Job Market - UK Trends Reveal Hiring Forecasts In 2011

Cautious hiring trends are expected to carry over into the New Year as UK employers closely monitor the nation’s economic recovery, according to CareerBuilder’s 2011 Job Forecast. While the majority of UK employers (73 per cent) described their organisation’s financial performance as steady or growing, 28 per cent reported it is declining or uncertain. Thirty-nine per cent of UK employers plan to add new employees in 2011 with a mix of full-time, part-time, contract or temporary workers and interns. One-in-five (20 per cent) plan to add full-time, permanent staff. The study was conducted from 17 November to 17 December on behalf of CareerBuilder.co.uk and included 194 UK business leaders across industries.

“Employers are hiring again, albeit at a guarded pace,” said Tony Roy, President of CareerBuilder EMEA. “Our survey and job posting activity on CareerBuilder.co.uk point to gradual, moderate improvements in the UK job market in 2011. We’ll see more jobs added across a variety of industries, but it will still be a highly competitive job market.”

Top Functional Areas Employers Are Recruiting for in 2011

UK employers are focusing on functional areas that have the greatest impact on revenue first. Creating new efficiencies, driving innovation to open new revenue streams, extending customer reach and strengthening customer loyalty are among top priorities within organisations. Technology is the number one area cited for hiring with one-in-five employers planning to add headcount:

    - Technology - 20 per cent
    - Sales - 18 per cent
    - Engineering - 14 per cent
    - Creative/design - 12 per cent
    - Customer service - 10 per cent
    - Marketing - 8 per cent

Emerging Opportunities

UK employers also reported the need for workers to fill what they consider emerging positions within their organisations. Green jobs, or environmentally-focused positions, were cited most often in terms of new opportunities followed by positions centered around global relations, social media, the use of mobile technology and cyber security.

Temporary or Contract Hiring

Businesses will be relying on interim solutions to help shoulder growing workloads. Eighteen percent of UK employers plan to hire temporary or contract workers to help supplement leaner staffs.

Entry-level Hiring

In addition to seasoned workers, employers will be investing in the next generation of talent for their organisations. Thirty-one per cent of those hiring plan to recruit recent college graduates in 2011.

Compensation

Twenty-seven per cent of UK employers are concerned that best talent will leave their organisations once the economy improves, as heftier workloads and longer hours take their toll on worker morale. Thirty per cent said they will increase compensation for their existing staff in 2011 with the majority estimating the raise will be three per cent or less. Twenty-two per cent of those hiring will provide higher initial job offers to job candidates with most increases likely falling within the same 1 to 3 per cent range.

*Totals may not equal 100 per cent due to rounding.

Survey Methodology

An online survey of 757 business leaders in the UK, France, Germany, Italy and Sweden was conducted in a range of organisations between 17 November and 17 December. Business leaders included C-level executives, directors and senior managers with recruitment responsibilities. The survey was conducted online by Shape the Future, a market research agency based near London which specialises in high speed online research.

The total sample size in the UK was 194, giving a margin of error of 7.04 per cent at 95 per cent confidence. The survey was conducted strictly according to the code of conduct of the UK’s Market Research Society.

About CareerBuilder.co.uk

CareerBuilder UK is one of the most visited online job sites in the United Kingdom. Owned by Gannett Co., Inc (NYSE: GCI), Tribune Company, The McClatchy Company (NYSE: MNI) and Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT), CareerBuilder.co.uk powers the career centres for hundreds of UK sites that reach national, local, industry and niche audiences. For more information about CareerBuilder products and services, visit http://www.careerbuilder.co.uk.

Claire McCowan of LewisPR,  +44(0)207-802-2626, [email protected], for Career Builder, Inc.