2015 was Supposed to be a Boom Year – Was it for You?

Upturn In Recruitment Predicted For 2014, How Has It Affected Recruitment in 2015?

We’ve been looking at changes to recruitment in 2015 and back in March 2014, we discussed changes in the recruitment market especially in terms of finding high quality candidates. In summary, our conclusions were:

The job market has turned round with more vacancies than job seekers. This trend is likely to continue.
The EU will see a huge shortfall of good quality candidates by 2020, mainly due to an ageing population.

So while the news was fantastic for job-seekers – and the general upturn of the economy good for all of us – alarm bells were starting to ring about the lack of key skills in science, technology, engineering and maths. At Gotcha, we spend everyday finding the best talent for companies. Get in touch if you’re finding it difficult to recruit the right people for your business.

Were our predictions right?

It seems they were. According to the Eden Scott report, demand for commercial and industry accounting professionals increased in 2014 and was set to continue into 2015. And vacancies in the financial services sector increased by a huge 25%. 2014 was also a year of uncertainty in the life and pensions market due to the announcement of new government legislation. The new laws came into effect in April 2015, and the industry is only now starting to recover from the shock.

2014 was also a great year to be a Computer Science graduate, and we saw starting salaries increasing due to fierce competition between employers. But a skills shortage is still a major concern for IT employers, with demand for skilled personnel outstripping supply in some parts of the UK.

Manufacturing output increased in 2014, but due to the weak Euro, growth was not as high in 2015. The manufacturing sector is currently in need of design-based skills, such as mechanical designers, electronics designers and embedded software engineers. Construction, particularly in the residential private sector, is on the up and companies are seeking to recruit those who have a specialist skill in this area.

And Recruitment in 2015?

The UK economy was forecast to grow between 2.5% and 3% in 2015, with employment expected to rise from 30.9 million to 31.3 million. Also, a third of workers were expected to change their jobs. Demand for specific skills and high calibre employees are likely to push salaries above the expected rise of 2%.

What this means

As demand for the best talent increases, it’s more important than ever to work on your recruitment strategy and company recruitment image. Candidates are looking for opportunities and job fulfilment as well as good pay. Make sure you find, and hire, the best with our DIY Recruitment Guide.