New survey foreshadows high demand for high-level executives

A new survey indicates that 2012 will continue to be a critically important time for businesses looking to fill executive positions.

The survey, conducted by Harris Interactive, included input from over 2,000 human resources professionals and hiring managers. Twenty-three percent of them said their company was planning to hire new executives within the next six months.

Those companies determined to gain an edge in this competitive hiring period would no doubt benefit from reaching out to one of the many headhunting firms with expertise in high-level recruiting. This is specially true for a company looking to fill more specialized positions. Working with professional recruiters can be a major advantage when it comes to filling executive positions or jobs in finance.

Experience trumped education in the eyes of the recruiters being surveyed. Among those whose companies were planning to hire executives, only 20 percent stated that they look for an MBA or a comparable degree. The number that looked for experience-related credentials was much higher. Sixty-two percent said they look for candidates with proven skills in problem-solving. Fifty-four percent said they want someone who has demonstrated that they are capable of motivating co-workers.

The survey also asked about recruiting from internal versus external sources. Eighteen percent of survey respondents indicated that they preferred to hire executives from outside the company. Thirty-five percent said they would even consider someone with no industry-specific experience. Demonstrable creativity and critical thinking skills appeared to be the most important qualifications in the eyes of the HR recruiters being surveyed.

However, these skills are extremely difficult to measure. This is one of the main reasons that using an experienced firm of professional recruiters can be such a huge advantage for companies looking to fill top spots. Especially when it comes to searching for great CFOs, an executive search firm can act as a major asset to any company.