Recruiting in 2019

The UK Report on Job for 2018 has been published and unfortunately the trend for less people actively looking to change roles is looking like it’ll continue through 2019.

The Report on Jobs is unique in providing the most comprehensive guide to the UK labour market, drawing on original survey data provided by recruitment consultancies and employers to provide the first indication each month of labour market trends. The REC and KPMG, UK Report on Jobs is compiled by IHS Markit from responses to questionnaires sent to a panel of around 400 UK recruitment and employment consultancies. 

Recruitment agencies signalled a further marked decline in the availability of candidates at the end of the year. The deterioration in permanent labour supply quickened since the previous month, while short-term staff numbers fell at a softer but still marked rate.

Low candidate supply weighed on permanent staff appointments during December. Though solid, the rate of expansion was the softest seen in 20 months. Temp billings meanwhile rose at a sharper rate, one that picked up from November's joint 25-month low.

Vacancies rose for both permanent and temporary roles across the UK at the end of 2018. Notably, growth of demand for both types of worker was much stronger than seen on average over the survey's 21-year history.

If you are currently recruiting, here are few suggestions

Be prepared to snap up a good candidate quickly

Be flexible, with salary, benefits, flexible working hours.

Don’t try to find the impossible, too many skills in one person.

Work out your essential job requirements and train the rest in the job.

Interview out of hours.

Make sure you present your company well on-line.

Why you should use a Recruiter Specialist

They will understand your role and company and find you the best candidates.

They are like to have access to candidate who are passively looking rather than actively job hunting.

Good relationship builders will know how to best describe your role to potential candidates, enticing them to apply.

They will nurture the relationship through the process to help prevent counter offers.

The report also concluded…

Demand for workers generally outstripped supply, starting pay continued to increase sharply for both permanent and short-term workers in December. The rate of starting salary inflation was among the quickest seen for over three years, while temp pay growth also remained sharp by historical standards.

The South of England saw by far the sharpest increase in permanent staff appointments, while relatively mild expansions were seen across the remaining three English regions.

 All four monitored English regions registered marked increases in temp billings at the end of 2018, led by the South of England.

The steepest increases in demand were seen for temporary and permanent private sector workers. In the public sector, permanent staff vacancies expanded at a quicker pace, while demand for short-term staff rose at a softer but still solid rate.

 Accounting & Financial and Engineering were the most in-demand categories for permanent staff at the end of 2018. Nonetheless, marked increases in vacancies were also seen across all other monitored sectors.

 Blue Collar remained at the top of the rankings for temporary/contract staff demand during December. Short-term vacancies also rose across all of the other nine monitored categories. The slowest increase was seen for Executive/Professional staff. 

To read more

https://www.rec.uk.com/news-and-policy/press-releases/low-candidate-availability-weighs-on-permanent-placement-growth-at-end-of-2018