Last year was a great year for start-ups: the total number of enterprises launched in the UK reached 261,370, the most significant increase in recent years. As UK business gets back on its feet this confidence is set to extend into 2013, making it a great year to consider going it alone.
Let’s consider recruitment as an example – it is leading the trend in small enterprise success. The number of recruitment businesses folding each year is decreasing significantly, suggesting that recruiters making a move into business ownership are experiencing greater long-term success. Here are a few reasons why young recruiters, who are recognising the opportunities for greater autonomy if they strike out on their own, are set to have a great year.
The Market
As we move out of recession and the economy tentatively recovers, more organisations are looking to expand their workforce. The key issue for businesses will be how to secure the most time-efficient and cost-effective method of securing talent, meaning an increasing number of recruiters will need to be on hand to ensure this happens. As was the case last year, the recruitment market itself is expected to outperform national economic growth forecasts; the outlook, for recruiters at least, is promising as 2013 gets under way.
Mobile Workforce
The rapid technological expansion of the last five years, resulting in the growth of cloud computing services and mobile work devices, has made it easier for businesses to enable employees to work from home. It is hoped that an environment in which employees feel confident to ask for flexibility will encourage a more positive working culture, which will be of benefit to the modern UK economy. The workforce of 2013 will take advantage of this more so than ever before, with more employees looking to embrace flexible working opportunities. Not only will this lead to an increase in the number of individuals looking for temporary work, meaning recruiters will be high in demand, but this increased flexibility is also a great benefit for start-ups.
Talent Shortage
In 2013 we will hear a lot more about skill and talent shortages. An aging workforce, restrictions on immigration, and the lack of skills amongst those without work mean that recruiters will be more in demand than ever to ensure employers are able to attract the right candidates this year.
Social Media
Social media, and in particular its use on mobile devices, will have an even more profound impact on recruitment this year than it did previously. While traditional forms of recruitment will continue, social media is quickly becoming the best tool with which recruiters are able to source the country’s top talent. Online assessments and live video interviewing are also expected to take off. Recruiters are very well-positioned to take the lead on this, not only with regards to their own internal recruitment processes, but also in sourcing candidates for clients.
About Richard Prime
Richard Prime, joint CEO, Sonovate
After 15 years in contingent recruitment you might think that Richard would be looking for a change. You couldn’t be further from the truth-ish!
Richard is fuelled by his passion for the recruitment sector and a desire to enhance the role of the recruiter and manager: in other words, those that deliver the service. Richard believes the ‘best’ recruiters are inherently ambitious and will choose the best option to progress their careers. Because of this, he is confident Sonovate will appeal to the industry’s pre-eminent recruiters.
