Recruitment 2025 – Let’s Own the Future of Jobs!

We have engaged with over a thousand recruiters since launching our Future of jobs commission report. The question we have been asking is what does the future of jobs mean for the UK recruitment industry? In the first of a series of follow-up White Papers, we have collated the feedback received and identified four characteristics that the industry can build on to thrive in a fast-changing employment landscape.

The Future of jobs - what this means for recruitment White paper

Looking ahead – nurturing a future-focused mind-set

Although recruitment will always be about the ‘here and now’, developing a future-focused mind-set is key to pre-empting future skills needs, driving innovation and harnessing new technology rather than being disrupted by it. A recent poll showed 70 per cent of REC members adopting this positive mind-set towards to AI and tech.

Looking out – forging a new identity

There are real opportunities for recruiters to forge new relationships based on value and customer service excellence. We are starting from a strong base with 81% of employers already satisfied with the agencies they use, according to our JobsOutlook report. Helping clients with strategic workforce planning will involve making change happen on diversity and social mobility, and will underline the industry’s role in ensuring that a future UK jobs market is all-inclusive.

Looking in – building future skills and leadership

An evolving external landscape is already impacting on the skills, competencies and leadership within the recruitment industry itself. The feedback from recruiters is that these internal changes will need to accelerate to reflect seismic changes to the world of work. Investing in skills and building a new generation of industry leaders will become increasingly pivotal.

Looking to make a difference – becoming future of jobs ambassadors

The industry has a major stake in building a successful future UK jobs market and in pre-empting future challenges. Building a better bridge between education and the world of work is one of these; our network of ‘Future of jobs ambassadors’ is up and running and will help to make a difference here. We also need to ensure a strong collective voice in order to influence future labour market policies, and to spread the good recruitment message.

Will the recruitment sector become an industry of ‘highfalutin’ futurologists? Probably not – there is too much day-to-day pressure to leave the present for very long! However, there is a growing recognition that innovation and a future-focused mind-set will drive future growth. As the pace of change accelerates, clients and candidates will need help to navigate a constantly evolving landscape. This is where we come in, let’s own the future of jobs!

The ‘Recruitment 2025’ White Paper is the first in a series of White Papers on the back of the REC Future of jobs commission’s initial report.

For more information on REC Future of jobs ambassadors scheme please contact neal.suchak@rec.uk.com