Market Watch

Author: Scott Fiore

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Lots of numbers fly over my desk every day.  There is one number / ratio that I watch very closely, and lately it’s been improving.

The ratio is the Sales/Recruiting Challenge ratio.  Simply put – it looks at what staffing companies are finding more difficult – selling (getting requests from clients) or recruiting (finding candidates).

That ratio – no surprise – in January 2010 was heavily weighted toward Sales.  In fact approximately 80% of staffing firms were reporting then that sales was a greater challenge than recruiting.  As the economy has improved that relationship has changed as well.  For the last few months the relationship has been about even.  The slope has leveled – confirming (possibly) what I wrote yesterday, that while hiring has improved – there seems to be a slowdown.

I’ll continue to watch this and other data – and pass along what I think may be of interest.

Scott

Lots of numbers fly over my desk every day.  There is one number / ratio that I watch very closely, and lately it’s been improving.

The ratio is the Sales/Recruiting Challenge ratio.  Simply put – it looks at what staffing companies are finding more difficult – selling (getting requests from clients) or recruiting (finding candidates).

That ratio – no surprise – in January 2010 was heavily weighted toward Sales.  In fact approximately 80% of staffing firms were reporting then that sales was a greater challenge than recruiting.  As the economy has improved that relationship has changed as well.  For the last few months the relationship has been about even.  The slope has leveled – confirming (possibly) what I wrote yesterday, that while hiring has improved – there seems to be a slowdown.

I’ll continue to watch this and other data – and pass along what I think may be of interest.

Scott