Antal International News

Less competition: If you have lost talent to your equivalent of Tier 1, Magic Circle, your industry’s “Big Four” competitors or if your employer brand couldn’t compete with theirs, now is your chance. If you go hunting now you will face less head-to-head competition for talented individuals. Some companies reduce recruitment activity and hiring budgets, thereby dramatically reducing their recruiting effectiveness and by doing so giving you a competitive advantage.

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Despite fears over a decline in the FMCG market in the build up to Christmas, activity within the food industry is generally looking solid, which is good news for recruiters working within the FMCG food/drink market at this time.

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The on-line gaming industry has been extremely interesting to watch over the last couple of months! With new Casino launches, on-line traffic turning their hands to poker and some very tempting sign up and re-loading bonuses being offered to draw in further business the industry is most certainly keeping vibrant and one to watch!

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My recent conversations with my clients have shown that one of the key features that employers are looking for in potential employees on the sales front is the ability and/or experience of having either sold across a diverse range of verticals or else into a particularly niche market place.

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It’s no secret that the hotel industry has well and truly been hit by the credit crunch. The week ending the 2nd November saw the revenue per available room drop by 18% in London (caterersearch.com), and the outlook is apparently looking gloomy for 2009.

Or is it?

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Is the Credit Crunch really affecting IT Spend?

People think we are in a down turn, well in a recent Data-Monitor survey of 5000 IT decision makers, over 50% of respondents stated they expect to keep their IT budget the same in 2009 as it was in 2008. 37% of the respondents expect to see their IT budget increase in 2009 and 13% are anticipating IT budget cuts. This appears to be a mixed message for technology vendors and service providers. It indicates that, on the whole, enterprises are not planning to decrease their IT expenditure despite the current economic climate.

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This was the promise made to the US by the next American President in his victory speach last night, and it was clear it came straight from the heart.

Whilst there are huge challenges for Barack Obama to overcome in his new presidency it is clear that the nation is behind him in his drive to bring new leadership to the country. The momentum built throughout his campaign, combined with his passion, drive, commitment to his beliefs and the understanding of the needs of his nation make it inevitable greatness is on the horizon.

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On entering the last quarter for 2008 and in line with our continued international growth I am please to announce that Antal International Network has entered into a strategic partnership with Search path International, a key player in the American recruitment market.

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We are now only 6 full weeks away from Christmas, the busiest and most financially crucial time of the year for retail and the economic climate still stands in a state of uncertainty. How are those in this market place coping with the pressure this is imposing and how has this affected their recruitment plans?

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I am pleased to officially announce to you that Antal International has struck a strategic partnership agreement with one of the key players in the sector in the USA, SearchPath. The joint network of offices will now exceed the 120 mark and give access to clients and candidates in 28 countries on five continents.

“We’re already well-established in Europe, the Middle East, India, Asia and Africa and recently moved into the Latin American market with a new office in Brazil, “says Antal International’s Chairman and CEO, Tony Goodwin. “Partnering with SearchPath gives us that next key piece in the global jigsaw – the USA.”

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‘We are now well over half way through what can only be described, from an economic perspective, as a turbulent year….Looking solely at the UK’s hotel figures for 2008, however, you would be for forgiven for forgetting about the turmoil as hoteliers across the country have so far experienced a steady year.’ - Robert Barnard, partner for Hotel Consultancy Services at PKF.

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As a specialist IT sales and Marketing consultant, I am in daily contact with key decision makers within the IT marketplace in the UK. As such I am always discussing company views and in particular how they are finding the current market place, in terms of performance and recruitment issues.

It is no secret that the market is slowing down, and as a result companies and candidates alike are remaining cautious. The market has long-been in a candidate lead cycle, but the added pressure of the economic outlook and credit crunch has made it increasingly hard for companies to find the right talent. Candidates are less actively looking for a move and also turning their attention Internationally as the number of opportunities continues to rise for quality talent throughout Europe, especially in the emerging markets.

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Within the last week, having been in contact with numerous FMCG clients, I have seen a wealth of evidence corroborating the popularity of healthier eating/drinking and the need for candidates who understand this transition within the market. In the same way, realizing the expansion of organizations that primarily deal with food, into non-FMCG goods- and placing candidates who are diverse enough to manage this change, is becoming essential.

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Being a specialist head-hunter of finance and accounting professionals to the financial services industry I find it imperative that I constantly speak with the decision makers to make sure my knowledge of the market is always at the top of its game. In the present climate, I would say this is even more important. The results I get from this is that I can confidently provide you with a good picture of industry standard recruitment needs and how your competition manages and maintains their performance.

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As a specialist consultant within the Leisure industry throughout UK and Ireland, I have recognised one particular sector that has stood out from all the others during this turbulent economic period. Charities!

Over the last few weeks I have been working very closely with Charities in the UK and whether the the current climate has affected them. I have found that the number of charities in the UK is continuing to increase. The total number of newly registered charities is 1289 so far in 2008. At the end of March it was recorded that 169,333 main charities were on the registered list, the total income of these was recorded to be £45.910 billion. When this figure is broken down it is clear that there are many small charties and so the annual wealth of registered chairites is concentrated in the countries large charities, it has been reported that 50% of the total income is attracted by the largest 706 chairties.

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As part of my role specialising in finance and accounting professionals within the technology sector I am in constant contact with my clients, and use these conversations to discuss issues facing their companies.

Perhaps understandably recent discussions have touched upon the current economic climate and the much-publicised ‘credit-crunch’. Despite the general perception of difficult times ahead, this does not appear to be entirely correct across the board.

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As the Sales Manager for the UK at Antal, I would like to offer you the opportunity of some privileged information that we at Antal have been undertaking over the past few months. I am confident this will not only help you to understand the marketplace here in the UK a little better, but also throughout Europe.

As we all know, the newspapers, TV and all media have been speaking of words and phrases over the past 6 months or like ‘Credit Crunch,’ ‘Recession,’ ‘Market Decline,’ ‘Low Consumer Spending,’ ‘Banking Crisis,’ ‘Rescue Plans,’ ‘additional tax payers money’ etc etc.

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In spite of the current climate, the HR world is one that is going through one of its biggest changes. In speaking with many HR professionals, the way Companies are running there HR departments is under review. Although there are a lot of redundancies for some companies, this is having the opposite effect on others. The trends are growing in the HR outsourcing market, consultancy and Interim business. As companies are tightening their belts they are considering alternative ways of running their HR to cut costs. Whilst the market is very slow for HR professionals, it appears many firms will only take people on an interim or fixed term basis, meaning no expensive payouts if headcount needs to be reduced. There are a growing number of individuals that are now setting up their own consultancy business on a self employment basis, giving themselves a work life balance, and the companies a more cost effective way to run their business whilst still getting expertise advice.

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In the last few years of the 20th Century there was a drive by Automotive OEMs to outsource many vehicle systems and components to full service 1st tier suppliers. Many Automotive leaders looked to the Dell business model of running an almost virtual company. In doing so a large portion of the core knowledge base within the industry moved from the OEMs to the 1st tier suppliers. The bargaining power of the 1st tier suppliers grew. At the turn of the century both OEMs and 1st tier suppliers were actively pursuing low cost suppliers in the emerging markets of China, India and Eastern Europe, in many instances for the same parts and systems. The difference between success and failure depended on their core knowledge base, in other words their people.

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Introducing Russ Klinger and his team to the Antal International Network – Specialization and focus is on energy – specifically energy trading.

From their offices based in London and as primarily headhunters they are constantly talking to key energy traders who are considering their next career moves.

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The UK oil and gas industry has been self-sufficient since 1980 and experts expect it to remain so, in oil until approximately 2016 and in gas until at around the half century point. The UK oil & gas fields produce approximately two million barrels of hydrocarbons per day.

The well documented high global oil prices are an indication that producing countries need to increase production. This is a simple case of supply and demand and with no sign of global energy consumption reducing in the short term, it is supply which must increase.

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A survey of IT Managers by Contractor UK reveals that although the credit crunch has had an impact hiring for the IT industry, it has not all bad news.

Many companies will have the need to increase their staffing levels due to deliver business efficiency gains as the economy slows.

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As one of its specialties Antal Hadleigh focuses on Marketing and more specifically Consumer Insights within the FMCG world.

Whilst the national press continues to report the gaining momentum of the ‘Credit Crunch’ and the automatic ‘tightening of belts’ by consumers, it is important to note the essential relationship that the FMCG world has with the UK’s general population. Whilst it is fair to report that most consumer spending behaviour may change in this economic climate it is also fair to say that most consumers here in the UK are very unlikely to go without what is considered to be the bear essentials, however hard times become. Consumer goods such as tea, coffee, bread, soap, toothpaste, shampoo, toilet paper will continue to be at the very top of the shopping list when needed.

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Skills shortage in manufacturing:

British industry is paying the price for lack of investment in skills and training over the past 20 – 30 years. The industry is in dire need of skills at every level to keep with its rapid pace and progress, both at home and abroad. A recent survey found there to be over 20,000 engineering roles available at the moment in the UK alone.

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Every situation creates its own opportunities and the recent down turn in the economy caused by the credit crunch and high energy prices etc is no exception. At times like these we all look at ways of saving money, especially our operational spend.

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Freight forwarding has been one of the most successful sectors of the global logistics industry over the past decade. Due to the trend of globalization substantial growth has been achieved which has led manufacturing to locate to remote markets around the world. The development of economies such as the Chinese, Indian, Russian, Middle East and Latin America has created the demand for international forwarding services that the global players have been quick to exploit.

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One of the most renowned columnists of the NY Times and professor of economics and international affairs at a top American university gave the opening keynote speech in a national gathering of businessmen in Madrid that I attended. His perception about the global economic turmoil was that its end was near. This event took place last June. So far, we have heard many opinions and the fact is that there is not a clean-cut explanation nor there is a solution or a trusted forecast for the crisis’ aftermath. Perhaps, the typical “your guess is as good as mine” applies neatly to these circumstances.

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In the present climate of economic instability some industries have suffered slightly and many industries still face considerable challenges ahead which could lead to internal restructure, redundancies and even business closures.

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As an IT sales consultant I am in daily contact with key decision makers within the IT market. As such I am always discussing company views and in particular how they are finding the current market place, in terms of performance and recruitment issues.

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More and more new generation cosmetic skin care products are being introduced onto our consumer market. Products containing fortified ingredients, new organic technologies, make up brands containing anti- aging benefits, most of which promising they can diminish fine lines and wrinkles, remove the appearance of cellulite, and firm the skin; all offered as a cost effective, pain free alternative to cosmetic surgery. Where as the nature of commercial make up products were once as simple as creating an “illusion” with colours and texture of the skin, now demands a physical change in the consumers appearance.

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In spite of the economic downturn it seems demand for premium FMCG beverages and foods have not been affected and in fact, studies show consumers continue to pay more for these specialist products. As we move towards the festive months this demand will only increase, which can only be positive in regards to the placing of a greater volume of specialist candidates within the premium sector of the FMCG industry.

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We are hearing a lot of discussion in the global employment markets about Generation X and Generation Y. The growing concern of an ageing population for companies around the world is now more at the forefront of internal talks and strategy discussions.  In the next 5 years a lot of companies will see so much of their knowledge base and skills retire.

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This article explores legal and accounting ‘Global’ recruitment, its current trends, the vacancies vacancies competing with your firm even at home, the high packages now on offer and how to beat all this and still win experienced recruits.

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There is no doubt that Accounting is the most cross border of all professions.  Firstly it has the distinct advantage of being numbers based, some would say factual.  It is this foundation that curtails the issues of interpretation in a way that the legal profession simply can’t match.  The drive towards convergence in accounting standards is also more complete now than ever before.  US quoted companies must comply with US Gaap and Sarbanes Oxley.  EU quoted companies comply with IFRS.  Neither set of rules is far apart and there is a goal of convergence on both sides of the Atlantic.  These two great trading blocks, controlling vast amounts of the world’s financial capital, have dictated accounting methods which most of the world seems intent on following.

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As local markets start to slow, companies must keep a watchful eye on the global economy. Technology today makes it effortless to research and work in markets on the other side of the world, and the emerging nations are starting to make a real impact on the global economy.
Rapid IT growth in emerging nations is removing borders in business, which can unlock very lucrative markets to not only your company, but also your clients and of course your competitors.

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Speaking to industry professionals and monitoring current reports it appears that ‘Food & Drink Britain’ is keeping a positive vibe in uncertain times!  If we are entering difficult times, a career in food and drink seems like a good place to be!

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Whilst consumers in the UK try their hardest to tighten the purse strings, due to the current climate, there is still the desire for us all to treat ourselves with a little luxury that doesn’t break the bank!.  Health and Beauty products fit into this ideally- they are not too expensive to be considered as frivolous- even premium designer brands- however satisfy our need to indulge.

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