The Russian market is booming right now for all industries, and the recruitment sector is no different. But on par with the world’s great balancing act, with growth comes shortages, making some areas of recruiting more challenging than others.
Across the board, vacancies requiring fluent spoken and written English are more in demand then ever.
Multinational companies coming into the market require fluent English speakers for all levels of positions, so their local management and staff can communicate with their global office networks.
Russian companies are also now demanding the same fluent English requirements, much more so than in previous years, due to their own international growth and their client base increasingly containing foreign companies and individuals.
For years to come, fluent English language skills will become more and more important to local and foreign companies doing business in Russia. It is also not enough anymore just to hire senior management who can speak fluent English. All levels beginning at junior administrative to mid and senior level professional staff and management need to have fluent English in order to experience a higher career growth potential and compete against their peers and others for top positions over time.
Quality sales and business development management and representatives of all levels are also in higher than ever demand. Again, due to market growth, there is a shortage of top-quality sales stars. The truly good performing candidates that are on offer are, 9 times out of 10, made counteroffers from their current employers, making the recruiting process tense for all parties involved.
High-level sales for real estate and private banking, VIP and institutional sales in the financial services industry are in especially high demand and are a challenge to attract, due to the local market shortage. Great candidate sources for these vacancies are found abroad in international markets. Having been educated and trained abroad, many now seek the thrill, challenge and financial rewards of the booming Russian market, to further their careers, and companies are anxious to find and hire them.
Experienced and properly trained programmers and SAP specialists in the IT and technology industries are also a challenge to find these days. Many potential stars in this area run off to be trained and educated in the West, then start work there, and are never heard from again. Why aren’t they heard from again? Because they have access to the best education, continued education and highly-paid, incredibly interesting jobs — the basic simple things IT people want.
If the Russian government and its numerous other private billionaires were to invest a little of their money into top-notch universities, training centers and techno parks for IT and technology, more interesting and better paying jobs would be offered here, enticing Russia’s best brains to work for Russia, in Russia. Most of the programmers left in Russia have had to learn themselves, via the Internet, about advancements in their industry and specializations, due to out-of-date local university and technical training programs. Good programmers are out there in Russia — just a bit harder to find.
Good product managers for oncology and transplantology in the pharmaceutical industry are also difficult to find these days. Doctors’ salaries have increased lately, encouraging them to remain in their current profession. Medical representatives are also in very short supply for the same reasons.
All pharmaceutical companies are desperate for medical professionals to join them, but supply is not large enough, or as interested these days. The only solution is for these companies, or entrepreneurs, to invest in training programs or corporate universities, to train non-medical professionals on the technical and sales aspects of these jobs.
The thrill and challenges of the recruiting industry are always to find the perfect candidate for that great job vacancy. But in a booming market, demand can often go beyond the available supply. If some creativity, brains, entrepreneurialism and a bit of money were invested in the training sector, things would get a lot easier!