UK recruitment trends: fact and figures

February 8th, 2022 | Industry News

A survey of more than a thousand UK HR decision-makers shows that work priorities have changed: while COVID-19 cases are still a major preoccupation, causing concern for 44% of respondents, inflation and the cost of living are expected to impact 62% of organisations. 17% of employers say they will struggle to pay competitive salaries in the current market, while 42% of the UK based workforce is seeking a higher salary in the first six months of the year. Even more startling, 71% of candidates are willing to change sectors to obtain higher wages. Recruitment software is going to need to demonstrate increasing sophistication to recognise transferable skills and identify potential candidates from outside the standard sectoral boundaries.

Recruiting software and the Great Resignation

The best recruitment CRM will also help HR professionals meet another challenge – the Great Resignation. The claim that there are ‘talent wars’ may be overstated, but certain sectors, such as construction, healthcare and IT are seeing intense movement as people seek better pay, greater opportunities or just decide to take several months off, knowing that there will be a job for them when they return. This behaviour which began early in 2021, shows no sign of disappearing and certainly in IT, where individuals can boost their income by taking time off to earn a new certification, returning to the workplace ‘retooled’ for a better role.

The Great Resignation and the resulting talent wars are impacting all industries. However, IT in particular is feeling the brunt of its impact as there are numerous opportunities for IT professionals to boost their pay as simply learning a new skill or earning a certification can result in a raise. Online recruitment software can keep track of these departures, attainments and returns, and also offer a platform to maintain contact with those taking part in the Great Resignation, using recruitment CRM software to tempt them back to the workplace by sharing information about employers and projects that they may find enticing. These ‘soft advantages’ include focusing on the work-life balance offered by an employer, or highlighting a company’s commitment to mental health and wellbeing, both of which are priorities for new hires and have moved up the agenda for many organisations.