What’s the market like? We get asked this question a lot day to day.

Typically, we’d be pretty quick to respond because we’re fully immersed in the hiring market and that’s generally a pretty good reflection of how happy or sad the economy is. But right now, it’s hard to give you an answer. Even if we compile the data, it’s so varied the stats almost don’t add up.

Agency side – We’ve been busy. A consistent flow of incoming briefs. A steady acceptance of roles and a continued requirement for our services on both temp and perm. We’ve probably seen a little increase in temp which is always nice for our freelance friends. Most hires have been a result of replacement requirements rather than growth which means there is still candidate confidence to make a move, even in a market that may feel a little unstable.

In-house wise – It’s hit and miss. We’re seeing more hesitance from this market, more FTC’s and less commitment to perm hires. Hiring also feels a little sporadic. We can normally trust the brands to have a plan; know who they need, what they need and when they need it by but that isn’t the impression we’re getting right now.

However… We must caveat that with a small selection of clients who have hired at a crazy rate taking on 3-4 people over the last few months and with further plans to continue their expansion. Whichever direction we look in the landscape is different. There is doom and gloom out there but there are also many signs of positivity and encouragement.

Candidate wise – We’re getting a few unicorns through our doors, and we like it when this happens! Normally this rare breed has to be chased, hunted down and sent 4,000 InMails but right now they’re open to talking and interested to see what’s out there. Redundancies? Yes, we’re hearing that word more regularly at the moment and we understand how challenging these situations can be. If you’re a candidate reading this and going through it, whatever sector you’re in – call us. We will always do our best to help.

Clients if you’re hiring our advice is:

+ Keep the comms up. Whether that be with your recruiter or your candidates. Let them / us know what’s happening. Even if it’s bad news and the goal posts have moved, keep talking. There is too much radio silence and it isn’t helpful to your employer brand, or to the candidates waiting to hear back from you.

+ Try not to brief every man and his dog on your job. It won’t help you hire quicker but it will annoy candidates, dilute your brand in the job market and encourage a bun fight with recruitment agencies. Nobody enjoys this! 

+ Last but not least, call Pitch we’d love to help 💚