We hear from Ruth Skelton, senior manager, office support recruitment at Morgan McKinley, about the second quarter of 2018 and how it has been positive for Office Support recruitment, with a slant towards marketing noticeable in a number of support roles.
Although it hasn’t felt it due to drawn-out recruitment processes and indecisive candidates, quarter two (Q2) has been positive, resulting in a positive job marketplace for those working in office support.
Hiring processes are slow with multiple stages for almost all role levels, and in many cases, candidates will have to partake in system or role playtesting. Companies are still dedicated to waiting for the very best talent and are prepared to pay well in order to secure those professionals.
Most exciting roles seen throughout quarter two.
For the first time in a while, we are seeing highly desired support roles with a slant towards marketing really coming through. Perhaps post-GDPR, companies are more aware of their approach when it comes to sales, so are investing to ensure continued revenue generation whilst protecting their business from the unchartered waters of GDPR non-compliance.
The best of the best, not the best of the rest; that’s what business want.
A high demand for customer service focused roles is nothing new in office support recruitment, and demand has been trending upwards for quite some time now, with businesses seeking to offer better customer experience than their competitors. However, we are seeing a surprising increase in service-based roles that require language skills. There are several conclusions that can be drawn; market buoyancy leading to investment in new markets, or are positions becoming vacant as people move out of them? It is too early to say for sure, but soon we will be able to tell.
Desirable skills sought after in Office Support candidates
The best of the best, not the best of the rest; that’s what business want. This includes CV stability and longevity, of course alongside relevant experience and an A grade personality. It can result in candidates being between a rock and a hard place, as too long in a role renders one institutionalised and unable to adapt, but multiple short term roles (unless temporary of course) and no amount of relevant skills tends to mean you may struggle to secure an interview. The increased focus on employee engagement across most markets is testament to that.
Predictions for the upcoming quarter
The third quarter despite its obvious challenges can be a buoyant quarter for Office Support, and with the positivity shown in the first half of 2018, we are hoping for just that. There is, of course, the holiday season to contend with, not to mention the Great British summer, and we have already experienced our first interview cancellation for “a day at the beach”.
With more and more post-GDPR changes occurring, it will be interesting to see if there is a decrease in generic processing and administrative based roles, with more and more people becoming savvy to the regulations and requesting to ‘opt out’.
