Hire Power

The direct marketing job outlook has deteriorated for the second consecutive quarter, according to a survey by Bernhart Associates Executive Search.

Layoffs continue to loom, and most of the companies with hiring freezes (20% of the early April poll's 129 respondents) couldn't indicate when those freezes would be lifted. In the previous quarter only 13% reported a freeze. But there's hope. “The glass is either half empty or half full depending on how you look at it,” says Jerry Bernhart, principal of Bernhart Associates. “One out of five companies said they have a hiring freeze right now, but they're not expecting a big spike in layoffs. And more than half of those surveyed said they're still planning to hire.”

Bernhart says things look better now than in the last downturn (2001-2002): “This time DMers are [implementing] hiring freezes and doing what they can to avoid significant cutbacks in staff. They know that when things turn around, talent will be more difficult to come by.”