labor market.

The degree to which a company is willing to meet or exceed current median salaries for a position indicates its relative value to the company.

9.5 "Successful People Breed Success" [Philip Crosby Associates]

Steven B. McKinney is the founder and president of McKinney Consulting Inc., Korea's most trusted executive search firm.  McKinney Consulting offers a comprehensive range of personalized, professional resource services to a wide cross-section of companies operating in Korea and Asia.  Mr. McKinney is a globally established commentator on international management.  He can be reached at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it