Launching Miller Byrne last year was the singularly most challenging project we have collectively undertaken as recruiters. We are also pleased to report that it has been the most rewarding project we have undertaken and, as we approach the end of our first business quarter and look forward to the Easter weekend, we wanted to share the following market update with our HR & Marketing networks.

We have had the privilege of engaging and assessing c200 candidates across both practice areas since launching. This is a unique and complex market for candidates to navigate and it has been a privilege because many job searches have been interwoven with personal stories of loss, disruption and market ambiguity. So, to our existing network of candidates and to the candidates we have engaged for the first time, a huge thank you for actively stepping into a variety of client recruitment processes we have been managing on behalf of our clients.

Client assignments

We are delighted to have successfully completed our first client assignments across both the HR and Marketing practice areas. These have spanned the Insurance, Real Estate, Consumer and Retail sectors in London and the Southwest – current and pipeline assignments sit in Real Estate, Management Consulting, Tech and Pharma. A huge thank you again, to our existing clients and to the new clients we have engaged and partnered for the first time.  

Human Resources

The Human Resources market has gathered really encouraging momentum over the last 4 weeks; however, the volume of opportunities remains modest in what is typically the busiest period of the annual recruitment calendar. Our interim HR practice has grown rapidly and we have partnered clients in response to specific organisational change programmes and the development of HR operations and governance functions. We have also been encouraged by an increase in demand for Learning and Organisational Development professionals, particularly in response to the digitalisation of curriculums and a huge focus on employee engagement and culture projects.

Marketing

Our Marketing practice has experienced significant growth in the latter half of the 1st quarter, with a particular focus on Marketing Director level opportunities across professional services. Marketing, Content and CRM opportunities have been particularly prevalent across the Tech sector and we were delighted to appoint a strategic social media expert into a leading consumer lifestyle business in the Southwest. Engaging talent across both practice areas requires increased focus as many candidates are understandably more risk averse due to the complexities of the market.

Our Community Partners

Our continued partnership with The Outward Bound Trust has been hugely rewarding and we are pleased to report we have so far supported one young person to attend a week long residential outdoor pursuit programme this year. Thank you to Kristina Spindler, Director of Development at The Outward Bound Trust, for placing faith in a new ‘start up’ Partner and we look forward to supporting further student cohorts during 2021 and beyond. We wish all the staff and students at the Trust every success as they look forward to re-opening their sites across the UK.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

We have continually paused to review the diversity of our candidate shortlists and we have enjoyed some really interesting conversations with clients on the subject. We have achieved a great balance across gender diversity and social mobility but seek to improve our performance across a range of other areas. Some of the steps we are undertaking to improve this include engaging further with professional minority networks and attending industry events which have specifically attracted a more diverse audience.

We would like to wish everyone a safe and very well-deserved Easter break and we look forward to working with you as the year progresses.

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