US executive recruiters’ confidence in the senior-management employment market remained positive for the fifth consecutive month in March, according to ExecuNet’s latest Recruiter Confidence Index (RCI) data.

While executive recruiters continue to be optimistic about the growth of the executive employment market over the next six months, they are more guarded with plans to add new consultants and researchers to their professional staff.

Executive recruiters are, nonetheless, mostly upbeat about the direction of corporate hiring at the executive level, and waiting for broader indications of economic expansion before investing in more resources and people to meet client hiring demand.

Introduced in May 2003, ExecuNet’s Recruiter Confidence Index is based on a monthly survey of US executive search firms. A reading above 50% indicates recruiters expect the number of search assignments in the next six months will increase.

Percentage of executive search firms planning to hire additional professional staff during the next three months

Source: ExecuNet