Economic uncertainties have no effect on executive recruitment intentions. These remain at their highest at the start of the year, according to the quarterly barometer published Thursday, February 9 by the Association for the employment of executives (Apec). In December 2022, 14% of companies intended to recruit at least one executive in the first quarter of 2023, an increase of two points in three months.
These intentions, which are increasing regardless of the workforce, “have never been so high in SMEs (22%, +3 points) and remain well oriented in VSEs (7%, +1) and large structures (64 %, + 2)”, underlines Apec in a press release. Although they have eased slightly, recruitment pressures remain high as a result, with 79% of companies expecting recruitment to be difficult.
“We expected a dip given what we know about the economic forecast for the first half of the year. In fact, it’s the opposite. Not only is there no dip, but the momentum is still stronger”, declared the director general of Apec, Gilles Gateau, detailing the results of the investigation, as the daily reports The echoes.
At the same time, some companies may find it more difficult to retain their employees. “Faced with concerns about the evolution of purchasing power, not all will have the same resources to convince them”, notes Apec, which interviewed by telephone from December 5 to 16, 2022 a representative sample of 1,000 companies. employing at least one frame.
A 4% increase over one year in the volume of job offers
In December 2022, 37% of companies employing managers had paid a value-sharing bonus (“Macron bonus”) to their employees, a rate that increases with the size of the company (33% of VSEs, 45% of SMEs and 51% of large structures). “In small structures, loyalty could become a major issue. It is also in SMEs that the intentions of external mobility are the highest (17% against 15% on average)”, underlines Apec.
This dynamism of the job market is also reflected in a 4% increase over one year in the last quarter of 2022 in the volume of job offers posted on the Apec site, with, however, significant differences between sectors. For example, in industry, managerial job opportunities have clearly increased in automotive and aeronautics (+42%), while they have fallen in agribusiness (-9%).
These sectoral developments have geographical repercussions. Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, which historically specializes in automobile construction, mechanics, metallurgy and electrical equipment, thus shows the strongest regional growth (+12%).
These professions that offer the highest salaries
According to one another APEC study, published on November 17, 2022, and which relates to remuneration, all professions combined, the median annual salary of current executives amounts to 51,000 euros gross (fixed salary + variable part). In other words, half of the executives receive a gross annual salary below this amount and the other half a higher salary. This amount is up 2% compared to 2019 and 2020.
As part of this survey, Apec analyzed the salaries of 111 families of executive professions. The association questioned more than 10,000 executives on their professional situation, their initial training, the position they occupy, their company, as well as their remuneration.
Of the 111 functions analysed, 30 of them offer median annual salaries greater than or equal to 50,000 euros gross. According to Apec, 80% of executive salaries are within a range of 36,000 to 85,000 euros, while 55% of executives receive remuneration including a variable part. The salaries of executives vary greatly according to the family of trades.
At the top of the ranking of the best-paid executive professions are those of treasury (head of treasury, corporate treasury), with a median annual remuneration of 63,000 euros gross (fixed plus variable). Then there are the key account businesses (key account manager), with 61,000 euros, and business development (business developer, business manager, business development director, etc.), with 60,000 euros.