Woodlyn Partners is a contingency staffing firm located in Waltham, MA.  We focus exclusively on the search and placement of High Tech Sales and Marketing professionals.  Our clients are typically small emerging technology companies here in the Boston area and we’ve established our reputation within the Software, Software related Services and Internet Markets.

We are recognized for our:

·          Industry and staffing experience

·          Robust network within the local market

·          Targeted approach to our assignments

·          Quality candidates

·          Long standing relationships

People in our network frequently ask for our observations regarding current market conditions and hiring practices.  We speak daily with companies and candidates about what is going on in the market and compile these observations to make them available on a quarterly basis. These are not predictions or based on any numerical data. These are market observations based on meetings with our network of contacts.  

Q4 2009 Market Observations

As always, we take this time to review our local job market over the past year.  And what a challenging year it has been… there was much uncertainty and companies were conserving cash in every manner possible.   There were fewer open positions across the board and everyone felt pressure to do more with less.  However, we did see an increase in the number of job assignments in the 4^th quarter and hiring managers showed more urgency to fill these open positions.  We also noticed a number of people who had put their career search on hold earlier in the year were now more willing to explore other opportunities as we head into 2010.

Other observations from this past year:

·          Interview cycles continued to be lengthy and there was pressure to make the “perfect hire”.  Companies tended to interview multiple candidates to ensure the best possible hire.  Candidates needed to position themselves to help justify that decision by going beyond just experience and focus on specifics like performance, domain space and vertical expertise.

·          There was a perception that great talent was available in the market.  However, it was challenging for many companies with reduced HR staff to work through the volume and identify the best-qualified candidates.

·          Employees saw fewer salary increases and bonuses this past year due to the difficult economic climate and some were impacted by decreases.  However when hiring, compensation offered was in most cases appropriate for the particular role.

·          Woodlyn Partners accepted assignments with clients looking to install leadership to grow and build a Sales 2.0 model. These are inside sales teams that sell high volume transactions, low cost solutions that leverage online marketing and business development initiatives. 

·          Online Marketing Programs, Database Marketing and Direct Marketing positions were areas where we saw consistent activity in 2009.  These positions were in demand to arm sales and marketing organizations with the resources that drive revenue. 

·          Candidates found various online tools and social networking sites helpful in their job search.  While these vehicles create a platform for candidates to make introductions, many have expressed a level of frustration with their experiences.  Beyond the introduction, these tools do little to ensure the ongoing communication and feedback that can ultimately result in filling a job or securing the next position.

·          Competition for available opportunities was fierce and candidates pulled out all the stops and went the extra mile to demonstrate their skills and capabilities during the interview process.

This past year was the most difficult job market many have ever experienced.  However, it was not all gloom and doom.  Some companies continued to grow and selectively added staff even during difficult times.  And we observed companies retooling and repositioning their businesses in preparation for anticipated 2010 growth.  We are optimistic as we enter the new year and if Q4 is any indicator we expect to see increased hiring as more companies build out their staffing budget. 

All of us at Woodlyn Partners wish you a safe and prosperous New Year!

If you would like to receive the Woodlyn Partners Quarterly Market Observations please send an email to marketobservations@woodlynpartners.com. 

We invite you to visit our Opportunities page to view some of our current assignments http://www.woodlynpartners.com/opportunities.asp.