NOTE: This article is reprinted from the July 2009 edition of Project Management Tipoffs. Subscribe to PM Tipoffs today by clicking here.
Mixed news and fortunes surround recruitment activity in project management at the moment, there are winners and losers across all sectors. Specifically within project management, the volume of requirements is down year on year by 50%, and we have also seen some pressure on day rates and salary levels over the last six months.
The good news is that when requirements are released from organisations, we’re seeing much better qualified roles which have budgets signed off and approved. Time to hire is also becoming much shorter as well qualified requirements are released; contractor hiring is typically turning around at 5-7 days, whilst permanent recruitment requirements are coming down from the traditional three month period.Demand for project management professionals within the public sector is still holding up and we are now starting to see enquiries (green shoots?) about future requirements from organisations as they work on their resourcing plans for visible and potential orders.
In the general job market there has been increased complaints from candidates about “phantom” jobs. You may have experienced something like this yourself, you apply for an advertised position to find your details have disappeared into a black hole and no feedback or contact received back about your application. Phantom jobs or sometimes known as speculative advertising is a frustrating element of recruitment for many candidates; It is a legal form of advertising, BUT only if the adverts follow these guidelines from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation;
If one looks for it, good news regarding future opportunities & job possibilities can be found.
“Speculative adverts can be used when a recruiter needs to build up their candidate database for future positions. However, there are several things to be mindful of when doing so. The advert must:
* Not state a salary – as the advert would then be classed as a specific advert for (a position)
* Not mislead potential work-seekers – it should be clear to readers that the advert does not relate to a specific vacancy;
* Be justified – a speculative advert should only be used for roles that (employment agencies) are regularly asked to fill.
So bear this in mind and read the adverts carefully before sending along your details!
We have also seen increased frustration from experienced PPM professionals that PRINCE2 is mandated on most project management positions advertised today, even though the hiring organisation does not use Prince or is PINO (Prince In Name Only). Our feelings are, let’s get over it! PRINCE2 has won the marketing war, it’s a large industry in its own right and they’ve managed to convince many people and organisations that PRINCE2 = Project Management. This is also supported by key word matching recruiters who can exclude candidates very easily against a very simple criterion. In many ways as an emerging profession is it valid to say that I’ve got loads of experience but no formal accreditation? Moving forward hopefully something else will replace the marketing muscle around PRINCE2 and it will then take its rightful place amongst other PPM accredited methods.
We also believe that it is not a hirers market in project management. Typically when there are more job seekers available than roles it is said to be a hirers market, the hirer has the pick of good talent on their terms (salary, benefits on offer etc). What we’re actually seeing in the project management market is that there are fewer quality candidates in the market for a move. During this downturn, project professionals currently working are staying put and weathering the storm. It makes sense to stay in a role rather than leave and potentially be the “last in first out” employee of an organisation they move to. Times are different and the feelings of uncertainty have led many to play a waiting game. So some organisations looking for fresh talent need to be aware that they may have to up their game if they want to attract the best.
Although we mentioned that there has been pressure on day rates and salaries, we have not seen any significant drops since the beginning of the year, in fact niche players can still demand a premium. In project management that specifically means roles where specific domain knowledge is required alongside the project management skills, for example business transformation within the public sector or facilities management within the retail sector. If you have a niche in a particular business sector or function that is in demand now you are probably one of the professionals who gave a high personal confidence in our Green Shoots survey. Read on to find out how others in the project management industry are doing.
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