Aspen Partners International the providers of in-house recruiting talent and research reports a surge in recruitment activity in October 2009. The Aspen Index of vacancies for in-house recruitment opportunities in the United Kingdom rose by 11 points to 58 in October, the second highest rise since records stated in early 2008. The rise was fuelled by a significant increase in activity across financial services.
Commenting on the news Aspen’s Managing Director Andrew Mountney said, “This is the sixth consecutive rise month on month this year but the first time the shackles have come off showing a clear lift in confidence and commitment across industries to hiring in-house recruiters. The market still recovering from a low base from early 2009 (the index hit a low of 36 May) but these figures show that businesses across the country are preparing for increased recruitment activity across functions in 2010.”
The rise in the general index was supported by a rise in the percentage of recruiting roles being hired as a proportion of HR jobs generally. This rose to 12.84% the highest level in over twelve months. Andrew Mountney added, “The rise of recruiting roles in proportion to general HR roles is a key indicator, it demonstrates the swing in priorities for HR going into 2010. HR Directors are preparing now for tough recruiting conditions in 2010. Business leaders still have a clear expectation from HR to deliver direct sourcing strategies at low cost going forward yet 2010 is going to be an extremely competitive year for talent as candidates are presented with a greater range of options than they’ve had for over two years. To be ready to deal with the conditions it is critical to have a first class team of direct recruiters in place now to deliver the 2010 workforce plan”.
The Aspen Index peaked in July 2008 at 171.
Tags: Aspen Index
