Lucy Rider’s Post

Recruitment Market Insights 2024 has been one of the most challenging years I've seen within my (nearly!) 23 year recruitment career. If you are finding your job search is taking longer than you'd planned, this article on the Broster Buchanan website with my current market insights may provide some reasons behind the challenges. Please do get in touch if I can help guide your search to find a new role or indeed make a key hire into your team. 📞 0113 868 0884 📱 07986 549 758 📧 [email protected] #FinanceRecruitment #FinanceRecruitmentYorkshire #YorkshireFinanceJobs #MarketInsights

May Recruitment Market update: Year on year comparisons in recruitment can be the most confusing at this time of year because of where Easter falls. April this year was very busy and the second best month ever at RBR. However with Easter in March this year (and March 2023 being our 3rd best ever month), a look at the two month trend is probably more helpful to compare like with like. In this regard the trend is still on an upward trajectory by 20%. Actually an encouraging sign for the jobs market. Q2 in 2023 was when the pinch in demand for jobs starting to become more noticeable. Our market trackers for Essex, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Norfolk, show the overall number of vacancies lowering between April and December 2023, before stabilising in 2024. Not at the high levels of 2021/2022, but these were record job numbers and unsustainable. What we seem to have at the moment is more of an equilibrium in the market between quality vacancies and availability of high caliber candidates. Something of a happy medium of it being both a good time to recruit for companies, as well as being a good time for candidates to be looking at their next career option. In particular we are seeing spikes in demand for Temporary and Interim roles, reflecting that businesses are still running very lean and are using temporary options to cover their own demand spikes, or to cover permanent roles whilst they are recruiting. Marketing and Sales roles are picking up considerably in demand, another positive sign of more green shoots for businesses. Whilst Accountancy is very active at the newly qualified, part qualified levels, but also we are seeing many more senior leadership roles at Finance Director and Finance Controller emerging as well. As ever this market analysis comes with the caveat that it could just be us, and Rutherford Briant's experience of the market. We do have a superb team who are breaking personal and team records since the start of 2024, and who between them have an incredible amount of experience in our markets. But we do build very close relationships with our clients and candidates in the region, as well as a respectful eye on other recruiters, so cautious optimism for Q2 and the year ahead is hopefully justified. #Recruitment #Essex #Suffolk #Cambridgeshire #Norfolk

Following the Summer there it is fair to say that there is a degree of confusion about the state of the employment market. With some of the larger national recruitment agencies reporting poor H1 results and a pessimistic outlook for the rest of 2024, you could be forgiven for thinking this isnt a great time for job seekers. However there are many challenger businesses and independent recruitment businesses that are doing extremely well in this period. Fortunately Rutherford Briant Recruitment falls into this category. Over July and August we have a dramatic increase in performance relative to the same period last year. Our Accountancy team has seen a 25% increase in business, Public Practice up by 10%, Our newer divisions of Marketing, Technology and HR have also been thriving. Meanwhile our executive recruitment team have been performing very strongly all year. In particular we are seeing lots of movement at Director and Partner level within Accountancy Practices. Regional data shows that numbers of vacancies' being advertised across Essex and Suffolk has fallen across the summer and relative to the same period last year. Nationally, data shows that job vacancies are similar to pre-pandemic 2019 levels. A period thought of as a relatively 'normal' job market. Perhaps all that has happened is a return to normal, but businesses have got so used to swings in demand and the extraordinary market conditions of 2020-2023, that normal has taken them all by surprise. Regardless, employers and job seekers should be encouraged and reassured that there is a healthy balance of jobs and quality candidates out there. It isnt easy, but as with anything, if it was easy everyone would be doing it! My best advice would be to avoid any recruitment agency giving any negative vibes about the market. Find a recruitment partner who has already adapted to a changing, challenging but 'normal' market and is delivering right now, not last year!

If you're wondering what the current recruitment market looks like? Toby Briant gives a great "behind the curtain" look at what the past few months have looked like here at Rutherford Briant Recruitment and what you can expect for the rest of the year. #recruitmentmarket #recruitment #summerupdate

Not long ago, candidates competed with one another for jobs. Now employers compete against other employers for well-qualified candidates. A case in point: Recently, we conducted a search for senior financial professionals for a client. After a three-month search, our client made highly competitive offers to two early-career, high-potential individuals. Only after these offers were made did we discover that both individuals were considering competing job offers from other companies. It shouldn’t have surprised us: it happens often. In the end, what our client did to get these candidates to accept their offer was impressive. First, they sought to understand the situation from the candidates’ perspective. Not once did they adopt a “take or leave it” attitude toward their job offer. Instead, they met face-to-face with each individual to develop a clear understanding of what each candidate valued. Through these discussions, they uncovered each of the candidate’s motivations. They found that compensation, while important, was not their primary factor when considering job offers. Although our client did increase the offers by a couple of thousand dollars in the end, acceptance of these offers was not based on money. They also discovered that each individual’s key concern revolved around their career advancement, specifically how they would develop new skills and experiences that would boost their careers over time. Our client could map a career path for the next three years with this knowledge. They spoke of new learning, added job responsibilities, training opportunities, and anticipated promotions. As both individuals were still early in their careers, this information was valuable to them in their decision-making. Our client also discovered how important flexibility was to these individuals. They learned that working a hybrid model (working partly from home and partly from the office) was preferable and built a work schedule that accommodated both the company and the candidates. The final thing our client did — which was very impressive — demonstrated that they really wanted the candidates to join their company. They displayed interest, sincerity, and enthusiasm toward the candidates. They even met with them after-hours, in coffee shops near the candidates’ homes, instead of having the candidate go to their offices. They did a series of small things that showed interest, and the candidates learned that this employer really wanted them. In the end, it worked. Both candidates accepted and joined the company. Strong candidates have many choices, and all employers must understand that the old rules no longer apply. To be effective at attraction and retention and be a workplace candidates want to join and stay, you have to compete against all these choices.

We're still riding a rollercoaster of an employment market. March shows a fifth consecutive month of falling vacancies across all sectors (some individual sectors are showing some vacancy growth). There is increasing competition amongst jobseekers. If you're struggling with your job search, or you could do with some pointers and resources to focus, here is a link to a short article written at the start of the year by Archers Recruitment Group Technology And Finance Principal Recruiter & Director, Kenny McAllister. Your Job Search Strategy In Seven Steps - https://shorturl.at/bkQU2 Kenny is an expert in Technology & Finance recruitment but the principles hold true across most sectors. #archerstechnology #archersfinance #recruitment #employment https://lnkd.in/d_DzZJiZ

Thames Valley Recruitment Market Update September 2024 August was one of our strongest months of the year so far in terms of placing people into roles. This was in part thanks to the strong uptick in jobs we were instructed on in the second half of July. Here’s some of our insights into the market in August: Market Quietness in August: As anticipated, August saw a slowdown in new job instructions, primarily due to the summer holidays. This is consistent with previous years where hiring activity tends to decelerate as both employers and candidates take time off. However, the groundwork laid in late July, when we saw a surge in new job openings, ensured that the month wasn’t without its successes. Strong Placement Performance: The quietness in new job instructions didn’t stop us from delivering strong results. Thanks to the momentum gained in late July, we were able to finalise a significant number of placements throughout August. This trend underscores the importance of capitalising on periods of increased activity to drive sustained performance, even during typically slower months. Looking Ahead to September: September will be a pivotal month for the Thames Valley finance and accountancy recruitment market. As we move past the inconsistent summer holiday months, September will likely set the tone for the remainder of the year. This month will provide valuable insights into market conditions as businesses ramp up their activities and hiring managers return to full swing. If you are looking for a new role or ready to hire into your team, feel free to get in touch - [email protected]

The job market is facing a renewed downturn as hiring freezes and cost-cutting measures take hold amidst economic uncertainty. Recruitment analysts have reported a significant decline in permanent job placements, marking the fifth consecutive month of contraction, according to the latest UK Report on Jobs from KPMG and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation. How is the current market affecting you? Are you seeking work or looking to hire? And have you seen a growth in temporary staff within your organisation? The Oxfordshire market continues to have a range of opportunities across a variety of sectors, if you are actively seeking work or looking to hire please give me a call on 01865 793600 for a confidential conversation. https://bit.ly/49BWtid #ReedBusinessSupport #JobMarket #PermanentJob #Hiring #Economy

The vast majority of job seekers or recruiters I speak to at the moment have highlighted to me how challenging the job market has been in 2024. I've now been recruiting for nearly 23 years and this is my toughest year to date! That said we had a positive month in August and it feels like the winds of change are drawing in. So...if you are looking to hire, it's a good time to do so as your role will get more airtime from job seekers at the moment. And if you are looking for a job, then it's a good time to look as we are working with some really interesting clients and whilst you might not have 6 - 10 job offers to choose from as you might have done in 2021 or 2022, you can only be in one place at once and you only need one well matched role! What are you seeing in the market - is it all sunshine and roses, or are you finding things a challenge? Has it turned in the past couple of weeks? This report does suggest in the North there have been some regional differences. ☎ 0113 868 0884 📲 07983 549 758 📧 [email protected] #JobMarket #FinanceRecruitmentYorkshire #FinanceJobsYorkshire

As we hit the mid-year point in 2024 it is worth reflecting on H1 as well as the June recruitment market. June was another busy month at Rutherford Briant Recruitment. Our 4th best ever. But the overall recruitment market has been a bit more hesitant overall with the numbers of vacancies advertised slightly down across the region. This may be a reflection of a 'wait and see' attitude in the markets in general due to the uncertainty of the forthcoming election. The market hot spots over the last month have been: 🌶 Strategic senior hires in Finance at Financial Controller and Finance Director level 🌶 High demand for Managers, Senior Managers, Director's and Partners within public practice Some of the key trends from Jan to June in the market in Essex, Suffolk and East Anglia: 👨💻 The numbers of jobs advertised have been fairly static since the start of the year. No significant increases or decreases across all markets 👩🏫 Like for like job data analysis shows jobs advertised in 2024 20% lower than in the corresponding period in 2023 and 34% lower than 2022 👨🏫 These falls are from an all time peak so are more of a return to 'normal' levels of recruitment experienced pre-Covid than a weak jobs market 👨💻 RBR have had a record H1. Demand for Temps and Senior level hires in particular have been very high. 👩💻 All our divisions across Accountancy, Tax, Public Practice, Marketing, Technology, Executive, HR and Interim are performing ahead of target and previous years. Overall the market remains robust across the region. Anecdotally there are many businesses performing extremely well and potentially deferring recruitment until after the election. As we move into Q3 it is likely we will see a small but steady increase in job roles, although demand for the best candidates never goes away!