Will Recruitment Survive?

Brexit, artificial intelligence, chatbots, LinkedIn, blockchain. We’re doomed I tell you! DOOMED!

The demise of the recruitment industry has been predicted more often than I personally care to remember. I’m not sure that anyone with more than a decade of experience gives it anything more than a fleeting thought today.

The recruitment industry is just that, an industry – growing rapidly every year since 2010. It has become one of the leading sectors in the UK. In 2017, Companies House recorded the opening of 5,824 new recruitment agencies - an increase of 20% on 2016.

Sure, political, regulatory and technological disrupters have been coming at us thick and fast but our industry is naturally entrepreneurial. Here at Mane, ‘adaptable’ may well be the adjective that best describes us – constantly providing temporary and contract work all year round. These types of contracts contributed 87.6% of the total revenue figure for UK recruitment companies, with a 17% increase on that expected for 2018.

In recent years, thanks to the likes of REC, APSCO and SIA, recruitment has moved on to a much sounder and professional footing. Their political engagement with the government has raised our profile. Additionally, much-improved industry accredited and structured training programmes mean new entrants to the industry can now consider recruitment as a genuine long-term career option. Two small steps, but giant leaps to play on a phrase.

Panic over? Well not quite.

Unique we may be, but few can doubt how technology is revolutionising the recruitment experience for all parties. Advances in online platforms and more sophisticated search software will change the way we work but it won’t make it any easier. The human touch in our industry will always be as vital in the future as it is today. 21% year-on-year growth in recruitment shows that the personal touch is well and truly still appreciated.

As our industry invests and adapts in these areas, the winners will be our clients and candidates. Make this happen, and we will continue to survive and prosper.