Today’s guest blogger is Liz Longman, the Managing Director of TEAM (The Employment Agents Movement). Liz has been involved in recruitment for over 20 years and previously headed up a region for a generalist agency before joining TEAM some eight years ago.
The TEAM network of agencies with over 400 locations and a combined turnover of approx £1 billion is the largest network of independent recruitment agents in the UK. TEAM’s main ethos is to assist in the promotion and networking of business and innovations in the recruitment industry across its membership. TEAM also has a growing number of international affiliates.
TEAM has just completed the round of first-quarter regional recruiter meetings across the UK for its members. Whilst many reported an improving market during 2013, there is now a unanimous show of hands for 2014 being set to be even better. Permanent vacancies are rising at their strongest rate for 4 years which is great news, but demand is far outstripping supply. Nil or sluggish growth on salaries have led to employees staying put and there is increasing evidence of the talent war as many sectors are reporting difficulty sourcing appropriately skilled candidates.
However, there are signs that employees are gaining confidence in the upturn in the economy and are beginning to “spread their wings.” Those enlightened employers (or perhaps those that have listened to their recruiter!) who are prepared to offer improved remuneration rates are the ones that are currently snapping up the best choice of candidates.
The recruitment market is constantly shifting and good recruiters need to be nimble-footed and ahead of the game. This market calls for recruiters to perhaps spend more time with their clients explaining the dynamics of the recruitment world and how with a professional and well thought out campaign you can still secure the best available candidate for them. The recruiter also needs to acknowledge that the talent war will probably get worse before it gets better. Those quality candidates are the proverbial “hen’s teeth” so when you find them…use them. Even if you don’t have the ideal vacancy, there is a fair chance that another recruiting partner has…so get on that phone and network, network, network.
How are you winning the talent war?
