Good news for the UK hiring economy and how to find the perfect recruitment consultancy

July 26th, 2019 | Industry News

The Recruitment and Employment Confederation reports that UK employers felt 4% more confident about making hiring decisions in the last quarter. Confidence in the economy has also risen by around 3%, although it’s still very low. Demand for temporary agency workers is forecast to increase by 2% this quarter, just as it did in the previous one, but it’s still 13% lower than 12 months ago.

On the negative side, four out of five employers say they have little surplus capacity and 27% say they have no extra capacity at all. This means that companies are tightly stretched and illness or other absence problems are likely to increase stress on the rest of the employees. Over 90% are expected to use a recruitment consultancy in the 12 months ahead and they say they are looking for either geographical expertise or sector experience when selecting a partner agency.

So how does an employer find the right recruitment consultancy to partner with? Software has a large part to play. The best recruitment software for agencies helps consultants demonstrate their ability to navigate the three key areas that any employer will be examining.

1. Good metrics – recruitment agency software should reveal how many successful candidates an agency has, and also, how long they stay! Really good recruitment management software tracks applicants not just into jobs, but through companies, charting their successes and indicating their growth. This is the referral pool that truly great recruitment consultancies use to find the right person for their next client – word of mouth, recommendations and peer identification are all possible with sophisticated recruitment CRM software and consultants who network like their careers depend on it.
2. Search power – great agencies undertake research, create wonderful shortlists and produce reliable due diligence. Good recruitment database software enables all three activities, giving consultants a deep understanding of their candidates.
3. Brand channelling – when there are fewer good candidates around, you need your consultants to sell your brand, to issue the kind of proposal that the top talent will find irresistible, and to close with confidence. Recruiting software shouldn’t just be a database of potential candidates, it should also be a repository of your wants, needs, brand and messages, so that each recruitment process is a billboard for your company.