HR Recruitment Update – Third Sector

Despite the questions of Brexit continuing to create uncertainty for the wider economic outlook, across Oakleaf’s Third sector clients hiring has remained robust throughout 2018.

Whilst there certainly seems to be a sense of cautiousness growing around permanent senior-level strategic hiring, both from prospective candidates and organisations, this has been countered by an increasing demand for interim and contract hiring arrangements throughout our Third sector markets. Conversely, at an operational level hiring has remained buoyant, with strong demand continuing across all areas of the HR function on both a permanent and interim basis. Across the Charity and Education sectors, we’ve seen a continuing demand for HR Business Partnering skill sets coupled with an increasing demand for Talent Acquisition Specialists. Within the Social Housing sector, continuing merger activity has driven demand for HR transformation skills as well as increases in requests for HR Operations and Reward specialists.

Interestingly, we’ve also seen clients from all quarters of the Third sector increasing hiring activity around the Learning and Development function. This is likely in response to expectations that competition for external talent will continue to increase and therefore the need for businesses to upskill their existing workforce.

On this note, with employers recognising that values are becoming increasingly important to prospective candidates and employees alike, we’ve also seen organisations investing in the skills needed to improve their employer brand and ‘candidate experience’. This has included skills to enhance their digital offering and corporate website, in recognition that these are often the first points of contact with potential candidates and can, therefore, be highly effective recruitment channels.

If you are an employer or HR professional currently operating in, or interested in working within the Third sector and would like to discuss how we can assist you with future opportunities, please get in touch by phoning myself on 0207 337 7693 or sending me an email.

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