‘There are still jobs out there’

Has staff recruitment hit an all-time low?

The housing sector is very very quiet, the commercial sector is quietening down, but anything public services-funded is going at a reasonable rate, which includes Decent Homes and BSF. The infrastructure market’s doing well.

Which jobs are in demand?

At a professional level, infrastructure and commercial jobs are still red hot.

What advice do you have for those facing redundancy?

Throw your net far and wide and investigate other areas of the market. A lot of your skills are transferable, and don’t forget the opportunities abroad, the Middle East is booming.

How’s the market going to change in the next 12 months?

It will depend on the liquidity in the market. If money comes back on the table it could change quite quickly, if it doesn’t it’s going to be a long haul.

What other industry trends have you noticed?

Interestingly, housing recruitment is down countrywide, where normally you’d expect a ripple from London. The credit crunch has hit everywhere equally hard. Blue collar working rates are down, and a lot of Eastern Europeans are beginning to drift away, which is freeing up work for the encumbent workforce.

What is employers’ most common misconception about recruitment?

That it’s easy to find the perfect candidate – especially now there is a bigger pool. There’s always competition for strong candidates.

And what about employees?

That there aren’t any jobs at the moment and it’s better to sit tight. There are still jobs in most sectors and there are some good opportunities.