by Cameron Smith

Nothing can go up forever. There will always be peaks and valleys. What goes up must come down. These are some of the clichés we hear from people trying to explain the job market in Vendorville.

The supplier free agent market is in a period of correction, and that’s not a bad thing. That does not mean there is job shrinkage. As a matter of fact, there are several reasons for the correction. The obvious are related to U.S. and global economics.

But locally what seems to be a shortage of vendor positions is really the number of people applying for them. These jobs attract the hundreds of people trying to break into this market and – drum solo please – the hundreds of Wal-Mart associates who have been laid off or have been asked to re-interview for other positions within Wal-Mart. Most of these people are from the Apparel Division. So do the math. This will sort itself out in time.

The correction part of this has to do with inflated salaries, perks and job hopping. Consolidation will play a big part as there seems to be something in the air again with regard to companies joining hands with mergers and buyouts. When this happens you usually have whales swallowing guppies. Some of the guppies will receive packages and on the job market they go.

There has to be a correction with regard to compensation. Analysts who have leveraged their way to the $70K+ range might have to hover there awhile. The NorthWest Arkansas Community College Marketing Analysts and new graduates with college internships under their belt are giving the hiring managers options other than upping the ante.

Some uninformed team leaders and HR departments have pointed the finger at recruiters in this market. But it is the vendor managers themselves who are fighting internally because they are trying to buy themselves category advisorship or buyer relationships. I know relationships are taboo – or are they? It’s all about relationships. People do business with people, not brands. The suppliers who have had a VMI or Supplier of the Year become a brand themselves, and a free agent market will value those accomplishments.

Bottom line, the big companies are all here. The small and medium size companies will still find their way to Bentonville. It will never be robust spikes we have seen in the past, but there will be a steady stream.