The overwhelming message from Hiring Hub’s latest infographic is the current positivity, growth and development of the UK’s tech sector.
With sustained year-on-year growth in total vacancies, greater clusters of tech companies emerging in pockets across the country, and optimism exuding from all corners of the sector, it’s fair to say that those in tech are feeling rather bullish about the future.
London remains the nation’s leading tech cluster, but with the rise of more peripheral cities like Brighton and Bristol driving their own startup ecosystems that mantle may well not be guaranteed for too much longer. Also notable is Manchester’s rise to second place, overtaking ‘Silicon Fen’ in Cambridge.
Media City, the BBC-led development in the northwest, has been a big part of this climb, claiming a large chunk of the 10,000 jobs created that could come in the tech sector. While startup incubator Tech Hub Manchester has opened its doors to a new breed of technology-focused mancunian startups.
With over 60% of tech companies forecasting growth in 2014, the optimism in the sector is high, with new investment in infrastructure being made to support greater volume.
This rapid growth has led to a significant skills shortage as the country’s schools, colleges and universities have not been able to keep pace with this digital revolution.
Employers across the country are finding it harder than ever to recruit qualified candidates into the full range of tech roles, from and the demand for talent across the board, from senior software developers to help desk and support positions, is tempering growth.
This is a problem that will only be exacerbated as the UK’s economy grows and the skills gap widens during 2014, resulting in rising salaries and recruitment agency fees.
Never before have candidates with solid experience in tech been in such high demand, so the recruitment industry is finding innovative new ways to satisfy the demand for talent.
Leading this charge is Manchester-based Hiring Hub, a technology startup in its own right.
Sara Jones (29), co-founder of Hiring Hub and recent winner of the ‘Women in Business’ award at the Startups Awards, is utilising her experience in both recruitment and technology to develop her online recruitment marketplace.
Hiring Hub acts as an gateway, connecting employers to an approved network of specialist recruitment agencies who compete to fill the employer’s vacancies for a fixed fee the employer sets.
Sara said: “It’s crowdsourcing for recruitment. We have built a network of over 750 approved recruitment agencies across the UK, who submit their best candidates against each vacancy.
“It works really well for tech vacancies and we work with a number of tech companies in the UK, unearthing candidates that they otherwise would not find through traditional methods. And quickly too, on average it takes less than three weeks from posting a vacancy to that vacancy being filled.”
Hiring Hub is an online recruitment marketplace. Employers upload their vacancy and recruitment agencies compete to fill it for a fixed fee the employer sets. It gives employers unrivalled access to the UK’s recruitment agency market without the hassle normally associated with finding, and agreeing terms with multiple recruitment agencies, while allowing employers to manage their recruitment process in the cloud using its free software. To learn more, visit the website or call 0161 300 7235 or book a demo to see exactly what we do.
