If you are recruiting at the moment, you may have noticed something quite different about the candidate market.
There are more people looking for work...more applications are coming through...so on paper, that should make recruiting easier.
But is it?
From the conversations we are having with businesses across Uxbridge, Windsor and the surrounding areas, the reality is often quite different.
Having more candidates available doesn't necessarily mean finding the right person has become easier. In fact, for some employers, it has simply created a different recruitment challenge.
The candidate market is changing
There are some encouraging signs appearing in the UK recruitment market with the latest KPMG and REC UK Report on Jobs showed that permanent staff appointments increased in August for the first time since September 2022. Candidate availability also continued to rise sharply, with redundancies, fewer vacancies and concerns around job security contributing to more people looking for their next opportunity.
It is certainly a welcome sign that confidence may be starting to return, but while candidate numbers have increased, employers are still understandably cautious about hiring.
And when a business does make the decision to recruit, getting that hire right matters more than ever.
More applications don't always mean more suitable candidates
Post a vacancy today and, depending on the role, you could receive a significant number of applications.
At first glance, that sounds ideal - the problem is that quantity and quality aren't necessarily the same thing!
An employer might receive 100 applications, but how many applicants have genuinely read the job description? How many have the right experience? How many are realistically within the salary range? How many can get to the location? And, importantly, how many genuinely want this job?
There is also an increasing amount of technology involved in recruitment.
AI and automation can now help candidates prepare CVs, write applications and apply for positions, while employers are increasingly using technology within their own recruitment processes. The Information Commissioner's Office highlighted earlier this year that automation is now being used in areas ranging from reviewing CVs to scoring assessments.
Technology can undoubtedly make recruitment more efficient but it doesn't necessarily tell you who is going to be the right person for your team.
A CV only tells part of the story
This is something we see every day as recruiters as some of the best candidates don't necessarily have the perfect CV.
They might be moving into a slightly different industry. They may have transferable experience that isn't immediately obvious from their job titles. Perhaps they have taken a career break, been made redundant or simply haven't written their CV particularly well.
Then you speak to them...suddenly, you understand what they have actually achieved, what motivates them, what type of environment they thrive in and what they could bring to a business.
Equally, a CV can look absolutely perfect on paper - but after speaking to the candidate, the role may not actually be right for them. And that's why we believe recruitment is still very much about people.
The questions behind the CV matter
When we interview candidates, we're not simply looking at where they have worked - we want to understand them.
And, most importantly, why are they interested in this particular opportunity?
Those conversations make a huge difference - they allow us to introduce candidates to our clients because we genuinely believe there is a match...not simply because a keyword appeared on a CV.
Sometimes the right candidate isn't the obvious candidate
One of our favourite examples from the last 12 months demonstrates this perfectly. A local client originally came to us with just one vacancy.
We took the time to really understand the role, the business, the existing team and, importantly, the type of personalities that would work well within their environment. Following our search and selection process, we introduced three carefully selected candidates for interview.
The client was so impressed with all three that they didn't want to choose between them.
Each candidate brought something different to the business, but all three were such strong matches in terms of skills, attitude and team fit that the client made the decision to hire every one of them.
As a result, two additional roles were created within the business specifically to bring those candidates into the team.
What started as a search to fill one vacancy resulted in three successful hires.
For us, this is a brilliant example of what recruitment can achieve when you truly understand both your client and your candidates. Rather than simply matching experience on a CV to a job description, we were able to identify three people who genuinely fitted the business and could add value to the wider team.
It also meant the client was able to strengthen and grow their team in one recruitment process, potentially saving months of future advertising, searching, interviewing and onboarding.
For us, that's what good recruitment should look like, it isn't about sending the largest number of CVs, it's about understanding a business well enough to recognise the right people when you find them!
The best person may already be working
Another challenge for employers is that the person they really want may not be actively applying for jobs. Some excellent candidates are keeping an eye on the market but haven't uploaded a new CV or started applying, whilst others may be happy enough in their current position but would consider moving for the right opportunity.
That's where established candidate relationships can be incredibly valuable.
As a local recruitment agency, we are speaking to candidates every day – people we have previously placed, registered, interviewed or kept in contact with. Sometimes we already know exactly who to call when a client tells us what they are looking for.
Local knowledge still matters
For businesses recruiting across Uxbridge, Windsor, Slough, Hayes, Heathrow, West London and the surrounding areas, there is another factor that can easily be underestimated: location.
A role can be perfect on paper, but if the commute isn't sustainable, it isn't going to be the right long-term match.
Knowing the local market means understanding transport links, realistic commuting distances, salary expectations and what candidates in different areas are looking for.
These details might seem small at the beginning of a recruitment process, but they can make an enormous difference to whether somebody is still happily working within the business a year later.
Recruitment is about more than filling a vacancy
The current market presents employers with a real opportunity - candidate availability is high, and the latest figures suggest permanent hiring confidence may finally be beginning to improve.
But more choice makes the selection process even more important as the goal shouldn't simply be to find someone who can do the job. It should be to find someone who wants the job, fits the business and has the potential to stay, develop and make a genuine contribution.
That's where the human side of recruitment continues to matter.
At Uxbridge & Windsor Employment Agency, we have spent years building relationships with local businesses and candidates. We interview, question, listen and get to know the people behind the CV before making an introduction.
Because ultimately, you don't need 100 CVs - you need the right one.
Are you thinking about recruiting?
Whether you have an immediate vacancy, are planning ahead for future growth or simply want to understand what the candidate market currently looks like, we'd be very happy to have a conversation.
Our team recruits across Uxbridge, Windsor and the surrounding areas, supporting local businesses with permanent, temporary and contract recruitment.
Sometimes finding the right person starts with a vacancy, it starts with a conversation.
📩 info@uxbridge-employment.co.uk
🌐 www.uxbridge-employment.co.uk
If you are recruiting at the moment, you may have noticed something quite different about the candidate market.There are more people looking for work...more applications are coming through...so on paper, that should make recruiting easier.But is it?From the conversations we are having with businesses across Uxbridge, Windsor and the surrounding areas, the reality is often quite different.Having more candidates available doesn't necessarily mean finding the right person has become easier. In fact, for some employers, it has simply created a different recruitment challenge.The candidate market is changingThere are some encouraging signs appearing in the UK recruitment market with the latest KPMG and REC UK Report on Jobs showed that permanent staff appointments increased in August for the first time since September 2022. Candidate availability also continued to rise sharply, with redundancies, fewer vacancies and concerns around job security contributing to more people looking for their next opportunity.It is certainly a welcome sign that confidence may be starting to return, but while candidate numbers have increased, employers are still understandably cautious about hiring.And when a business does make the decision to recruit, getting that hire right matters more than ever.More applications don't always mean more suitable candidatesPost a vacancy today and, depending on the role, you could receive a significant number of applications.At first glance, that sounds ideal - the problem is that quantity and quality aren't necessarily the same thing!An employer might receive 100 applications, but how many applicants have genuinely read the job description? How many have the right experience? How many are realistically within the salary range? How many can get to the location? And, importantly, how many genuinely want this job?There is also an increasing amount of technology involved in recruitment.AI and automation can now help candidates prepare CVs, write applications ...
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