Where are the fastest growing UK recruitment opportunities?

Growing your recruitment agency means spotting the next big gap in the market – and moving faster than your competitors to command this space.
So which sectors yield the biggest revenue opportunities for recruiters in the UK, and what type of candidates best fit the bill for vacant roles? Let’s take a closer look…

All aboard the transport industry train

The number one UK growth industry, according to a new survey by Love Energy Savings, is transport and logistics – with the number of start-up companies in this sector growing by 229% since 2012.
For recruitment agencies, the opportunity in this sector stems far beyond truck drivers and mechanics; there’s a massive need for data experts, to help freight firms get their fleets running smarter and cut down on unnecessary journeys.
With this in mind, the transport sector provides great recruitment opportunities for candidates with IT and mathematics backgrounds, along with engineers and project management experts.

Construction has strong foundations

Around 1 in 10 UK businesses are now involved in the construction industry, with sector output reaching an all-time high in November last year, according to official government data. And with many local authorities launching aggressive targets to build more housing, growth shows no signs of slowing.
Clearly there is a huge opportunity here for engineering and architectural workers, along with builders and other essential trades, but there are other avenues to consider as well. The idea of smart homes, controlled by voice recognition, are gathering traction, so there could be lucrative contracts for technology candidates up for grabs as well.
Recruiters with connections to Birmingham, Cornwall, East London, Leeds and Wiltshire should pay special attention to this sector; a Royal Mail study revealed that these five areas have experienced more new-build properties going up in the past 10 years than any other parts of the country. Clearly construction prospects in these regions are strong.

FinTech prospects are looking fine

It’s no surprise that the technology industry continues to grow, and FinTech prospects are looking particularly rosy.
Recruitment opportunities are UK-wide; OakNorth, Europe’s fastest-growing FinTech firm, recently opened a major new office in Manchester, for example – specifically so it could tap into young talent graduating from the city’s four main universities.
On that note, FinTech is a great sector to focus on if your recruitment agency has an influx of young professionals. They are the first native digital generation, and companies see this as an advantage; Millennials are 50% more likely to be hired for a tech job than older candidates.

Clear the pathway for new business opportunities

Whatever your location or specialism, there are always new avenues to be explored. What stops recruitment agencies from securing new clients isn’t always a lack of opportunities; it’s finding the time to nurture them.
One simple way to clear the path for new business development is to cut the time you spend managing everyday admin. Too many recruiters load their team with manual tasks such as approving timesheets, formatting invoices and chasing late payments; all of which can be automated with recruitment operations software.
By leaving back office tasks to technology, your workforce will have the capacity to focus on higher value activities – including analysis of sectors crying out for better recruitment support.
Automate your essential operations with ETZ recruitment back office technology. Book a free demo to see how our software works.