The recruitment landscape has undeniably transformed over the past year and a half, marked by fluctuating patterns as organisations oscillated between contract and permanent employment strategies.

However, as this year unfolds, stability seems to have returned. Although the initial weeks of 2025 were characterised by a pronounced emphasis on contract hiring, I’ve recently observed a significant shift towards permanent recruitment. Our team has found itself increasingly busy, moving swiftly between meetings, assisting clients with enquiries on how to strategically design, launch, and execute numerous permanent recruitment initiatives.

This shift didn’t come as a complete surprise to me. Factors such as the government’s decision to raise employer National Insurance contributions, coupled with market behaviours reminiscent of those following the financial crisis, indicated this trend. Organisations today are more conscious of maximising the returns from their recruitment investments. It’s reassuring to observe businesses recognising the long term value and cost effectiveness of permanent staff, signalling a decisive move away from reactive recruitment practices.

The government and defence sectors have also begun reassessing their approach to existing skills shortages.

While some of these shortages will inevitably persist due to reactive recruitment triggered by successful programme bids, significant progress is expected in addressing many of them. I foresee strategic appointments being increasingly utilised for harder to fill roles, accompanied by robust training initiatives aimed at bridging future skills gaps.

In my view, maintaining a proactive stance towards addressing these skills shortages is crucial for businesses that seek to secure their future. Demonstrating tangible return on investment to stakeholders is essential to ensuring broad support for recruitment and training initiatives. I recommend identifying specific projects with clearly defined outcomes agreed upon by stakeholders to ensure maximum engagement, commitment, and demonstrable value.

At LUNIQ, our extensive experience enables us to guide stakeholders effectively through this process, facilitating successful training and recruitment programmes.

We excel at initiating these critical conversations, establishing reskilling initiatives, and identifying candidates with specialised skillsets that might typically be challenging to source. Our approach is tailored and outcome focused, ensuring clients achieve optimal value for money and maximum return on investment. It’s precisely this type of rewarding work that motivates our team every single day.

If your organisation recognises a need in this area, or if you simply wish to discuss strategies for your permanent hiring plans or how best to address your skills shortages, please don’t hesitate to reach out.