Gareth Tomkins' End of 2024 Review

Linear Recruitment's Managing Director Gareth Tomkins' end of year review

I can’t quite believe how fast the year has gone by and everyone I speak to appears to be saying the same. 2024 has been a somewhat unpredictable and demanding year with many ups and downs to navigate through. A lot of credit has to be given to all our staff at Linear as they have had to work harder than ever to ensure we did not go backwards; as a result our margin has increased by 10% on 2023 which is testament to everyone within the company.

Throughout the year the jobs market has been in a difficult position with vacancies declining month on month. Many companies had periods of putting hiring plans on hold, firstly due to the lead up to the election and then the uncertainty over the Autumn budget; subsequent tax rises saw businesses hold back hiring plans and revisiting their recruitment strategy.

The labour shortages of recent years, compounded by the ongoing cost-of-living challenges, have forced many of our clients to adapt their workforce strategies. Labour shortages are not going away and still persist, this requires businesses to be more proactive than ever in sourcing, recruiting and retaining the workers they need to succeed.

For us as a company the first half of the year was very slow, more so on the contract billings. However in the second half of the year we experienced a substantial improvement resulting in a strong finish and we believe that this will continue into 2025.

All the indications are that market conditions will see an upturn in 2025 and again in 2026. Not only general economic conditions but the Construction market, Industrial market and also the Jobs market are all looking very positive going forward. The experts are forecasting that construction starts are expected to bounce back over the next two years due to a combination of increased private sector confidence and capital investment. A key prediction is the value of project starts under £100m which is forecast to increase by 8% in 2025 and 10% in 2026 - a key driver for this increase is private and social housing growth among many other sectors.

Throughout 2024 we have continued to invest in the company and strive to improve processes and practices wherever possible. We successfully moved our Sheffield/Head Office into a more modern, vibrant environment at St James House. A substantial investment has gone into our website which now integrates more with our CRM and provides a slicker candidate registration experience.

We have continued to invest in our staff both on recruitment and training which we believe is vital to continue the excellent service we provide for our clients and candidates. In our Industrial and Engineering division we have recently recruited a new Branch Operations Director in Richard Ansell. Rich has a wealth of experience in the Industrial and Engineering sectors and is a fantastic addition to the company in an area that we have big growth and exciting plans for.

Looking forward into 2025, as positive as the forecasts are, the landscape remains dynamic with new legislation and regulatory changes that will significantly impact Linear as a labour provider and our clients. Not only do we have the increase in minimum wage and Employer's NI but we also have the New Employment Rights bill of which we will see various consultations run throughout the year and into 2026. All our staff of course are here to help our clients navigate these changes so please feel free to contact any our offices if you wish to discuss or seek advice on any matter.