So, as we reach the end of the first month of 2023, what trends are we seeing in the recruitment sector in the North West?
Employers and recruiters continue to face challenges by the skills shortages across all sectors and increased salary expectations in the face of rising living costs.
Within our qualified finance team, we are seeing an increase in temporary requirements to cover year end, permanent headcount cover, and a continued need for qualified accountants across the range of roles and salary bands but it’s been a slow start from a project point of view. We expect this to shift, as our clients look to improve finance processes and systems to increase productivity within their teams.
Our consultants covering the transactional market have been inundated with both temporary and permanent opportunities but in both cases, the challenge continues to be the availability of good quality candidates and the increasing demand from candidates for higher salaries. For many of the clients we work with in large organisations, this is more problematic as salary bandings often prevent them from increasing offers and the likelihood of also alienating their current workforce.
Our Business Professionals brand has also had a great start to the year. Sales administration and sales support roles seem to be in demand, which is a positive sign that sales are still increasing. Both financial and business analyst opportunities are also looking particularly busy, as companies are assessing budgets, reviewing KPI's and focusing on the year ahead.
Flexible working continues to be the main driver for many candidates, with the expectation to work from home between 2-3 days per week, and is causing employers headaches for those that want their workforce back in the office and this issue is heightened when train strikes and other forms of public transport continue to offer poor service. Candidates are also reducing their preferred commuting distance in order to maximise their work life balance.
Employers offering flexible working and prioritising their employee well-being benefits, are securing the best talent and the employers who cannot accommodate flexible working are finding it harder to source the talent they need.
Although we feel 2023 will continue to have its’ challenges within the NW job market; with the economy, the war in the Ukraine and the skill shortages….on the whole, it’s been a good start to the year with some great opportunities for accounting and finance staff and so far, it’s not showing any signs of slowing down.
