News

Consultants 'encouraged' by jobs thaw

08.08.10 | Victoria Gallagher

Publishing consultants have noticed a more "positive" mood in the jobs market over the past few months with publishers looking to recruit "new talent".

Over the past 18 months the industry has been subject to pay-cuts, recruitment freezes and redundancies, with jobs going at Penguin, Random House and HarperCollins.

However, since May recruiment consultants have noted an upsurge in companies seeking new recruits, with digital roles most in demand. Retail figures were also relatively upbeat this week, and July has been the first month of 2010 with year-on-year sales growth. According to Nielsen BookScan, sales over the four weeks to 31st July were up 0.1% year-on-year in value terms.

Suzy Astbury, executive consultant at Inspired Selection, said: "The market has picked up a considerable amount over the last three months. There has been a general change since the end of the financial year. All the restructurings have generally stopped—they have re-grouped and many people are getting promoted, so we are seeing quite a few more entry-level jobs, which is great for graduates." She added that digital roles are also rife and the general mood was much more "confident".

Some publishers said they were seeking to add to their staff. Helen Kogan, managing director at Kogan Page, said: "I will probably add to our headcount over the next year by about 10%, mainly because I think we need specialist skills, specifically in marketing [and] to do with the digital economy . . . It’s a good time to recruit, quite honestly. I think there are really good people with great skills out there who are just looking for the right job."

Ian Chapman, managing director at Simon & Schuster, agreed: "We are looking to take on new talent. It’s encouraging that it is not as depressing as the beginning of last year when the likes of Penguin and HarperCollins were making redundancies. I’d say the [job] market is encouraging but no more than that."

Theresa Duncan, manager at Redwood Publishing Recruitment, said she has been "considerably busier" since March. She added: "I think there has been more confidence in the marketplace. The whole change of government had something to do with it; people were waiting until the election." She said although there had been fewer entry-level jobs there had been a growth in recruitment for STM, education and academic publishers, with digital and online roles popular owing to the onset of the digital age.

Despite a growing optimism, redundancies are still taking place as Octopus announced last week it would lose nearly 30% of its staff, a total of 29 people. Ros Kindersley, managing director of JFL Search & Selection, said despite some continuing job cuts, they are now being "counter-balanced" by an increase in activity in recruitment. Kindersley said this was due to the publishing industry evolving and needing people with new skills alongside people who have been in roles for several years with no promotion or pay rise now moving on. However, she added that the economy was unlikely to revert to its pre-recession position.

Managing director and founder of the Meridian Consultancy Group John Broom said: "In no way could the present recruitment activity in book publishing be described as a boom. It varies between patchy and at best steady." He added: "This said, unless the economy suffers a double dip, I am sure employment numbers (in publishing) will, within the next two years, be back where they were in 2008/09 before the various job cullings took place across swathes of the industry."

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By An Ed

I would like to believe the job market is picking up, but on the whole I suspect hot air here. The comment just above this one fuels the suspicion. I'm an editor - a good one - but if my only hope of future employment is to 'move prospects from engagement through to purchase', then I'm off to sweep the streets for a living. I really do worry that discounting, digital and dithering have swept us past the point of no return and replacing our job titles with phrases nobody understands and regurgitating management speak to one another is all that's left.

Mon, 09/08/2010 - 16:57
By James Neale

Andrea S - you must be living on a different planet. The signs are everywhere - we are heading for a double dip - can't you see? What raises are you on about? New VAT rate kicks in on 1 Jan 2011. This means that everybody will be tightening the belt - forget about what it used to be pre-2008. Publishers will not sell more books - and whether you have an iPad or Kindle - it does not matter. People will get even more cautions with their money and this will definitely change their spending habits. Readers will be more picky and fussy. Big publishers, however, will have to stay afloat and keep their investors pleased. Investors in the west still expect the same returns as 6 years ago, which is ridiculous. When it comes to Costs, there is one obvious thing to - do trim the most expensive element in Publishing i.e. labour. Do you really think publishers will start spending on fancy consultants, parties and fairs when the readers are holding on to their pennies? I am sorry, you need to get real. Talking things up will not make them real and please do not fall for the short-term 'exciting' news. True, we will have good Christmas, but after that we will hit very difficult times. There will be a VAT at 20%, public sector cuts of all kinds and sorts, and higher inflation. This won't be an easy environment for any business and the publishing industry is exempt. I foresee a cull in February, probably March 2011 when many publishers will revise their strategies. I agree with An Ed - time to get real and realise that things have changed - everyone is cautious and waits to see the REAL signs of recovery. My advice - if you have a job, keep it!

Tue, 10/08/2010 - 21:17
By Stephen Bateman

As a consultant focusing on change in the book publishing sector, I concur:

Many more companies are understanding content marketing, social media and community branding.

We're seeing publishers in the non-fiction category waking up to the opportunities inherent in community branding and rethinking their staffing models by bringing in new skilled digitally-minded people that can make a difference to the business. New blood is essential to any business needing to transition.

At the same time skilled and capable people who were sidelined during the crisis have taken stock of their skills and skill deficiencies and have addressed those and by doing so have, in some instances, reinvented themselves to offer their "revamped" editorial and marketing skills to household brands eager to compete in the online publishing space with valuable and quality content that engages and develops loyalty.

The search in book publishing is a race in effect - a bid to attract practical, down-to-earth employees who can demonstrate tangible and succinct actions that will move prospects from engagement through to purchase.

These are roles are typically "content strategists" or "content managers" and "community leaders" as well as the more common "social media manager". It's an exciting time full of opportunity. Long may it last.

Follow me on twitter http://twitter.com/concentricdots

Fri, 06/08/2010 - 13:21
By Andrea S

Definitely picking up, I'd say, but nothing like the way things were in late 2008. The Bookseller currently lists 46 editorial jobs, which is the most in absolutely ages, so I think we should be optimistic.
Employers haven't had to try too hard to keep a hold of people for the last eighteen months; as jobs again begin to open up people will be able to leave positions in which they are unhappy and a positive feedback loop should kickstart things nicely. Time to ask for that raise.

Mon, 09/08/2010 - 19:45
By Stephen Bateman

As a consultant focusing on change in the book publishing sector, I concur:

Many more companies are understanding content marketing, social media and community branding.

We're seeing publishers in the non-fiction category waking up to the opportunities inherent in community branding and rethinking their staffing models by bringing in new skilled digitally-minded people that can make a difference to the business. New blood is essential to any business needing to transition.

At the same time skilled and capable people who were sidelined during the crisis have taken stock of their skills and skill deficiencies and have addressed those and by doing so have, in some instances, reinvented themselves to offer their "revamped" editorial and marketing skills to household brands eager to compete in the online publishing space with valuable and quality content that engages and develops loyalty.

The search in book publishing is a race in effect - a bid to attract practical, down-to-earth employees who can demonstrate tangible and succinct actions that will move prospects from engagement through to purchase.

These are roles are typically "content strategists" or "content managers" and "community leaders" as well as the more common "social media manager". It's an exciting time full of opportunity. Long may it last.

Follow me on twitter http://twitter.com/concentricdots

Fri, 06/08/2010 - 13:21
By An Ed

I would like to believe the job market is picking up, but on the whole I suspect hot air here. The comment just above this one fuels the suspicion. I'm an editor - a good one - but if my only hope of future employment is to 'move prospects from engagement through to purchase', then I'm off to sweep the streets for a living. I really do worry that discounting, digital and dithering have swept us past the point of no return and replacing our job titles with phrases nobody understands and regurgitating management speak to one another is all that's left.

Mon, 09/08/2010 - 16:57
By Andrea S

Definitely picking up, I'd say, but nothing like the way things were in late 2008. The Bookseller currently lists 46 editorial jobs, which is the most in absolutely ages, so I think we should be optimistic.
Employers haven't had to try too hard to keep a hold of people for the last eighteen months; as jobs again begin to open up people will be able to leave positions in which they are unhappy and a positive feedback loop should kickstart things nicely. Time to ask for that raise.

Mon, 09/08/2010 - 19:45
By James Neale

Andrea S - you must be living on a different planet. The signs are everywhere - we are heading for a double dip - can't you see? What raises are you on about? New VAT rate kicks in on 1 Jan 2011. This means that everybody will be tightening the belt - forget about what it used to be pre-2008. Publishers will not sell more books - and whether you have an iPad or Kindle - it does not matter. People will get even more cautions with their money and this will definitely change their spending habits. Readers will be more picky and fussy. Big publishers, however, will have to stay afloat and keep their investors pleased. Investors in the west still expect the same returns as 6 years ago, which is ridiculous. When it comes to Costs, there is one obvious thing to - do trim the most expensive element in Publishing i.e. labour. Do you really think publishers will start spending on fancy consultants, parties and fairs when the readers are holding on to their pennies? I am sorry, you need to get real. Talking things up will not make them real and please do not fall for the short-term 'exciting' news. True, we will have good Christmas, but after that we will hit very difficult times. There will be a VAT at 20%, public sector cuts of all kinds and sorts, and higher inflation. This won't be an easy environment for any business and the publishing industry is exempt. I foresee a cull in February, probably March 2011 when many publishers will revise their strategies. I agree with An Ed - time to get real and realise that things have changed - everyone is cautious and waits to see the REAL signs of recovery. My advice - if you have a job, keep it!

Tue, 10/08/2010 - 21:17

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