Salary expectations among job seekers in the professional services sector have fallen, and 42pc of employers expect to hire more staff in the next 12 months, a survey of 400 employers suggests.
The poll of employers in the IT, sales, pharmaceuticals, accountancy and legal arenas has been carried out by Webrecruit Ireland, which was set up in 2010 by former BBC ‘Dragon’ James Caan, in partnership with Irish advertising and communications firm ASG.
Around 43pc of employers said that, in their experiences, salary expectations among potential candidates had fallen. A further 39pc of employers polled said salary expectations among candidates at the interview stage had changed little from a year ago, with most willing to work for the same wage as their current job.
Only around one in 10 employers (9.8pc) said interviewees had requested a higher salary at interview stage, while the rest said those interviewed had refused to discuss salary until an offer was put to them.
Webrecruit Ireland managing director Richard Elliott said that while the survey results clearly reflected the current turmoil in the employment market, the outlook was improving.
“Most companies intend to either keep staff levels the same or increase their numbers, though many still doubt that they will find the right candidate for the job quickly,” he said.
“That said, potential candidates seem to be a little more flexible on their salary expectations given the current economic climate and this can only be good news for employers who are keen to cut costs in a bid to keep their businesses afloat.”
