Is business optimism breaking out among our Technology vendor clients? In the last 10 days, during the height of August vacation season, we have received many unsolicited calls from long-time hiring manager clients, seeking to take advantage of our technical support recruiting and IT executive recruiting services.
The hiring firms represent the breadth of our business focus areas: Information Security, Videoconferencing, and DWDM/FIber Optics. What’s different now? All of these firms have had at least 3 consecutive quarters of strong sales results, and have squeezed the most productivity out of their current teams. In addition, each hiring manager’s responsibilities have grown in scope and scale, and they are now adding a Line Manager to handle the specific Product Technical Support function.
In one case, the manager is hiring his own successor so he can accept a promotion. Now THAT’s a motivated buyer!
We think this is indicative of increased hiring demand from our Technology vendor and reseller clients, based on several factors.
- Incremental Demand: Companies can’t work their current team any harder, and have to add headcount to maintain quality service or in the case of sales-related functions, take advantage of increased demand.
- Turnover Demand: Companies are experiencing turnover in their staff, losing strong players to external competition, internal transfers and promotions.
- Employees confidence in IT labor market: Many people who were able to keep a job through this especially nasty downturn are returning to the market. They may have normally been “job-change-curious”, but chose to not change jobs or simply stayed off the market for safety’s sake. This is especially true for the Middle Management ranks, and for people who may have changed jobs for non-career-related reasons, such as desire for relocation, family reasons, etc.
Here are the 4 hottest openings, all for Management positions handling product support for technology vendors, and the “likely scenario” candidate profile :
- Manager, Network Operations Center, Laurel, MD This position reports to a VP I have worked with since 1994. It’s actually supporting network equipment products and the managed services offerings that go with them. My client comes from a Network Service Provider (“telco”) background and has a strong preference for candidates with the same background, skills and customer-focused mentality.
- Manager, Technical Support, Rochelle Park, NJ This position reports to a VP I have worked with since 1998. This spot runs a team of Technical Support Analyst focused on VoIP/SIP conferencing products.
- Manager, Technical Assistance Center (TAC), Mountain View, CA This is a super opportunity for someone ready to move into a Managerial role, from a Support Team Lead or Tier 3 Technical Support role. Requires strong hands-on technical skills in Linux, Network Security amd SaaS areas.
- Manager, Technical Support, New York, NY This position is nearly identical to #4, but requires 5 day per week presence in Midtown Manhattan.
Several of the same firms are looking for Technical Support Staff people as well. All of openings can be found at Datafrenzy.
Let us know if you are seeing the same type of company hiring behavior.
UPDATE: 2 more positions for Managers of Technical Support.
