Inspired Search White Paper – Making an Executive appointment in publishing: Hiring industry expertise or fresh perspectives

Inspired Search White Paper – Making an Executive appointment in publishing

Hiring industry expertise or fresh perspectives

Our Executive Search division, Inspired Search, has recently published a white paper which summarises research into Executive recruitment trends across the Publishing Sector.  As well as identifying the industry’s demand to hire Executive and Senior Management Team roles from talent in other industries, it also includes practical recommendations to help organisations consider their approach to such a hire. 

In a recent study of data and a series of in-depth interviews, Inspired Search analysed the Executive and Senior Management Team (SMT) roles that have been taken up in the last year -  looking firstly at whether they are internal promotions or being hired in from other companies. Among those coming from other companies, we found that a high proportion (nearly half) was coming from industries other than publishing. While publishing is described as a small world, in which ‘everyone knows everyone’, there is a clear demand for new skills within the industry.

quote from white paper

Undeniably, the landscape for the Publishing Industry has changed in recent years - as technology changes the way we live and work - both from concept to delivery and the way products are communicated. As part of this change, Publishing companies are ‘up-skilling’ their staff to accommodate for these changes and clearly they are also looking for new skills and perspectives to make that change happen faster.

It is not surprising that the Entertainment industry is proving a popular source of talent for Executive and SMT hires but the highest ranking industry to feed into the Publishing Industry is currently the Professional Services industry. This suggests that the Publishing Industry is looking for knowledge from fields which are likely to compete with the readers’ attention, such as TV and Film but also more operational expertise from other areas, such as management consultancies.

Our paper acknowledges the many benefits of hiring from within publishing and the apparent risks of hiring from outside. However it also offers practical recommendations on how to mitigate those risks - to provide more confidence in taking on individuals from different backgrounds.  This extends to suggestions on how to prepare for both interviews and the induction process, to reduce the steepness of the learning curve in the crucial first twelve weeks of a new hire.

Abigail Barclay, Search Director of Inspired Search and Selection Limited said “the recent study of recruitment trends across the Publishing Sector reinforces what we are seeing on a daily basis as part of the service we offer our clients.  What is clear is that the Publishing Sector is open to new ways of thinking and is looking for the talent to provide it”.

Download your free copy of the white paper below. If you would like any more information on Inspired Search please contact Abigail Barclay, Search Director.

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