According to the latest JobOutlook survey from the REC (Recruitment and Employment Federation) over a third of UK businesses don’t have the capacity to take on additional work.
This may not sound like great news for UK business but the situation should present opportunities for the recruitment sector to provide support as and when needed. As the economy continues to strengthen many businesses will be looking to the recruitment industry to help them meet short term staffing needs as well as sourcing skilled staff for medium to long term contracts and permanent employees.
To take advantage of these opportunities recruiters are going to need to be ready to react quickly. According to the survey 80 per cent of hirers say they use agency workers to gain short-term access to key strategic skills. Following recent economic difficulties many employers will be reluctant to recruit permanent staff but will need additional skills in place quickly as they win new contracts. With skills shortages showing little or no signs of improvement in the UK, recruiters are likely to need to look further afield for the right skills. Now is the time for recruitment consultants to be forging relationships and looking after skilled candidates as well as building their database of potential workers.
