Demand for HR professionals rises as climate improves

Jo Faragher

The number of vacancies advertised for HR professionals has risen a healthy 5% year-on-year, according to figures from the Robert Walters UK Jobs Index.

The index shows that the flow of HR jobs also increased between the first and second quarters of 2014, by 4%, reflecting the improving climate for hiring and business growth.

According to Robert Walters, London-based employers were the most prolific recruiters over the past 12 months, with vacancies up 5% compared to 2013.

However, activity is building in other regions too, with job numbers rising by 18% in the North West between the first and second quarters of this year. 

Colin Loth, Director of Human Resources Recruitment at Robert Walters UK, said:
“Driven by an improving economy, these results underscore a shift from cost control to attracting and retaining the right staff to help take the business forward.  As a result, we have seen a marked increase in demand for HR staff responsible for internal recruitment and talent management.

He added that employers were increasingly aware of the need to interpret and model sophisticated technical data to understand HR trends affecting the business.

“Those that can bridge the gap between HR and IT, such as MI analytics experts, are therefore widely sought after,” he said.

Employers are also adapting their recruitment methods to accommodate growing shortages of candidates, the company found.