| Any IT or Digital Professional who has ever | | | | advertising agencies). According to UK IT Job |
| thought of looking for a Job in the UK seems to | | | | Market experts, the senior level staff rehiring is |
| be asking the same question: "Is it the right time | | | | likely to take place in Autumn 2010. |
| to look for an IT Job in the UK?", "Is UK IT Job | | | | 4. Number of Recruitment companies looking to |
| Market picking up? - and if so, is it ready to start | | | | hire additional IT recruiters. |
| hiring non-UK based candidates?" As always, there | | | | This tendency is very clear - the majority of IT |
| will be as many opinions as opinion givers. Recent | | | | recruitment agencies are on a lookout for new |
| surveys give pretty optimistic signals though. | | | | Recruitment Consultants. This means that they |
| One thing is sure - the gloomiest times are behind | | | | already notice an increased demand for |
| us and all specialist IT Recruitment agencies in | | | | candidates from their clients and that obviously |
| London seem to confirm that ever since the IT | | | | indicates that IT recruitment market has picked |
| job market in the UK hit rock bottom in early | | | | up. |
| 2009, the situation has been getting only better | | | | 5. The average time spent by companies to |
| ever since. | | | | make a hiring decision |
| So what are the indicators that prove it? | | | | This according to recruitment agencies is on |
| There are a couple of them. The number of jobs | | | | average 30 days from shortlist to decision stage, |
| advertised is just one of them and not the most | | | | which is almost twice longer than back in 2007. |
| accurate one. It may rather prove that in hard | | | | Companies tend to make quick decisions when it |
| times companies turn their backs to Recruitment | | | | comes to taking on board new contractors |
| Agencies and decide to post their jobs on | | | | though, which is a preface to perm market |
| relevant job boards to save on recruitment fees. | | | | becoming more dynamic pretty soon. |
| Other data seems to back up the theory though | | | | A recent Dice survey (taken in May 2010), where |
| that the IT job market in the UK is lowly picking | | | | as many as 600 hiring and recruiting managers |
| up. Ones that deserve some looking into are: | | | | were questioned on hiring trends that are critical |
| 1. Number of IT contractors being sought and | | | | to the IT marketplace for the remainder of 2010 |
| hired by companies (usually through Recruitment | | | | shows some positive signals too. For example, 71 |
| Agencies). This figure has been on a slow but | | | | percent of companies plan to hire technology |
| steady rise since the beginning of 2010. The rule | | | | staff in the next six months. |
| is, once the Freelance (Contractors) Market picks | | | | Some experts even claim that the current 5.5 |
| up, the revival in perm recruitment is on its way! | | | | percent unemployment rate on the UK IT Job |
| 2. The dynamics of salaries for both contractors | | | | Market may well turn into a shortage of staff |
| and perm employees in the industry. | | | | with certain skills by the end of the year. As soon |
| Whilst perm salaries in the industry have remained | | | | as in Autumn 2010 companies may again need to |
| stagnant, the contract rates have gone up by 5 | | | | start reintroducing employees' benefits which |
| per cent compared to the last month of 2009. | | | | were taken away from employees as |
| 3. Trend to hire more senior level staff | | | | cost-cutting measures in 2008. These may soon |
| There are different voices to be heard in this | | | | again become an essential weapon to retain |
| discussion. Lots of senior level staff suffered | | | | valuable IT staff. |
| layoffs in late 2008 and 2009 (in particular in | | | | |