What are the recruitment trends you see within Gloucestershire?

The current recruitment market in Gloucestershire is buoyant in terms of job opportunities within Engineering and Manufacturing. Within such a competitive market, companies more than ever are requiring external support from specialist agencies such as ODC to support their hunt for top talent.

Below are the top 6 recruitment trends we’re currently observing;

Rise in permanent recruitment: This can be attributed to several factors, such as the stabilization of the job market after the initial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the need for organizations to build a strong and stable workforce for long-term growth. Although still a market need for temporary workers and professional contractors, currently Permanent demand is on the rise.

Hybrid working: The trend of hybrid working remains. Although many larger organisations are changing policies and enforcing return to office, the candidate demand remains high for either fully remote or hybrid working. Many businesses are capitalising on this and embrace remote work as a long-term model to attract and retain top talent.

Diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I): DE&I initiatives have become a top priority in recruitment. Companies are focusing on building diverse and inclusive teams to foster innovation, drive creativity, and meet the needs of an increasingly diverse customer base.

Data-driven recruitment: Organizations are leveraging workforce analytics and data-driven strategies to enhance their recruitment processes. This includes using data to evaluate candidate fit, identify talent gaps, and make informed hiring decisions.

Counter Offers: As has been the case throughout 2023, counter offers are still very prominent within the market which has resulted in higher-than-average post acceptance dropouts. This has also caused a sharp increase in salaries throughout the market.

Unemployment: Unemployment remains at a record low, resulting in less movement throughout the whole employment sector. In a candidate-driven market, there are fewer active applicants so the need for head-hunting ‘passive’ candidates is significantly higher, and the likelihood is active applicants tend to have multiple opportunities available to them.

If you need support navigating these recruitment trends, please reach out to our team in Gloucestershire.