Hiring and Recruitment Insights: February 2025

We are seeing positive signs in the employment market with available roles in the region up by 3% on January, which was up 67% on December. However this is down 19% on February last year, a sure sign that upcoming changes to the minimum wage and national insurance are having an impact.

Across the platforms we research we’ve seen some increase and others decrease, this may indicate the level of volatility out there at the moment as adjustments occur in the market. 

While applications to advert tend to vary depending on the time of the year, we’ve seen a slight slowdown in numbers over the last few months (average of 14 in Jan and Feb, vs average of 17 for the same period last month. While this might indicate the market is shifting from Employer to Candidate, we don’t think this is the case. What we are seeing in the market is an ever-increasing trend towards search (for candidates) rather than applications. 

In February, we sourced 80% of the candidates we placed, an increase on a 65% average in the last 12 months. This tells us that businesses in the region are looking for candidates with more specific skillsets, and that there is a more tailored search programme required to headhunt candidates rather than relying on applicants.

Our approach in the market of spending time understanding our client, their culture, the role and then working to find the right candidates who fit both the role and the values of the team they may be joining ensures we continue to maintain a 2 to 1 ration on CV to first interview with a 3 to 1 ratio of first interview to offer accepted. 

As for the upcoming month of March, we are seeing an increased buzz in the market regionally, a feeling that isn’t felt across the country. We have seen an increase in available positions, including marketing jobs which have felt pressured in more recent months, showing stronger signs of growth in the South West than is seen nationally. Time will tell, check back next month for our recap of March and the first quarter of 2025.

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