2018 may well be remembered as the year Recruitment peaked – record breaking employment levels defied the looming cloud of Brexit and a downturn in consumer spending, and despite dwindling productivity and the shortfall in manufacturing, STEM (Science, Technical, Engineering, Mathematics) and care, the work force is growing and stabilising.
It’s been both incredibly challenging and wonderfully rewarding for One Step Recruitment, who have had one of the most successful years on record – from growing our technical department to moving our Chard branch into a brand new high street office and our indomitable Chard Branch Manager Adriana Brito Brito winning an IRP Award – our services have never been in more demand and never been more effective in helping service our wonderful county.
However, the recruitment environment is changing. From Brexit to automation, the established order of recruitment has never been more fluid and volatile.
The days where recruitment agencies have legions of candidates walking through the door looking for work are very much over. At the business end of recruitment, the consultants on the ground are adapting and manoeuvring into specialisms to better reflect our candidate focused market. Our teams are driven by industry leaders both national and regional who have realised that to stay afloat, you cannot remain static or generalist – to be a successful recruiter in 2019 you need to be innovative, market-led, and above all relevant.
Brexit will undoubtedly be the challenge of a generation – the recruitment industry is more fluid and borderless than ever and recruiters have to be subtle, yet effective, in maintaining trust with clients and approachability with candidates.
We don’t know yet how the inevitable shortfall in workers in the South West will effect industries, but from Visa applications to student visas to spousal rights, the ease and effectiveness of employing foreign workers in the UK is set to change beyond recognition.
It remains vital recruiters don’t sit on their hands during the transition – we have to be leaders for candidates seeking a new career, and effective consultants to clients who, for good reason, will be worried about growth during the fog of Brexit.
But we are looking to 2019 without fear. One Step Recruitment are one of the South West’s leading independent recruiters for a reason – we’ve provided our services for 20 years and don’t plan to hold back now.
