Posts

The Opportunity Cost of Delaying Your Hiring Process

The Great Resignation is finally showing signs of slowing, and the news could not come a moment too soon. The pandemic reshuffle often resulted in drawn-out efforts to attract talent and delays in the hiring process. While your organization may have thought, and individuals still believe, it makes sense to pull back on hiring when the employment environment is so fierce, without the right analysts or new business development directors, all forward momentum stalls.

Not Hiring Equals No Competitive Edge

Organizations lose out on new clients and project opportunities without skill-matched employees to connect with customers and conduct the work. Delaying your hiring process, freezing it, or not immediately addressing employee turnover pushes your sales back another quarter, setting you inextricably behind your competitors. The missed income cannot be made up. It’s gone, which is why finding, acquiring, and retaining quality talent is at the heart of an organization’s edge.  

A McKinsey study found that superior talent is eight times more productive than the average. Given that statistic, profits are directly tied to enticing the best workers. But how do you do that when the demand for solid market research talent exceeds supply? Sure, one part of the answer is ensuring a terrific candidate experience through the vetting process. Still, a complete response is complicated now since the hiring process steps have changed, and those participating in hiring have evolved.

Talent Acquisition Processes Have Transformed

Previously HR departments were fully responsible for talent acquisition, but now, by necessity, all levels in the C-suite are involved. It’s not unusual for the whole team to be scouring LinkedIn network profiles or scrutinizing job descriptions. Leadership at the most robust organizations realizes that people matter, and engaging with the hiring practice is critical to staying competitive. But those heading up larger teams don’t have the time to keep up with hiring best practices such as reconciling pay scales across countries or between U.S. cities.

The problem is directors and managers are constantly on the go, traveling to industry conferences, selling to new clients, and overseeing employees. You don’t have the bandwidth to focus on the appropriate hiring process steps to bring in the top candidates. In addition, there is a host of new hybrid recruiting challenges and candidate expectations with which to contend. With an overwhelmed HR department and without a healthy competitive overview of the latest hiring trends in the market research insights industry, your organization has open positions, and you are wasting valuable time interviewing unqualified candidates.

One positive approach is to reach out to an executive recruiting firm that knows how to hire employees because talent acquisition is their core business. These firms have a more comprehensive view of the latest trends in the industry, especially if the firms specialize. Executive recruiting companies have more time and expertise with hybrid hiring.

It’s easy to question whether you will find a more talented pool of candidates if you offer a position that is entirely remote, but is it valuable to have that worker in-person among your team? An outside point of view with a broader impression of the segment is more capable of answering those types of questions and more adept at rapidly filling your pipeline of carefully screened candidates.   

If you are still not convinced that holding back on hiring costs you dearly in the long run, here are some factors to consider.

Strategic Goals Are Late

Having a trusted partner executive firm to quickly identify candidates means you can accomplish strategic objectives faster. You know that even carefully conceived plans need the right candidate with the accurate skillset to execute. Trying to place an additional load on current workers leaves them dissatisfied and your company more vulnerable to employee turnover. Deferring hiring puts all well-laid plans on hold. Any tactical vision for the company is put off too.

The Hiring Process Takes Longer Than You Think

It is easy to underestimate how long it takes to source a qualified candidate. If the role is empty, the search could take three weeks, preliminary interviews another two weeks, and then final rounds even more time, with some candidates accepting other jobs. It is not a seamless process. The search involves creating a well-worded clickable job description, checking references, and a resume review. A prolonged process may be a turn off for applicants looking for a positive brand impression. Besides, none of this time outlined includes the best standards for onboarding new employees, which may take a full quarter to complete.  

The reality is that recruiting digitally, onboarding virtually, and managing remotely take more time than most directors can accommodate. All this time has a ripple effect across departments. Working with a trusted executive recruiting firm, particularly one that specializes in placing market research and consumer insights professionals, will allow you to spend time interviewing candidates to ensure they fit in with the team and culture. Trusted Talent are experts in the insights industry, so they know the ins and outs of what MR applicants need. Using Trusted Talent will keep your recruiting efforts more organized and focused on onboarding new employees.

Delayed Revenue

Hiring talent offers unparalleled opportunities to increase your company’s brand recognition and pursue new revenue streams. Executive teams freed up from the talent search can concentrate on their actual responsibilities, so they can hit profit targets more effectively. Often the 4th quarter is the highest revenue for the year, so if you haven’t hit employee levels during your most profitable revenue cycle, your goals will fall short. Organizations must pay attention and be proactive about hiring before the peak revenue generation time.

People Are Everything

If you agree that people are critical to achieving your long-term goals, you can’t afford to short-change those plans with short-term thinking or knee-jerk reactions that delay talent decisions. This will inevitably derail your competitive advantage. Trusted Talent finds and thoroughly vets full-time seeking and interim MR professionals. Because of their global reach, core skills, and concentration in market research and consumer insights, Trusted Talent can promptly deliver qualified, interested analysts, sales directors, and business development applicants so you can move to the critical step of interviewing top candidates.

When you put a pin on hiring, it’s a pin on business success.

/by

Why You Should Choose a Career in Market Research

Market research is a very niche industry, but those that enter tend to make a very long career of it. It is also a field that can be very welcoming to people of many different backgrounds! If you are looking for a change or for a field to start your career in, you may want to consider including market research positions in your search. There are various roles for every sort of person, from being a moderator of focus groups to positions which utilize intense data analytic software and techniques.

Potential Pathways

There are two general types of research roles: roles on the supplier side and roles in corporate research. And researchers aren’t locked in to one side or the other – many go back and forth over the course of their careers.

Supplier companies are companies whose main function and offering is performing market research. Client companies are companies whose main function and offering is something else (retail brands, restaurant brands, etc.) but which have market research, or consumer insights, teams on staff. Client companies usually outsource a lot of their projects but have been insourcing market research much more than they used to.

why you should consider market research

The Type of Person That Would Do Well in Market Research

There are many types of people that would be great in the market research industry, but here are just a few of the main traits of a person that would excel.

market research curiousity

Curiosity

The whole industry is built on curiosity. Whether that centers around consumers behaviors, their reasoning or market trends, a natural curiosity will help push someone to get the best insights.

trusted talent learnerLearner

Things don’t change at lightning speed in this industry, but they do change over time. There are continuously new trends in methodologies and reporting which a good researcher must keep up with.

empathetic market researchEmpathetic for Consumers

Market research is not about selling to people, but is in fact about solving problems and fulfilling the needs of consumers. Having empathy for them can help researchers understand and get to the root of their issues.

market research storyteller

Storyteller

People love stories – and they remember them. Being able to tell a good story with your results helps get your information out there and remembered by

 

What Professions Translate Well to Market Research

While anyone can move into market research, some professions lead themselves to an easier transition. Anthropology, Psychology, Sociology and anything that deals with people are great places to start. These professionals are already used to working with people and understanding the way they think, plus some have research experience as well. On the other side of things, data scientists and data analysts tend to do well in the market research world. Data science is very easily transferable from one place to another and something that can always be used is more intensive data analytics, especially in a world of big data.

When you’re looking to move into a client company specifically, industry experience is one of the best things to have. For example, if you have experience in the retail industry, you’ll have an easier time getting into a retail company. The same holds true for restaurant/food, financial, technology and any other industry you can think of.

Communicate Your Skills

When switching career fields, it may be helpful to work with a talent acquisition partner. They are usually highly connected in the field and may be able to help you clearly communicate your skills and desires better to potential employers.

Just like with any job, your skills may not be perfect one-to-one transfers to the new position you’re looking at. Specific stories and specific examples are great ways to show how you would be a great candidate for these positions. Problem solvers will win in this industry, so show examples of times when you solved a problem.

/by

5 Networking Tips to Help You Land Your Dream Job

One thing most business professionals agree on – regardless of industry or position – is that “networking is mandatory.” Whether you are just starting out in your career, seeking to change jobs, or happy with where you are at the moment, building and maintaining a solid network is an activity you should consider a must do. And if you do it right, your network (at least the heart of it), travels with you throughout your career.

Of course, if you’re hunting for market research jobs, networking is even more critical. But you can’t really expect much action if you haven’t invested time or thought to the endeavor, or if you haven’t nurtured your network as you’ve progressed in your career. Especially when you’re job hunting or looking for something specific, it is critical to be able to clearly define what it is you want to do, and how you’re qualified to do it.

Having both of these elements – a cultivated network and a firm handle on what you want – gives you all you need to land your dream job. Check out just a few of our networking tips to bring your strategy to the top of its game.

1. Start with Your Why

When you’re job hunting, you may think that reaching out to your network should be your first step, but that’s not necessarily true. It’s hard to network and tell people what you’re looking for if you yourself are unsure. You may have a pretty good idea of what you want to do based on your current or recent past job position or role, or you may be looking for a complete change. Nonetheless, you will probably need to dig down a bit beneath your own veneer to find the answers.

The idea is to link your skills and strengths to the type of role you are targeting while giving a sense of your team and/or leadership qualities. Don’t forget to mention what type of corporate culture you desire.

Resume best practice once dictated having an objective on your market research resume. These days, the objective has been replaced with a clear one-sentence statement of what Trusted Talent calls your “search objectives” – what you are looking for, the answer to “what is your why.” Of course, if you’re having trouble you can engage a professional coach to support your efforts – or better yet, reach out to a recruiter who can guide you in this process.

2. Look to Your Industry and Professional Groups

There are many places where you can grow your network. Your current workplace, i.e, connections with fellow employees, may be the simplest place to build relationships, but industry and professional groups are an excellent place to meet new people. Not only will you gain people in your network, but you will be able to learn new skills and gain new certifications in your chosen field or profession.

In-Person Conferences

The numerous marketing research networking events in our industry such as conferences put on by Quirk’s, Green Book and ESOMAR are wonderful venues to meet market research professionals from all over the world! When you go to a conference or trade show, everybody EXPECTS to be meeting and greeting. Everyone is there to do the same thing – meet new people and learn new things – so networking can happen very naturally.

At most conferences, there are also a bunch of various casual activities to connect with people outside of the sessions. Happy hours after the sessions, running clubs before the events of the day, the trade show floor during the event and various other events.

Other In-Person Events

In addition to annual conferences, many organizations including WIRe and Insights Association have member newsletters and online chat groups available, as well as local and/or regional chapters. These groups put on additional market research networking events, skill building sessions, and more. Especially when you’re just starting out, being part of an organization and pitching in is a great way to network, build your skills, AND show others what you can do.

3. Utilize LinkedIn to its Full Potential

LinkedIn is the biggest and baddest digital professional network worldwide, with 810 million members in more than 200 countries and territories, making it an essential part of anyone’s networking strategy. Not only can you submit your inquiries for listed job opportunities; you can also be assured that this is THE centralized point where recruiters are sifting through thousands of job candidates every hour, looking for just the right fit for their clients.

LinkedIn can seem overwhelmingly large, but there are many smaller groups that you can leverage to connect with others. Many professional organizations have their own groups for job listings, for connections, and for knowledge sharing. These can be extremely helpful to make more meaningful connections while also building skills.

4. Reach Out and Follow Up with Connections

Another way to connect with people is to find them online whether that’s from a LinkedIn group, as a recruiter on a job posting or in other ways and just reach out. You may also connect with people in person, and you need to ensure that you’re following back up with them.

  • Keep it real – This is another human being! Part of the definition of “good networking” is that it’s done with a relatively pure intention and a modicum of respect.
  • Be on time (again, whether it’s for a Zoom meeting, a telephone call, or an in-person meeting).
  • Do what you say you’re going to do. If you say you’ll share a link in a follow-up email, share a link in a follow-up email.

Let’s just put it this way: If you meet someone (whether virtually or in-person), you should DO something with that connection! Following up and staying in touch to nurture your relationship is the next natural step.

5. One Final Suggestion

If you’re in job search mode, it’s really important that “what you want to do and why you’re qualified to do it” is apparent on your LinkedIn profile, just as it should be in your cover letter or email. In short, you need to give readers a concise description of why they should contact YOU.

Getting to the Heart of the Matter

The basics of networking are tactical and relatively formulaic; the rules are simple. The more difficult part of networking is getting honest with yourself about what it is you really want to do.

Much has changed in the world in the past two years, and many, many people are seeking greener pastures in their professional lives. Knowing what you want and demonstrating your ability to do it is key to navigating the job market.

/by

Top Interview Tips from a Market Research Industry Expert

Interviewing for a job is demanding, no matter if this is your first job or you’ve switched what feels like 100 times before. Knowing how to prepare, how to act in the interview and what to do post-interview can all feel like too much. And with more and more companies switching to remote market research jobs and interviews, there is another level of complication to things. When interviewing, should you approach it like it’s the same as it’s always been or is it something completely new? Is there a right way to interview? While there may not be, we believe there are some things you can do to ace an interview; it’s never too late to change up your strategy.

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare

Research the Market Research Company

Set aside time before the interview to research the market research company’s hiring process, the role, and people in the company. Sometimes, all you have access to is the job description. Read it. Make sure you fully understand the job you are interviewing for and how you’d be a good fit for the role. You may not know what the company is beforehand, especially when working with a recruiter, but if you do, research that company!

Why Are You Looking for a Role?

It’s okay to be looking for a new role in this booming job economy. Be comfortable with sharing why you are looking; whether you’ve been laid off, you’ve taken off and you are coming back after time off or you are just exploring your options, be ready to talk about it and tell your why.

During the Interview Phase:

When you are in person, it’s easy to know why to be early – you need to be able to park, get to your interview, and not be too stressed or frazzled because you were running around. The rules change however when you are doing an interview virtually. It may seem easy to just get online at the time of the interview but being early is still critical. 

In Virtual Interviews, Make Sure to:

  • Check the meeting time and check again.
  • Give yourself time to prepare your lighting and background.
  • Make sure your internet connection is solid.

You want to make sure you are entering the interview at the correct time – this means checking the timezone – and that the space behind you is free of clutter and distractions. Otherwise, the interviewer may be more concerned about your surroundings than what you have to say. One great way to combat this if you don’t have a good clean wall is to turn on a blur background which most video conferencing systems have available. Also, ensure that you have enough light in front of you – the interviewer wants to see your face, so check that they can. We live in a digital world and when virtually interviewing for market research jobs, messing one of these things up is potentially fatal. 

Game Time

Present Yourself Well

No matter if you’re going into an in-person interview or doing it virtually, iron your clothes, fix your hair and make sure your shirt is free of stains. Even when you take interviews through a computer screen, you want to treat it as if you were meeting the interviewer in-person and presenting yourself well there. 

Share Highlights and Stories Without Overselling Yourself

When questions are asked, slow down and take the time to answer them correctly. Break down your answer. Tell the interviewer the situation and task at hand. Go on to tell them how you resolved the problem and then how that brought you to the result. What did you accomplish? What was your responsibility? You want to sell yourself without overselling. 

Ask the Hard Questions

Be ready to ask hard questions; what is the culture? What are the expectations of management? What direction is the company going in the future? Last but not least, always ask what the next steps are. This interview could lead to a potential career change. It’s more than “oh, this is an exciting opportunity.” Figure out, through questions, if this position is correct for you.

blog top interview tips online

Follow Through

Take Time to Reflect

After the interview, take time to review how it went. How could you do better next time? Are you indeed a good fit for this position? Is the position a good fit for you? Try to fully understand how the interview went – just because an interview took a long time doesn’t mean that it went well. Despite the way many think, the candidate should not be the only one talking. The sign of success in an interview is a connection between interviewer and candidate. Just like in many parts of life, a good connection between the interviewer and candidate provides a better foundation than one person talking for a long time.  

Always Send a Thank You Email

Always, always, ALWAYS send a thank you email after the interview. Go deeper than “thanks for the interview.” Take something away from your self-reflection and point out why you would like to move forward in the interview process. Bring up specifics from your talk with them as well – people remember specifics and by solidifying those details in their minds, you solidify yourself in their minds. And as always, thank the interviewer for their time. 

Based on these Top Interview Tips from a Market Research Industry Expert, whether interviewing in person or virtually you can leave each interview feeling confident when applied. Always remember to show up prepared and leave a positive impression. Reach out today if you’d like more help or want to apply to any of our available positions!

 

find a job buttonbuilding your profile

/by

Matchmaker, Matchmaker…Make Me a (Market Research Job) Match!

If you’ve ever tried to set up a date between two of your friends, you know that it’s not as simple as arbitrarily pairing two single people. When you know that your friend only likes romantic comedies, you’re unlikely to pair them up with a friend who only likes horror movies! Recruitment is a lot like matchmaking in its complexity, and the more specific the field, the harder it is to make good matches. But how can recruiters or companies know these intricate details that can make or break a career? The crucial component (in both cases) is familiarity.

AI…A Great Way to Start, but Finishing Requires Finesse

LinkedIn does a great job of gathering people, sending their profiles and even resumes when requested to companies and recruiters. Recruiters post their jobs for candidates to apply for, but everyone in the world can see them and therefore apply for them.

Despite this possibility, LinkedIn does not automatically show each job to every person on their site but instead works in a smart and efficient manner. Their outreach is not random but targeted to those people who are most likely going to respond. And LinkedIn’s powerful algorithm works really well. When you consider that every company has a slight twist on writing job descriptions, LinkedIn is quite efficient at providing a large pool of candidates.

While being such a good tool, a secondary review can only build upon the success that LinkedIn already has. Someone needs to go through that pool of responses, identify the qualified leads, and then further vet them for initial interviews. It can also be good to have someone review any candidates that LinkedIn may have disqualified a candidate due to a lack of direct skills. That’s the really hard work in recruiting – the work that most HR managers and executives don’t have the time or expertise for – combing through hundreds of candidates to find that one person who is best qualified to do the specified job.

Specialization is the Key to Successful Talent Acquisition

Our key differentiator at Trusted Talent is our long tenure of serving in just one industry: the market research industry. At Trusted Talent, we were all market researchers long before we formed a market research recruitment company. Our depth of knowledge of the industry comes from the broad tenure each of our recruiters has in the industry.

tt-talent-acquisition-partner-leadershp-team
And these are just a few of our many talented recruiters. All our recruiters have previously worked in the industry, both from a perspective of doing the work and hiring/mentoring staff at all levels. 

This experience allows us to subjectively consider candidate qualifications and look outside the box at the way their qualifications might fit together to fulfill position requirements and provide reliable talent. We’ve seen it happen time and time again: a candidate has marketing experience, end client experience, and agency experience – all of the experience surrounding a role – yet they don’t quite match the request. AI could possibly disqualify someone for a lack of direct experience. HR may even overlook them for the sake of time. But with our more tailored approach, we are able to see the potential, present them to our client, and deliver a successful placement.

Taking Advantage of the Matchmaking Ability

The best ways to “get around the algorithm” involve some work from you. Pay attention to who is posting a market research job listing – Trusted Talent posts our own listings on LinkedIn. If you see that the posting seems to come from a recruiter, feel free to reach out directly to that company either in conjunction with an application on LinkedIn or completely separately. A direct connection is always better than throwing your resume into a pile – ESPECIALLY when dealing with recruiters. 

A Deep Bench

As we said, all of our team members at Trusted Talent have worked in market research positions – some for 20 years or more! Due to this experience, we understand what is required from both the company and individual job seeker viewpoints.

This is invaluable, especially when job titles in different companies don’t line up perfectly. To best understand our candidates, we need to break down the deeper meaning of that description to see what skills a certain candidate has and how they align with the job responsibilities in order to determine how qualified that candidate may be.

In the end, having knowledgeable recruiters with actual work experience in the market research industry – who also specialize only in that industry – is the clear pathway to matchmaking magic.

find a job buttonbuilding your profile

/by

First Impressions: How to Stand Out in the Market Research Job Market

Standing out in a crowd of qualified research job applicants can often feel like waiting for rain in the middle of a drought—hopeless and disappointing. There is an abundance of jobs out there and you keep hearing about how it’s a candidate’s market right now. If the market is so good, why do you keep getting overlooked? Before you throw in the towel, take a step back and evaluate yourself. Are you selling yourself well during the application process? Do you have a complete and robust resume, cover letter and LinkedIn profile? If the answer to any of these questions is not a resounding yes, it’s time to reevaluate your market research job hunting approach. First impressions are everything.

What Story Does Your Market Research Resume Tell

Job experience and relevant accolades are great, but how these items are presented is crucial. All positions are different, but what hiring managers are always looking for is a story from candidates to explain why they are the one who best fits the role.  They need a reason to move a candidate along to the interview stage. Ensure that your resume goes in-depth and gets specific about the responsibilities associated with each job title as they are not standard across companies. Send a cover letter with your resume and make sure it illustrates why you’re the right fit for the job. 

Cover letters are not a one-size-fits-all either. A templated cover letter is not going to help you stand out, so make sure that it is tailored to each job you apply for to show that you have an understanding of the company and the position. Additionally, ensure details that would come across as red flags to hiring managers are addressed in your cover letter as well. Say you’ve changed research jobs every year for the last few years. Why is that? Explaining and covering your bases beforehand can ensure that no confidence is lost in you despite these potential red flags. Remember, hiring managers are looking for reasons to reject you. Why should you be a ‘yes’ instead of a ‘no’?

Tailor Your LinkedIn Profile

Your LinkedIn Profile needs to be as robust as your resume. In fact, consider putting a copy of your market research resume in your LinkedIn profile and editing it regularly. The purpose of a LinkedIn Profile is to be a resource for recruiters and hiring managers to learn more about who a candidate is, how well connected they are and how well-equipped they are for a job. If you claim to have “ABC” credentials yet you are not connected to anyone in the industry with the same credentials, that damages your credibility. With credibility in mind, here are some LinkedIn rules of thumb:

  • LinkedIn connections matter. Connect with relevant professionals in the research industry. Recruiters want to see if you’re connected to mutual industry professionals.
  • Job descriptions matter. Job titles are not universal and do not entail a universal set of responsibilities. Elaborate on your duties and responsibilities in your LinkedIn experience descriptions. Be specific! That’s what the description section is there for.
  • LinkedIn endorsements are not crucial. While positive endorsements on LinkedIn are great, don’t put too much emphasis on them. Recruiters don’t use these like they would use reviews on Airbnb. Reference checking is part of the hiring process–not the job candidate searching process.
  • Keywords matter. Integrating keywords related to jobs you’re applying to in your LinkedIn profile is key. Use them in your market research resume as well!
  • Timing matters. Mass connecting with company employees on LinkedIn during the application process can feel like spam and might muddy the waters. Wait until you’re through to the interviewing process to connect with company employees.

market research jobs

Know What You Want

What do you want and why are you qualified to do it? The better a candidate can answer these questions, the easier it is for recruiters to define your candidate profile and find a research job that fits. After all, it’s a recruiter’s job to help you find a job opening that matches your needs, qualifications and desires. If someone can define what they want and prove that they can do it, recruiters can find the right research job for them. Know your value as a candidate, and do not be afraid to show it.

Recruiters are a great way to connect with jobs and find that perfect fit – it’s what they do all day every day. Trusted Talent has the skills and experience to match the right candidates with the right roles, but even we will ask some things of you to help set you up for success. Ensure that you know what you want, can easily define it and can fully illustrate what you already can and have done. Once you know these things, and have an updated and complete LinkedIn profile, you can expect a great journey from there.

find a job buttonbuilding your profile

/by

The Insights Industry – A Candidate’s Market

It’s not always a candidate’s market, but 2022 certainly is the year of the candidate. This has many implications for employees – not only is it a fantastic time to look for new opportunities, but candidates can be choosy about their next step. Interviewing is as much, if not more, about finding the right company for the candidate as it is about finding the right candidate for the company and now is the perfect time to take advantage of that, no matter what level of a company you fall in.

Why it is a Candidate’s Market

In 2020 and early 2021, companies stopped hiring or even reduced their teams as a result of the pandemic and some pauses on research – especially in-person research. Later in 2021 and now into 2022, every company is hiring. Many things have changed in the insights industry since early 2020 from the perspective of how we work, to increasing valuation of the industry and more.

Team Replacement

Many teams lost researchers during the pandemic due to downsizing required, or people leaving for their own family needs. This is especially true in industries like hospitality. Now that things are returning to pre-pandemic levels and companies are looking forward, they need to re-staff to ensure they can handle all of the work. Companies are hiring to catch up to the level that they were at before COVID losses.

Valuation Increasing

Not only are market research companies valuing each other at $1 billion, but investors and outsiders are seeing market research as a valuable asset. SAP, an investment firm, purchased Qualtrics for $8 billion in 2018. Qualtrics then went public in 2021 just two years later and from its IPO resulted in stock prices that show it was worth $27 billion. Researchers used to be seen as people more on the fringe of marketing and business, but today they are revered. Data is important and those that can obtain and analyze quality data are worth their weight in gold.

woman working at home at her market research jobs

Remote Work

In a world before the pandemic, working in an office at a physical location was the norm. Companies limited their applicant pool to only those that lived in their area or would be willing to move to their location. Now that remote work is becoming more and more prevalent, the applicant pool gets much larger. This works both ways, meaning that candidates can apply for jobs in places they do not live and would not move to. There is also another side of this which is that most companies are offering remote work, so candidates can use that to their advantage in negotiations or in their job search to help define what they want.

Selling Your Experience and Getting the Most Out of a Role

Most companies start looking for junior staff as there are more available positions at that level. But in a market like this, there are openings for people at every level. The best thing to do, no matter your length of experience, is talk with a prospective employer and see where they can be flexible. Most companies cannot fill all of the roles they have available so you may be able to negotiate. Look for flexibility in requirements such as tenure or salary and benefits given your match to the role.

If You’re New to Market Research

Sometimes companies are hesitant to consider candidates that don’t have formal market research backgrounds. This isn’t the best news if you’re looking to break into the industry. However, there are many transferable skills that hiring managers may be looking for – data visualization, data analysis, SaaS technologies and the like. Even things like sociology and anthropology transfer to market research very well. There are many different methodologies in the industry and therefore many different skills that can transfer. You know your value, so be sure to communicate with specific examples and stories that show it off.

The Most Important Thing in a Job Search – Culture and Values

A cultural fit is a critical part of evaluating a company. A lot can be learned about culture based on how they act and treat you during the interview process. How easy was it to get a meeting set up, how well did the meeting go? How did you feel at the end of the interview process? How a company treats you during the interview process is how they will treat you in the job – things don’t tend to change once you get the job. To think even deeper, candidates need to think about not just a culture fit, but a culture add. This goes beyond the thought process of how you fit in with a company culture, but if you can bring anything to the table in this environment to improve and build upon what’s already there.

Corporate Social Responsibility

There are many aspects of not just culture but fundamental company values that impact employees on a day to day basis. Diversity and inclusion is something that has always been important but is being talked about more and more. It is important to evaluate a company and truly understand whether they walk the walk or if they just talk the talk. Look for diversity in leadership, not just in the first few levels of the organization. Understand if a company puts money behind their values and initiatives. Ask about a diversity and inclusion business resource group or committee and what it is that they have accomplished. There are many ways to evaluate diversity and inclusion and do not take everything a company says at face value, but dive deeper yourself.

Companies have values in a similar way to people – values such as sustainability, improving labor policies, fighting childhood hunger and general support of volunteering. Because companies have values and initiatives they support, things like these are greatly important to consider when evaluating a position. A candidate with a strong affinity for volunteerism may choose to go with a company that offers time off for volunteering, while someone who feels sustainability is critical may choose a company that has made a public promise to help the environment. Dynata for example has committed to a reforestation initiative and has already planted over 40,000 trees – they have both the stated value and have clearly demonstrated that they are capable of walking the walk.

Man at a conference talking with market research recruiters

Networking and In-Person Events

Networking is a critical part of building your professional career – especially when job hunting. This doesn’t stop when you’ve hit a certain level of seniority but should continue for the length of a person’s career – networking can always be game-changing. Social media platforms like LinkedIn, virtual meetups, or in-person events are all great methods of connecting with others in the insights industry. The Quirks Event is a great example of a cost effective and value rich networking opportunity. There are not only great speakers and presentations, but numerous networking opportunities at booths, happy hours, and other outside events. Conferences are also a great way to network and look for new opportunities without jeopardizing your current position. People go to conferences for a wide variety of reasons and even talking to an insights recruiter at a conference doesn’t mean that you’re looking for a new position.

What Does All of This Mean?

In the Market Research industry now there are not enough candidates and too many companies hiring, so your value is at an all-time high. If you are a candidate, you should be encouraged. Now is a great time to look and as long as you have a healthy attitude about yourself and what you want, you will find the right thing. It can be hard to keep a positive attitude and stay excited to talk to people on the phone, but the market for jobs doesn’t get any better than it is now.

Trusted Talent is the expert in the market research industry when it comes to matching candidates with job opportunities. Not only have we been doing this for 6 years, but every member of our team has worked in the industry, up to senior level positions in sample companies and consumer insights teams. We truly understand the needs and skills required for positions of every level as we’ve done it, hired it, and supervised it to truly understand who succeeds and who doesn’t. Given this experience, the recruiters at Trusted Talent are able to see the benefits of the skills that AI systems deem irrelevant. Review our list of open positions or create a candidate profile to get started with the true industry experts today.

 

find a job buttonbuilding your profile

/by

Quirk’s 2019 and The Undeniable Value of Attending Industry Events

The 2019 Quirk’s Event conferences have come and gone. While the excitement of these illustrious market research industry events begins to settle, the impact that the event made on the MR community will carry on through the rest of the year.

Every researcher that attended this year’s event (or any of the Quirk’s Events of the past) will tell you the same –  the environment that is created by Quirk’s is undeniably important to the industry.

The ideas discussed, networking opportunities, and learning experiences that the event provides help to drive the growth and development of our industry and allows us to stay connected in the busy world of MR.

In this blog, we will discuss the Quirk’s Event as a whole, as well as highlight some of this year’s key discussion points, to keep you in the know and (hopefully) influence you to attend one of the conferences next season.

The Importance of Attending Industry Events

These days, it’s hard to get an in-person meeting with just about anyone, let alone in an industry like market research where everything is moving at such a rapid pace.

Thanks to technology, you no longer have to physically meet with someone to have a meeting. Visual meeting apps such as Zoom, GoToMeeting, and Slack have bridged the gap, allowing us to meet at any time from any location.

The reality is face-to-face meetings just don’t happen anymore. While this is convenient for quickly passing information between two parties, it creates a problem that tends to go unnoticed—relationships are becoming less personal.

And yet, for many, attending industry events is the only way they get to see the people they work with on a daily basis.

Aside from seeing familiar faces, the other (and possibly more important) reason that you should attend conferences like Quirk’s is the opportunity to meet someone new – whether it’s a potential new client or someone to discuss new business ideas with. Networking is the name of the game when it comes to conferences.

While there are many ways to connect and meet new people, there is no denying that meeting someone for the first time is going to be more impactful and more memorable if it’s in person.

The Undeniable Value of The Quirk’s Event

There are hundreds of conferences that one can attend if they are trying to get the latest in the market research industry. So why choose The Quirk’s Event?

Here’s what Quirk’s has done that sets them apart from other similar conferences:

Quirk’s has two audiences – Researchers and Vendors – and they have done an excellent job of providing a balance that benefits both groups. While the vendors sponsor and fund the event, the cost of The Quirk’s Event is low enough that it remains valuable for them to do so.

The economical nature of Quirk’s is the biggest reason for it’s popularity. While other events provide similar information about the industry, Quirk’s provides the same information at a much lower cost –  making it accessible, driving a large audience, and providing greater networking opportunities.

Another thing that makes Quirk’s such an amazing event to attend is the quality of the content. Presentations are not sales pitches. This keeps the information more relevant and prevents anyone from being overly self-promoting.

At Quirk’s, if you want to sell, the best way to go about it is to get your client (a researcher) to tell your story to the public. The promotion of your business from your clients speaks volumes to other potential clients, and it provides a “sales pitch” that doesn’t feel like you are soliciting business from someone who is just trying to enjoy their time at the conference.

What We Learned at The 2019 Quirk’s Event

This year’s event covered a lot of information, and amongst all the emerging themes, there was one theme that stood out from the rest.

The industry is constantly moving, and the major shift that we are seeing now will have major implications on the future.

Big brands are starting to insource more. Instead of hiring a large company to do every part of a study, these enterprises are now breaking their research into pieces. They are doing the work in-house and bringing in the tools and consultants they need to get the insights they are looking for.

This is changing the dynamic of our industry very dramatically. The most valuable companies are the ones creating tools that allow for DIY research – it’s DIY with services if you will.

The second part of this change is the consolidation of the industry. Big companies such as Dynata have acquired dozens of smaller companies, allowing them to run more efficiently. However, while these big companies are focused on themselves, their customers feel like they’re being ignored.

It has created a vacuum. Companies that once used one of the acquired businesses that have been bought out are now looking for a replacement team, creating opportunities all over for new businesses to come in and meet their research needs.

And from a hiring perspective, the talent within the industry is moving around as well. This has created an influx in the gig economy with several talented researchers looking to be hired by the highest bidder.

Conclusion

Industry events help us stay connected and keep a pulse on the market research industry. Without them, relationships would become nothing more than an email thread and the occasional video chat. Aside from all of the professional advantages that come with attending events like Quirk’s, there’s one thing we’ve yet to mention…they are fun!

If you’ve never been we really hope that you consider attending in 2020. You won’t want to miss what’s in store for the next year of market research.

BONUS: If you are a first-time conference goer, here is our best piece of advice for getting the most out of the event.

If you are sitting with someone you know, you’re doing it wrong. These events are all about networking, and there are plenty of opportunities to talk to new people. Exhibit halls, seminars, cocktail events, and meal functions are all great places to begin creating new relationships. So don’t be shy, get out there and start connecting.

See you next year!

 

Knowing how to hire is one thing, but who you should hire can be tough.
That’s why we took our market research expertise and created this short quiz.

Take the Quiz CTA

Who is going to make the biggest impact on your team? Take the quiz and find out today!

/by