James Baker

All I hear about at the moment is that AI is going to take over everything. As AI continues its transformative journey across industries, the recruitment sector is at a crossroads. While technology can streamline processes and provide data-driven insights, there are essential human elements that no algorithm can replace. Building genuine rapport with candidates and clients is at the heart of effective recruitment. It's the ability to read between the lines, understand aspirations, and make connections that go beyond resumes and job descriptions. The art of screening candidates is more than just ticking boxes. It's about recognising potential, aligning values, ensuring cultural fit, and selling a role or client to them, all of which require human intuition and empathy. While chatbots and AI tools offer convenience, a certain depth of personal conversation is irreplaceable. Candidates are looking more than just roles. They want understanding, guidance, and a sense of belonging that only another human can truly provide. In a world where technology is ever-evolving, the human touch remains crucial in crafting meaningful employment relationships. Good recruiters will embrace AI to streamline the process but the ones that will succeed in this are the ones that stay human. aspexx. #futuresdesigned #AI #recruitment #experience

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HERE IS A BIG BIG ISSUE agency recruiters run into with searches: - Client NEED isn't a true NEED This is the fundamental reason why so many contingent searches go awry. Listen here: The biggest issue with contingency searches is that too many agency recruiters are not fully on the same page with the true URGENCY of the need. This is why you should ALWAYS sell retained down. ALWAYS. The point of this isn't to win retainers. The point of this is to actually VET HOW URGENT THE HIRING NEED IS. Hear me out: 3 possibilities will arise (in order of least likely to most likely) Client says --> "Sure" in which case, woah that was easily agreed upon. Continue the process to vet and see if they'll ultimately pay up AND VET the retained parameters closely to make sure it is truly fillable. Client says "NO" or "I'll get back to you" --> this means they REALLY want to but likely they don't control the purse strings so need to run it up the chain. This is high buying behavior which is a very good thing, means there's a serious need. Client says "NO, I really don't think it's a serious search enough to pay a retainer. I just want you to keep an eye out." Now, you have your answer. This is why you need to close the miscommunication gap. On any topic, close the gap. Make sure you're on the exact same page before wasting your precious time. TLDR: It's not contingent that's the problem. It's the fact that the client isn't really serious about the search. This is where the pain starts bc the expectations are so vastly misaligned. Does this make sense? #r2r #rec2rec #recruitmenttraining #headhunter #headhunters #sales #recruiters #recruiting

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An update on UK hiring trends. We're seeing some significant changes in the UK job market. The latest figures tell an interesting story, job postings across the UK are sitting 13% below pre-pandemic levels, with a 23% drop compared to last year. But despite these numbers, our unemployment rate is holding steady at 4.3%, and we're actually seeing wage growth for new hires at 6.7%, which is higher than many other countries. The impact isn't uniform across all sectors. While tech and professional services have seen the biggest changes, we're also noticing significant shifts in hospitality and retail. It's creating a really unique situation in our job market. I'm sharing this because whether you're hiring or job hunting, understanding these trends is crucial for making informed decisions. What changes are you seeing in your industry? #UKJobs #Recruitment #EmploymentTrends #Economy

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As a UK recruitment group, we naturally focus on domestic trends - Brexit impacts, skills shortages, regional variations. But LinkedIn's State of the Labor Market report regularly offers a global lens that puts our challenges into deeper context. What can we see on the July 2025 report? The UK stands out - and not in a good way. While most European markets saw their hiring slowdowns moderate in H1 2025, we bucked the trend. Our hiring decline actually accelerated to -5% (Jan-Jun) vs just -1% in H2 2024. France, Germany, and the Netherlands all saw their pace of decline ease significantly. What strikes me most when reading the latest report is how interconnected global labour markets have become. Mexico's struggles reflect US trade policy changes. Germany continues wrestling with skilled labour shortages and energy shock aftereffects. Even emerging markets like India show 19% more applicants per role. Three key takeaways for UK recruitment according to this report include: ➡️ The global "stabilisation" everyone's talking about? We're missing it. While markets worldwide are finding their footing, UK hiring momentum continues deteriorating. ➡️ Competition dynamics vary wildly by geography. Where we're seeing candidate shortages in certain sectors, other markets are drowning in applications. ➡️ Industry divergence is stark everywhere - not just here. Utilities are down sharply globally (renewable energy particularly hit), while hospitality shows pockets of growth. In terms of the bigger picture, growth projections remain sluggish across major economies, resembling late-cycle patterns rather than expansion phases. With interest rates staying restrictive in the US through 2025 and ongoing trade uncertainties, workforce confidence remains subdued globally. For UK recruiters, this reinforces the need to think beyond our borders - understanding these global macro forces is crucial for advising clients and anticipating how international trends will impact domestic hiring patterns. What are you seeing in your markets? Are we experiencing this differently regionally? #ukrecruitment #globaltalent #workforceinsights #linkedin #recuitmentleaders #businessleaders #labourmarket #jobmarket

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