Expectations for Q4
- 2016 will remain consistent for HR generalist appointments both FTC and perm
- FMCG,retail and manufacturing are key focus areas
- Senior appointments made within Further Education will bolster future team growth
- Shared service models continue to be a focus for financial services and large private sector businesses
- High demand for a strong ER and case management skill sets
What HR skills are employers currently struggling to find & why?
With year-end fast approaching, comp and bens/reward remains a challenging skill to source for many organisation’s, particularly north of the border.
One way clients are strengthening their proposition is to advertise their role as permanent rather than an FTC, eliminating the higher daily contract rates. We’re just not seeing that try before you buy mentality with employers wanting to bring in and secure the right skills now rather than later.
In Scotland, there is a higher percentage of immediately available candidates. We’re not seeing the flip from FTC to perm as much. Contractors will really have to think about their day rate options or potentially look to more permanent opportunities.
We’ve also seen increased demand for candidates with EMEA knowledge, especially prevalent in financial services and the private sector. This is particularly appealing in light of the recent Brexit decision as teams brace themselves for the as yet, unknown employment implications of the UK exit.
Across the UK the market remains incredibly competitive. Translated into practice, this means that clients are being very specific about what they want leaving no margin for error. Recruitment budgets are tight and the pressure for HR teams to get appointments right first time is on. If this sounds familiar, read our cost of a bad hire blog.
Where are the growth areas?
Learning and Development continues its upward trajectory, with a specific focus on delivery trainers seen in Scotland.
Across England and Scotland, we’re seeing a growth in demand for L&D roles with a talent bias as teams focus on retention and strengthening their talent pipelines.
Across the board, aggressive buybacks are on the rise as employers look to hold on to their talent. If you need advice on how to deal with a counter offer you can check out our blog here.
Graduate recruitment has seen a slight uplift both across east and west Scotland with an increased level of senior appointments. Starting to see in England as well.
Across the England regional hubs, FMCG and retail roles continue to pick up - this coupled with Construction and Property.
Since January HR roles in Construction and Property have been on the rise. We’ve seen this peak in Q3 and this trend is set to continue into 2017.
Bucking the trend from the earlier hiatus this year, legal and professional services are quieter. We have however seen this market pick up outside of HR and we expect this, and the permanent market, to follow suit. We expect this to pick up again at the start of 2017.
What are the roles in demand?
As businesses continue the mantra of a ‘consultative approach’ across their organisations, the trend to appoint HR Business Partners remains key across the whole market.
As employers look towards their 2017 plans, HR Transactional appointments (HR Admin) have also increased within the FTC market.
What other trends have you seen in the jobs market?
There’s been a slight increase in the senior HR market, particularly across Further and Higher education.
In-house recruitment models are being strengthened at an operational level with many appointments at mid-level.
The requirements for strong ER practitioners has increased with many organisations being challenged by ER issues and change agendas.
If employers are looking to differentiate their offering, the overall package is becoming more important - as well as the basic salary. Employers are having to consider the whole package as flexibility, working from home and the specific benefits on offer are factors being taken into account when employees are considering offers.