ClickAJob News

In order to survive the economic downturn managers need to have a positive outlook, new research has suggested.

A survey from the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM) which questioned chief executive officers found that 80 per cent of leaders are optimistic about their business prospects.

Those polled also claim that a positive outlook from their management teams is one of the top characteristics needed if they want to make it though the recession.

Over a quarter of respondents also thought that communications skills are important.

Penny de Valk, chief executive of ILM, said: "There is no margin for error during a recession. In a highly competitive economic environment, organisations need their managers to have every advantage possible."

A spokesperson for ClickAJob points out that jobseekers have to be equally positive.

"They're in a selling situation," he says. "But too few jobseekers use proven selling tactics to get themselves hired."

"For instance, a practiced salesman knows it can take 200 pitches before achieving any result," he observes.

"Which means a serious job hunter should expect to apply for a similar number of jobs before getting even an email acknowledgement."

"It's not personal, it's just the way business works - there's a job out there as long as you persist," he concludes.

In related news, the Chartered Management Institute believes that firms need to invest in more management training in order to pull them out of the recession.