As we approach the end of the year, it’s a good time to take stock of the recruitment market and consider what changing conditions could mean for businesses and candidates heading into 2022.
The latest figures show just how much the recruitment landscape has changed this year. For candidates, opportunities are continuing to grow. For employers, strong competition for talent means attracting the right people is becoming increasingly important.
Here are some of the key recruitment trends we saw in November 2021.
November 2021 Recruitment Market Highlights
Data collected 12–24 November 2021.
The latest recruitment data pointed towards three significant trends:
- Hiring activity continued to expand amid strong demand for workers
- Starting salary inflation reached a new series high
- Candidate availability continued to fall, although at a slightly softer rate
Hiring Activity Continued to Grow
Recruiters experienced a sharp increase in hiring activity midway through the fourth quarter. This was reflected in the KPMG and REC UK Report on Jobs, with permanent placements continuing to grow during the period.
At the same time, the overall supply of available candidates continued to fall. The imbalance between the number of vacancies and people available to fill them contributed to further increases in starting pay.
For employers, conditions like these make it even more important to consider how candidates are assessed. Looking beyond someone’s CV and taking a mindset-first approach to hiring can help businesses identify people with the ambition, resilience and potential to succeed, even if their previous experience isn’t an exact match.
UK Job Vacancies Reached Record Levels
The number of UK job vacancies reached a then-record 1,172,000 between August and October 2021, according to labour market data from the Office for National Statistics.
This represented an increase of 388,000 compared with January to March 2020, before the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the labour market. Fifteen of the 18 industry sectors measured by the ONS recorded record vacancy levels.
Recruitment data from the period also showed:
- 210,000 new job adverts were posted in the UK during one week in November, following several particularly strong weeks for new adverts
- More than 270,000 new adverts were posted during the first week of November
- There were 3.51 million active job adverts as businesses took longer to hire
- Five of the UK’s ten biggest hiring hotspots were in Scotland, led by East Dunbartonshire
For candidates, a growing number of vacancies created more choice. Understanding where you want your career to go and the opportunities available for progressing your career in sales can help when deciding which roles are worth pursuing.
What Did the Candidate Shortage Mean for Employers?
With demand for workers high and candidate availability falling, starting salaries and temporary pay rates continued to rise.
But attracting people wasn’t simply a matter of offering a higher salary. Employers also needed to think about the overall opportunity they were presenting, from progression and earning potential to company culture and the recruitment experience itself.
When competition for candidates is high, relying solely on job boards can make it difficult to stand out. A more targeted approach to recruiting a sales team can help businesses reach people with the right skills, mindset and ambitions for the role.
The challenge doesn’t end once somebody has been hired either. Giving people clear opportunities to develop and progress can play an important role in retaining sales talent once they’re part of the business.
Looking Ahead to the 2022 Recruitment Market
At the time, it was too early to know exactly what effect the Omicron variant would have on the labour market. December had the potential to be slower as new restrictions and uncertainty affected businesses and candidates.
However, the wider picture heading into 2022 remained positive for jobseekers, with a tight labour market putting greater emphasis on skills development and how both employers and candidates positioned themselves.
For businesses planning to grow, finding people with the right capabilities would remain a priority. For candidates, understanding and communicating the value they could bring to an employer would become increasingly important.
A Christmas Message From Citrus Connect
Despite the challenges and uncertainty we’ve faced this year, it’s an opportunity to reflect on what we’ve achieved.
We worked hard, stayed focused and continued moving forward in the face of adversity. Now it’s time to celebrate all the wins from this year, from the small ones to the biggest achievements.
Personally, this has been our biggest year for growth, and I’d like to thank each and every one of you for being part of the Citrus Connect journey.
I look forward to supporting you in 2022 and beyond.
Best wishes,
