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Editor in Chief:
Joan Caruso
Writer:
Catherine Carlozzi
Designer:
Roberta Martin
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feedback to: roberta.martin@ayers.com
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Staffing/IT Consulting—Ayers’ London Office Celebrates Its First Year
Last November, The Ayers Group opened its first international office, a recruiting operation based in London. The Ayers Report asked Ayers’ President of Staffing Services, Bob Deissig, and Managing Director Harry Plastik, who has oversight responsibility for the office, to give us a first-year report and a look ahead.
AR: How would you assess this first year?
Deissig: It was a phenomenal first year. We’ve got a great team of people in place, and their performance has exceeded expectations for where we’d be at the one-year mark.
Plastik: We made more than 70 placements—mid- to senior-level technical positions, both contract and full time—during the course of the year.
AR: You set up operations in London primarily in response to the needs of a global financial services firm you had been working with through the New York office. Has IT recruiting for financial services remained your focus?
Deissig: It’s about 70 percent financial services, but we’ve also diversified into auditing, insurance/reinsurance, management consulting, telecommunications, and other industries.
AR: Have there been any surprises?
Deissig: Yes. Apparently we have created a new model for recruiting for financial services in London. For us, it’s business as usual: interview candidates face-to-face, decide who is an appropriate fit for the client in question, and present those candidates. We found that the standard operating procedure in London is heavily dependent on credential reviews and telephone interviews. Although our London team had to be “convinced,” it has adapted very quickly to this approach.
Plastik: There was one case, for example, where the candidate looked great on paper and sounded great on the telephone. Our account people wanted to present him to the client, a large financial institution. My reply was, ‘He sounds good. Bring him in!’ When the candidate walked in, it was clear that although he was very bright, capable, and had strong technical skills, his personal style was not a good fit with the client’s culture. We ended up getting him an offer not too long after that from a major management consulting firm. Our team understands now that there’s no substitute for interviewing in person. We’re establishing a very positive reputation as a recruiting firm that’s different and exceptional at delivering results.
AR: What kinds of trends are you seeing on both sides of the Atlantic, and what do you see ahead?
Plastik: Counter offers are even more of a big deal and when they’re involved, it can become a really difficult process. As a result, some employers will not talk with candidates from firms that consistently make counter offers.
Deissig: The market is very active and that trend should continue. People are still hiring actively on both sides of the Atlantic in financial services. We’ve taken on a retained search for a medical director for an insurance firm here in the U.S. and have several major placements that are nearing closure in London.
We’re also doing well in our IT consulting business. As our Managing Director, Donna Held, describes it, corporate IT is like a house that hasn’t been maintained for several years for lack of funds. Now IT spending has opened up, and it's time to fix and improve things. We’ve seen 20 percent growth in consulting over the year, mostly in the financial services sector, and anticipate 15-20 percent growth next year as well. There was a big wave of right-to-hire over the summer and the need for Project Managers and Business Analysts, especially, is resurfacing. It’s going to be very busy next year.
[PRINTER FRIENDLY VERSION]
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Organizational Effectiveness Consulting
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