Trends & Insights
As we conclude the first quarter of 2025, the Hunter Adams Recruitment Team has seen the UK HR recruitment market facing both challenges and new opportunities. Although the early months experienced some setbacks, we’re beginning 2025 on a positive note after a tough year in the recruitment market last year
The permanent HR recruitment market remains competitive, however in comparison to previous years, we have seen a noticeable reduction in the number of new vacancies during the first months of the year. This has largely been driven by ongoing economic uncertainty and rising operational costs – with businesses grappling with rising national insurance contributions and operational costs, we’ve seen the impact on hiring activity in select sectors. Notably, the hospitality industry, where over 70% of businesses are planning to reduce staff due to changes in legislation taking effect in April (Tax changes will force us to cut staff, say UK hospitality companies | Hospitality industry | The Guardian)
We’ve seen businesses take a more cautious approach to recruitment, leading to longer hiring processes and increased competition for available positions. Notably, the senior-level permanent vacancies have been particularly affected, with fewer roles available and the hiring process often stretching over several months.
The interim HR market has seen a rise in demand, particularly in consultancy/fractional/project based roles. As companies continue to face economic pressure (discussed above) and shifting market conditions, we’ve seen clients turn to interim HR professionals who can provide immediate expertise and support in areas such as employee relations, redundancies, organisational restructuring and change management. These roles are crucial for businesses needing to adapt quickly – making interim and fractional HR positions an integral part of the workforce strategy.
While we’ve seen the overall demand for interim roles has increase, employers are still exercising caution, ensuring that they hire the right skills for short-term but impactful assignments. Our Managed HR Interim Support Services delivers Associates who have been competency-assessed by a senior member of our HR team, providing our clients with the confidence that they have the appropriate experience for their interim needs and our Associates the comfort that the assignment is aligned with their expertise and expectations.
The HR employment market in Q1 2025 is characterised by a cautious, yet hopeful outlook. As businesses continue to adapt to the economic environment, HR professionals should stay informed, flexible, and ready to seize the opportunities that are emerging. With increased job postings and growing consumer confidence, the HR recruitment market is beginning to show some positive movement, which we hope continues over the months ahead.
The Team
The Hunter Adams Recruitment Team works with clients across the UK to find them top HR talent on a permanent, FTC or interim basis.
If you have a minute, check out some of the fantastic feedback they received from candidates they worked with in 2024.
👉🏻 Link to Feedback video: https://vimeo.com/1069623175
We’re also thrilled to announce the addition of a new member to the Hunter Adams Recruitment Team – please join us in welcoming Bex Killoran, who will be focusing on growing our presence in the Mid region. Based in Manchester, Bex will be working on expanding opportunities within Manchester and the surrounding areas, with a particular focus on Permanent and FTC HR positions, at all levels of seniority.
With her expertise and dedication, we’re confident that Bex will be a great resource for your career journey. If you’re in need of guidance or are looking for HR opportunities, please feel free to reach out to her or any of the below members of Hunter Adams recruitment team.
- Candice Thompson, Head of Recruitment – Permanent & Fixed Term Contracts
- Eilidh Robertson, Head of Executive Search – Retained and Executive Search (UK)
- Laura Brownhill, Recruitment Manager – Interim (UK)
- Jude Fletcher, Senior Recruitment Specialist – Permanent & Fixed Term Contracts
Quarter 1 Opportunities
Along with the summary in our Q1 Market Review, we hope the list of completed assignments below provides additional insight into the areas where we’ve been actively supporting our clients during the first few months of the year.
Interim:
- Head of HR, Public Sector, Maidstone
- Senior HR Consultant (Employee Relations), Professional Services, Paris
- Senior Benefits Consultant, Financial Services, London
- HR Change Consultant, Hospitality, Edinburgh
- HR Business Partner, Third Sector, Glasgow
- HR Manager, Energy, Aberdeen
- HR Consultant, Technology, Manchester
- HR Business Partner, Hospitality, Edinburgh
- Senior HR Advisor, Third Sector, Edinburgh
- Recruitment Business Partner, Energy, Remote
- HR Advisor, Life Sciences, Remote
- HR Consultant, Financial Services, Remote
- Recruitment Consultant, Energy, Remote
- Senior HR Consultant, Biotech, London
- HR Consultant (Job Evaluation), Social Housing, Remote
- HR Advisor, Energy, Aberdeen
- HR Consultant (Restructure), Energy, Aberdeen
Permanent:
- Head of People & Culture, Hospitality, Aberdeen
- HR Coordinator, Health Care, Aberdeen
- Senior Principal, Energy Sector, London
- HR Advisor, Energy Sector, Aberdeen
- Head of Reward, Financial Services, Edinburgh
- L&D Assistant, Public Body, Edinburgh
- HRBP, Financial Services, Edinburgh
- HR Consultant (FTC), Education, Birmingham, London & Manchester
- Payroll Coordinator (FTC), Energy, Aberdeen
Out and About
Business Breakfast with Sara Davies
Laura kicked off our 2025 events diary by attending a sold-out Business Breakfast with Dragon’s Den star Sara Davies at the beginning of January.
Sharing her life experiences, valuable business lessons and insights.
She’s an incredibly inspiring business leader who didn’t shy away from discussing the tough lessons she’s learned, or the hashtag#mumguilt she also faces (no one is immune!).
One piece of advice that stood out – be fully present in whatever you’re doing, no matter what activity it is.
ClubHR : Recruitment
Jude attended the Anderson Strathern offices in Edinburgh for their first Club HR event of the year in January.
During this interactive session, the speakers explored the latest trends in recruitment, sharing valuable insights on how to steer clear of discrimination and foster inclusivity in hiring practices.
And is the CV a thing of the past? The team at Willo® think so – they delivered a thought provoking, interactive session which allowed us to challenge current recruitment processes and consider a different approach. Fun fact 😄 – did you know, the first CV dates back to 1482 and was created by none other than the legendary, Leonardo da Vinci (perhaps 2025 is the year for a change!)
Thank you to Robin Turnbull and the team at Anderson Strathern for an insightful event sharing information.
Business Breakfast – We Love Aberdeen
Candice enjoyed a morning at The Norwood Hotel, celebrating all that’s great about our region over this breakfast event hosted by Aberdeen & Grampian Chamber of Commerce
It was inspiring listening to a panel of local leaders coming together to discuss the future of our economy and the huge opportunities that lie ahead for the Granite City.
Recruitment Agency Expo | London
Eilidh attended the above event on 18th and 19th March at ExCeL London where she gained practical insights from industry trailblazer and explored groundbreaking innovations from some of the industry’s top suppliers, who showcased the latest technologies and solutions. It was a great opportunity to strengthen relationships, build new connections, and collaborate with like-minded leaders
HRA Connect
We also launched HRA Connect this quarter, a network exclusive for HR Advisors. This has initially been launched from our Aberdeen office and open to all HR Professionals at HR Advisor level, within the Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire locations. We hope that his is something that we can roll out in other areas, as we consistently see this as a gap in terms of networking opportunities across all of our location.
Our Vision is to create a networking space to help develop the future of HR and something that can perhaps continue with as HR Advisors progress with their careers.
We held our first event in Aberdeen on 20th March and hope that we can continue to create a safe space where members can share experiences, ponder your career journey and have a peer to peer network.
Females of the Future
Bex came in and hit the ground running, attending her first networking event within her first week! Attending Females of the Future, hosted by Fruition Group at Cibo Manchester, it was great to network with so many great minds in the recruitment and talent space in Manchester, and listen to some inspiring talks on imposter syndrome, how to curate the best elevator pitch, the importance of relationship building, and healthy competition. Excited for the next one!
CIPD Scotland Annual Conference 2025
Jude joined our Head of Client Services, Wendy Atkinson at the CIPD Scotland Annual Conference 2025 which was held on 20th March at Edinburgh International Conference Centre. The event, designed to challenge ideas, gain new perspectives gave them the opportunity to collaborate with peers during interactive workshops and allowed them to discover insightful case studies from leading practitioners whilst gaining actionable solutions during masterclass sessions.
Socially
In addition to the above business events, the team also enjoyed a n get together in Aberdeen to welcome Bex to the Team. Unfortunately we missed Eilidh, who had a day of meetings lined up in London, but was so lovely to enjoy some in person team time!
Looking Ahead
Throughout this newsletter, we’ve shared an insight into market trends, a snapshot of what the beginning of 2025 held for our amazing recruitment team.
If you want to continue to stay up to date with our business news and live vacancies, please use the following links to connect with us on Linkedin:
Or you can follow Hunter Adams and also keen an eye our weekly round up of new vacancies, which we post every Friday:
Thanks for taking the time to read our Q1 update, signing off now until Q2,
Candice, Eilidh, Jude, Bex and Laura
