Positive news for those working in the recruitment sector, as recent findings show their hard work appears to have paid off.
The Recruitment and Employment Confederation’s (REC) ‘Attract and retain top talent – Pay and benefits in the recruitment sector’ report revealed an average pay rise of 3.6 per cent for recruiters.
The survey of 300 recruiters also found that 40% of consultants and 53% of managers received a pay rise in the past year, including one in seven (15%) who received a pay rise of 10% or more.
According to the REC report, the top three considerations for recruiters when thinking about a change of job are: Pay, flexible working opportunities and a commitment to invest in their personal development – all of which carry more weight than a generic ‘benefits package’.
Flexible working is appreciated by both consultants and managers: over half of women (53%) and a third of men (33%) working in recruitment had used at least one method of flexible working in the past year whether that was working part-time, compressed hours or working from home. The proportion of recruiters offering benefits such as training days and childcare assistance appears to have increased since the REC’s last salary survey in 2015 – a further sign of a growth in family-friendly working practices and non-financial benefits.
REC chief executive Neil Carberry, commented, “As with all areas of the labour market at the moment – there is increasing competition to secure top talent. The number of members telling us that attracting and retaining staff is a top concern is steadily increasing. This is a great industry to build a career in, but we must always work to ensure that people can see this. When I started as a consultant, it offered me a crash course in business and people management that still benefits me every day.
“Business owners need to think about what they can offer that makes their agency more attractive to in-demand consultants and managers. While people will always be motivated by pay to some extent, we found that there various other benefits that recruiters value. Providing flexible work, and training and development opportunities are relatively low-cost ways to make your agency the first choice for talented recruiters.”
To find out more about contracting please contact Jaime on 01442 795 100 or email jaime.thorpe@dolanaccountancy.com.