The recovery of the Brazilian economy – even if at a slow pace – the first half of 2024 is reflecting positively in various activities, how, for example, in the warming of the leadership hiring market for companies. According to a survey conducted by EXEC, company specialized in the selection and development of senior executives and advisors, sectors that hold an important share of the country's GDP, like industry and services, registered significant growth – 50% and 45%, respectively – in the index of admission of new executives for C-Level positions and management in the annual comparison. However, markets like retail, logistics and agribusiness remained stable with a slight trend of deceleration
According to Alexandre Zuvela, partner of EXEC, the survey brings good news, it points out that companies are starting to hire leaders again after a turbulent environment with last year's government change. The industrial and services sectors experienced a difficult year in 2023, accounting for a modest growth, resulting from factors such as uncertainty in the direction of the economy, the country's interest rate still at high levels, what increases production and operation costs, high delinquency and indebtedness of families, among other factors. However, in 2024, it seems that this reflection has become a little softer, with a more encouraging perspective for the future, what has encouraged industries from various sectors to hire new executives, evaluate
According to data from the Monthly Industrial Survey (PIM), produced by IBGE, the sector closed 2023 with an expansion of 0,2%, signaling stability. For this year, the outlook is more optimistic. According to projections from the National Confederation of Industry (CNI), industrial GDP is expected to grow 2,1%, well above the result of the previous period
In relation to the universe of services, responsible for 70% of GDP and considered one of the most important engines of the Brazilian economy, Zuvela believes that the favorable winds blowing in favor of the advancement of the activity are an important incentive for investment in hiring new leadership. "Just like the other markets", the services sector was affected by the pandemic, but shows strong resilience. In the last three years, remained in growth, something that had not happened since 2014, bringing new horizons for companies and, consequently, for the executives who work in this activity, highlights the specialist, citing data from IBGE, what, among them, highlighted an increase of 2,3% for the sector last year
For 2024, still with some challenges to be overcome, the estimate is that the expansion of activity will be slightly smaller, of 1,9%, according to the projection of the National Confederation of Commerce, Bens, Services and Tourism (CNC), while the country's GDP is expected to expand 2,5%, according to information from the most recent Macrofiscal Bulletin released by the Economic Policy Secretariat (SPE) of the Ministry of Finance
Industry: construction and machinery and equipment
The EXEC survey indicated that the strong increase in the hiring of executives in the industry in the first six months of 2024 was heavily influenced by movements in the construction and real estate markets, and of machines and equipment, which recorded an increase of 75% compared to the first half of 2023. The real estate market breathes a little more easily, motivated by the continuous evolution of hiring, positive expectations of companies for the purchase of properties and launches, in addition to the positive growth projection for the sector in 2024, with the new guidelines for the My House My Life program. The Brazilian Chamber of Construction Industry (CBIC) revised the growth forecast for the sector's GDP for this year, of 1,3% for 2,3%
Regarding the machinery and equipment industry, the partner of EXEC emphasizes that the sector is experiencing a moment of modernization of production and products, motivated by the advancement of digitalization, what demands well-prepared leaders to orchestrate this movement. On the other hand, still faces some challenges, such difficulties in importation and high costs
Already sectors like health, pharmacist, education and IT remained stable regarding the admission of new leadership during the period, according to the EXEC document
Service sector
The survey also highlighted that the search for new leaders in the service market was driven by different factors, among them the return of in-person activities in the post-pandemic, including leisure and socialization activities, improvement in consumer confidence, with an improvement in the economic scenario, increase in household income and a greater propensity to consume and an increase in the information technology sector with the adoption of new technologies and artificial intelligence
Zuvela points out that the combination of these factors has led the service sector to seek more innovation and new leaders to command the new waves of evolution in the sector. They are leaders prepared to deal with the digital world, with the disruption and motivation of their teams to think outside the box, highlights
For the EXEC specialist, the hiring of leaders in these activities should remain strong in the coming months. "The highest demand for executives tends to remain", because we must continue with a reasonable growth of economic activity, a scenario of greater digitalization and the improvement in family income in the coming, what incurs new opportunities for leadership within the sector, concludes
