Although the market has been quiet over the last few months there have been some signs of life. Many clients are reporting that May and June have been their best months so far this year and that they feel they maybe turning a corner. The term “Cautious Optimism” seems to be the phrase of the moment, which is a lot more positive than in previous months. Many clients are correct in feeling some degree of uncertainty as we move towards the end of winter, but I get a sense that many clients are at least now looking to the future with a hopeful stare, as opposed to a look of sheer dread. Clients are starting to make indications of hiring intentions for the end of the year and the general feel is that this may be in the Contract area to start with. Clients know that they are running very lean at the moment and any increase in activity will mean a need for additional resources and with uncertainty still in the air, contract/temporary staff is the way to go.

With regards to availability of contractors in the market at the current time, yes there are some high calibre individuals who are on the market at the moment, but as has been the case for the last 9 months, there is also a lot of not so high calibre people. This makes it a different recruitment market to work in compared to what it was 12 months ago and one that some clients are getting drawn into as they feel they can recruit themselves. This is fine, if you have the time and resources to dedicate to the process. Many clients are finding that it is not as easy or straightforward as it appears on the surface – every interaction you have with every candidate is a reflection of your company and business to the wider market. It is therefore very important to respond to EVERY applicant in a polite way, to be able to say ‘No’ to an applicant despite their dire personal circumstance in a away that doesn’t cause offense and to get back to every candidate that has been interviewed with feedback (these are just to name a few of the many inter-actions you can have with a candidate) and of course how many totally unsuitable CV’s can you put yourself through when you know there are better things you should be doing. Of my clients that have ‘given it a go’ (their words not mine), the overwhelming feeling is “Never again”, when you look at the time costs of the exercise its just not worth it, especially if you end up with no suitable candidates at the end of it and have to start again.

Don’t get me wrong I am not saying it doesn’t work and you might ‘get lucky’ or if you have the time/commitment in place to go through a robust process then you may be successful, but in the current market it is still about sourcing the right candidate in an efficient timeframe in a way that promotes your brand/business. This is what your recruitment partner does for a profession and can therefore save you a lot of stress and headache in the long run.

If you need some recruitment assistance at this time, talk to us and let us show you how we can help.