Boutique business support recruitment specialist Eloquent Staffing (an Aquent company), has just released the Eloquent Staffing Market Eye – a snapshot of hiring intentions and salary predictions and a timely pulse check of the business support sector in Sydney.

“There is no denying that the business support sector has been severely affected as Sydney-based businesses have battled falling revenues as a result of the unprecedented downturn in world economic activity”, says Simon Lusty, Aquent and Eloquent Staffing Regional Director for Australia and New Zealand.

“Following a six-month period where over half our client base was forced to shed staff, it was critical for us to reconnect with all our clients to gain a better understanding of the current state of play”, Lusty continued.

Overall the Eloquent Market Eye has a clear theme. While temporary and permanent staffing levels went on a rapid decline during the first half of 2009, permanent hiring intentions are now on the rise. It is also anticipated that the business support temporary market will see a surge in the coming months, while salaries are also expected to edge higher.

“A glimmer of optimism flowed through our research”, Lusty revealed. “Whilst approximately 50% of creative, advertising, design, property, construction and engineering firms had been forced to cull large numbers, having been hit hardest by the depressed conditions, the next six months look much more promising in terms of permanent hiring intentions. It is extremely encouraging to see so many employers turning this around, including quite a few in the banking and finance sector”.

On average, almost 20% of hiring managers surveyed plan to increase permanent business support staff numbers in the second half of 2009, while on average 20% of those surveyed are also predicting an increase in temporary and contract staffing numbers.

Surprisingly, almost a quarter of companies surveyed have in fact increased business support staff salaries during the past six months, with those in professional services and banking leading the way.

“It is also encouraging to see that 38% of creative, advertising and design companies surveyed and 25% of professional services firms surveyed predict an increase in staff salaries between now and the end of 2009”, Lusty adds.

Surveying for the Eloquent Market Eye was carried out via face-to-face and telephone interviews. A total of 216 completed survey responses were gathered across Sydney-based businesses including the creative, advertising and design sector, banking and finance, property, construction and engineering, and the professional services sectors.

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About Eloquent Staffing
Renamed in October 2007, Eloquent Staffing is an international boutique business support recruitment agency. It offers a specialist approach to business support recruitment, selecting only 10 percent of the hundreds of screened talent to ensure only the highest-quality candidates. Eloquent Staffing was previously a business support division within Aquent, launched in 2004. The division’s rapid growth and success since that time prompted Aquent to establish Eloquent Staffing as its own separate entity. Eloquent Staffing has offices in Sydney and London.