Predictions for 2021 – where are we now – with a particular view on Data

It’s been a lively year, with ups, downs and wobbles on all fronts, but certainly, from a recruitment point of view, it has been a busy one.

Back in January, I wrote the below set of predictions for 2021 - Click here  

In summary – I was thinking Data would grow, in the first half of the year there would be a focus on lower-level hires and towards the latter end of the year, as confidence in the market grew, we would start to see an increase in the number of senior hires.

So Far This Year

Often you write these things based on some knowledge of your market, conversations with your network and your gut feel and as such they don’t always track to reality. However, I am pleased to say that we are not only seeing these trends come to fruition, but they are also happening sooner than expected.

Our Data team have seen the highest number of Analyst hires so far in 2021 in their 6-year history. Whether it has been mid or senior level Analysts, our most impressive candidates are receiving offers faster than we have ever seen before, and because of the speed of the market we are now representing a number of our best candidates on an exclusive basis. We offer this mainly because when we meet a highly capable candidate we will usually have a high number of relevant opportunities to introduce them to within a few days, and by giving us a few days lead time they can continue their day to day and avoid being inundated with lots of calls from multiple agencies.

The next 12 Months

Now, with the first half of the year behind us, I have already started to see that shift to senior-level recruiting. Over the last 18 months, Covid managed to strip the confidence from the market, senior candidates were nervous about moving, and clients were nervous about investing in an overhaul of their Data Strategy or embark on new projects and programmes.

Those nerves have dissipated now. Our clients need people with the ability to drive their data strategy. They need people who can grow teams, influence stakeholders and deliver results.

We have already placed several Directors / Heads of Data and Lead Data Architects in the last 6 weeks. As we all know, with more roles at that level, there will be a trail of new vacancies behind them as previous roles are vacated, new shoots of hiring as new strategies are kicked off and the upward trajectory of investment in Data that wasn’t there before, continues.

It’s an exciting time to be partnering with leaders aiming to deliver something new that offers real tangible value to their organisations, and if you are already working in Data –I foresee it’s going to be a very busy couple of years!

How the market will change

With all the market pressures mentioned above, it looks like there are 4 key areas that clients can affect when interviewing and offering prospective candidates:

1. Flexible working trends – Flexible working is a discussion that has affected every office across the country. As we come out of the latest lockdown we are tending to see a few trends.
   1. Firstly, some companies are offering 100% remote. If they do this, they have the broadest range of candidates that can and will work for them, and it often leads to costs/salaries being kept at their lowest.
   2. 2:3 / 3:2 – The Blend. We are seeing the majority of companies offering a blended approach to office work, and 3 days in the office is proving the most popular with clients and the most acceptable to candidates
   3. 4:1 / 5:0 – Office working. Even though having 1 day a week once upon a time would have been fantastic, nowadays this is not comparable to the market and will leave you trailing in the wake of other roles, and unfortunately, companies offering that are being viewed as behind the curve / unflexible – what a difference a year makes
2. Salary – it goes without saying that an increase in demand will lead to an increase in salary, but this is starting from the bottom level up. Over the last 6 months I have seen clients paying a 10-15% premium on salaries to secure candidates that pre-pandemic, they would not have been prepared to stretch to for that level of experience in the past. There is more demand for people at that mid-level than anywhere else, so that is driving the biggest increase.
3. Part-time – 3 / 4 days a week. We have seen an increase in clients being willing to offer reduced hours to candidates in the name of keeping costs down and to appeal to candidates looking for an improved work-life balance.
4. Speed – the easiest thing a client can change is how quickly they interview and make a decision on a candidate. Gone are the days of having the luxury of 5-10 first-round interviews before progressing to a 2nd / 3rd round. Swift processes where a candidate is not only assessed but has the position and company sold to them by a client is essential in acquiring the best talent.

The strong relationships that Boston Hale has developed with candidates across the sector means that we understand each individual’s drivers, what will appeal to them most and we can consult with our clients to build the most attractive package for the most suitable candidate for their role.

This is all in the name of getting our clients the best talent on the market without facing long and painful recruitment processes.