Hannah Bush promoted to Divisional Manager

Hannah has been an integral member of our team here at Allen Associates since the beginning of her career in 2009. We are delighted to progress her to this new career landmark and look forward to supporting her and seeing the impact she makes in this new role. Retaining the top talent is imperative to us, and for Hannah this is a very well-deserved promotion.

To gain her insight we ask Hannah the major questions on the state of the industry and the changes she is forecasting.

1. How has recruitment changed since you started in the industry?

When I started in recruitment we were in the midst of a recession, so candidates were easier to come by, but roles were scarcer. I often had tens of applications per job, and clients had significantly higher expectations of candidates as they had such a large pool of candidates to choose from. Instead of just wanting a PA who could start immediately, they wanted a PA who could speak French, do shorthand, and start yesterday!

2. How do you see the sector evolving over the next 12 months?

Globally, things are looking really positive - which can only be a good thing for anyone job seeking. Anecdotally I can also confirm the market is buoyant. Headlines like Brexit may make some employers nervous to take on full time, permanent appointments, so this will be a positive for the temporary workforce, who become intrinsic during uncertain economic periods. 

I’ve seen an increase in recruiters relying on job boards and CV databases, rather than meeting people for a registration, like we do at Allen Associates. However, my experience is that temporary workers are just as important at permanent hires - meeting candidates has never been more important in ensuring your temporary workforce fits your culture and needs. I couldn’t imagine not meeting my candidates before submitting them to a client!

3. What do you think the main challenges that recruiters face are, both now and in the future?

We are still suffering from major candidate shortages - there are more jobs to go around, and fewer candidates who are free to temp, therefore making my life much harder! In a market where there are lots of permanent vacancies available, why would people choose to temp, when they can find their ideal permanent role in a short space of time? So, we are trying to target candidates who are perhaps living here temporarily, students who are free for the summer, as well as antipodeans and career temps, who will be reliable, and who won’t leave their roles within a matter of days because a permanent offer has come through.

For 20 years, the Allen Associates team has been helping employers in Oxfordshire secure the talent they really need. Can we help you? Click here for more information.