Frazer Jones: 2024 South West overview and what’s to come in 2025

Reflections of 2024:

During the COVID years recruitment reached record highs including in the South West and across the UK outside London. The first signs of this bubble bursting emerged in early 2023, alongside the tech market downturn in Q1 and the initial signs of a slowdown in London. Over hiring during covid, various conflicts worldwide and the cost of living finally caught up with us. London leads the market and typically the rest of the UK follows suit with a lag time of 7-9 months and by October 2023 recruitment regionally started to feel similar to the London market.

Additionally, as we walked into 2024 elections on both sides of the Atlantic allowed for a further degree of uncertainty with likely changes in government.

2024 has been a challenging year for many, and HR recruitment has been no exception. Companies have approached hiring with caution, leading to prolonged and often indecisive processes, fewer roles and reduced appetite to recruit. The senior end of the market has been particularly impacted

In comparison to 2021-23, when working in a more buoyant market we have noticed a few trends in 2024:

• More people are moving from permanent roles to 12-month FTCs or temporary positions, possibly reflecting a shortage of available opportunities.
• An increase in the number of specialist positions, particularly within reward and learning & development
• HR continues to evolve, driven by external factors like the growth of DEI, wellbeing roles and strategic trends. Companies are increasingly leveraging data and HRIS to enhance people analytics and employee experience.
• A big increase in FTC positions as companies still have key programmes to deliver but either lack the internal expertise or can’t afford a longer-term permanent solution.
• A shortage of roles available within Talent Acquisition

However, it certainly hasn’t all been negative.  We have also had a lot of highlights:

• Key events we held in Bath and Bristol alongside BT, Foot Anstey and Mogers Drewett featured guest speakers on equal opportunities, workforce diversity, HR employment law and generative AI in HR.
• The junior and middle management market has been strong, particularly within generalist HR.
• We have successfully partnered with diverse industries, including education, healthcare, defence, engineering, manufacturing, supply chain, retail, FMCG, financial services and professional services.
• We once again placed a significant number of senior hires at the Head and Director level, particularly in Bristol, despite recent trends in the market.

What does 2025 have in store for the local market:

Right now, it does feel like 2025 will follow similar trends to those in 2024. Finding a new role may be challenging, but there are great opportunities available. Be patient and manage your expectations. If you are HR talent and thinking about making a move in 2025 I would recommend the following:

• Update your CV and LinkedIn profile and speak to a recruiter before Christmas if possible. Then do this again towards the end of January to ensure you are front of mind.
• Be diligent and manage your expectations, job hunting is a job in itself! Engage with multiple relevant local recruitment firms and track where your CV is being sent to avoid duplication.
• Keep an eye on the most relevant job boards and look to network. Relationships are key, whether through your LinkedIn connections, the recruitment firms you engage with, or the events and conferences you attend.
• For more advice on job seeking, as well as other helpful resources, visit our website here.

If you are a company seeking to hire HR talent in 2025:

• The best advice would be to reach out to myself or Amy Eldred ! Based near Bath, we have strong connections with local HR talent. With offices in Birmingham, Dublin, London, and global locations across the USA, Europe, Middle East, Asia, and Australia, we also access a worldwide network of HR professionals eager to learn about the benefits of living and working in the South West.
• Speak to us. We can offer advice and market insight as well as talent acquisition.

Start planning for 2025 now if you haven’t already. Have you considered internal talent, benchmarked salaries, drafted job specifications and secured role approvals? If you’re planning to hire in March or April 2025, start the process now.

Lastly, if you're local to the market and considering an external move, or if you're planning to relocate to the South West and need advice, please get in touch.

Have a fantastic Christmas and let’s hope 2025 is a great year!