Speed is of the essence

Gail Kenny from Gail Kenny Executive Search writes:

2006 has been a fantastic year for job seekers looking for online roles, but at the cost of employers. Candidate Power!

That's how I would describe the way that the scales are currently tipped in the online travel recruitment sector.

It is not uncommon for demand to outweigh supply or vice versa, but I have never seen it at this time of year, during the supposed summer recess.

Quality candidates with good online skills are a sought after resource, and yet employers are missing some of the best ones by not moving quickly enough.

While decision makers are away, decisions aren't made and some of these top candidates are being snapped up by those who are more agile, and in some cases are leaving the travel sector.

Those companies that can react quickly and get an offer on the table will beat their counteroffers by being the first to make a decision.

I have seen two cases this month where the travel industry has lost two exceptional online marketers to companies outside of travel - The Body Shop and Monster – mainly down to painstakingly slow processes.

I predict the demand to continue well into 2007, so pressure needs to be put on employers to make quick decisions – after all this is supposed to be a fast moving sector!

Gail Kenny, managing director, Gail Kenny Executive Search