What You Need To Know About The Recruitment Markets And Current Trends

The recruitment industry is in good health, with a growing economy, strong candidate mobility, and a healthy increase in jobs. With another half million jobs predicted to boost the UK job market this year, recruiters stand to enjoy a positive 2016.

But the way we recruit is changing. Technology is changing, expectations of candidates are changing, and the experiences of clients are changing too as the war for talent continues unabated.

As a recruiter, it’s vital to understand the market in order to identify new trends and adapt our recruitment strategies to stay ahead of the game. So we’ve put together some of the analysis and predictions in the HR market for 2016.

Some of the trends recruiters need to be aware of in 2016

1. CIPD, the professional body for HR and people development, predicts that another half a million jobs will be added to the workforce in 2016. If this eventuates, UK unemployment will be at its lowest rate since 2005.

2. There will be a continued increase in contract work and flexible work.

3. The increase in jobs will increase competition for talent, thereby pushing down acceptance rates.

4. Employees are increasingly driven by benefits, flexible working conditions and culture over salary.

5. Wage increases are pegged by the CIPD to remain quite low, at around 2%, although the government predicts wage increases of 3.5% in 2016. Because inflation is tipped to remain very low at 1%, employees will still feel the benefit of a 2% increase. Those in the market for top talent can expect to offer significantly more to lure top-tier candidates.

6. While the skills crunch will continue to affect certain industries negatively, such as construction, the CIPD does not predict harmful skill shortages across most other industries in 2016 due to high levels of net migration.

7. The CIPD is predicting that poor productivity growth will remain the biggest risk to the UK’s long-term economic prospects, so productivity will continue to be a major recruitment buzzword in 2016.

8. Employer branding will remain a major factor in attracting top talent. Companies without a strong public brand should invest time and money into growing this important aspect of their recruitment strategy.

9. Candidates increasingly demand that recruitment sites are easy to navigate, responsive and allow job applications to be submitted remotely.

10. LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter are increasingly used by recruiters to advertise job vacancies and vet candidates, and the extent to which they rely on these methods is predicted to rise further in 2016.

11. Company social media use is also continuing to rise rapidly, which will affect how companies recruit, as well as requiring the candidates to increasingly tech-savvy.

Recruiters who want to become top billers in 2016 must know the market they’re operating in. Those wanting to know more should keep abreast of the latest labour reports and trend forecasts by professional bodies such as the CIPD, and get involved in industry forums. This proactive approach will give you the information to advise your clients and candidates well in the current job market and into the future.

Until next time,

Cheryl