The Market’s Moving

Do You Have the Right AI, BD and Niche Strategy in Place?

As we move into the final months of 2025, a gentle undercurrent of optimism is beginning to ripple through the UK recruitment landscape. After a challenging couple of years marked by market uncertainty and hesitancy, the green shoots of recovery are not only emerging, they’re starting to accelerate in certain sectors. I hear this amongst the clients I engage with and the industry suppliers I work with. Its not uniform and pervasive but the signs are there.

Recent market data is unequivocal. Job vacancies hit 875,546 in June, the fastest annual growth since 2022 (HR Review). That’s a +2.68% year-on-year increase, and a +1.99% rise month-on-month. Sectors showing strength include construction, IT, and legal, indicating that this recovery is not just statistical, it’s commercial.

At the macro level, the IMF recently upgraded the UK’s 2025 growth forecast (BBC:), now predicting Britain will be the third fastest-growing G7 economy, behind only the US and Canada. It’s a compelling sign that our economy is finding its feet, and recruitment will be at the centre of this resurgence.

But This Recovery Isn't Uniform, And Neither Should Your Strategy Be

While the headlines are heartening, recruitment leaders must avoid one critical trap: assuming that this growth is evenly distributed. The recovery is sector-specific, and opportunity now lies with those who are strategically hunting in the right markets.

Its not uniform as this week’s ONS figures indicated a downturn in the number of vacancies being advertised.

Some of this is because the volume job sectors such as hospitality, retail and logistics remain subdued and to a degree in decline.

Growth appears to be in the professional sectors.

Take cybersecurity, Robert Walters reports over 17,000 open UK vacancies (TechRadar:), including roles such as SOC analysts, ethical hackers, and cloud security engineers.

Fintech and tech-adjacent firms are forecasting huge hiring surges (The Times:). Some plan to add thousands of roles this year alone, with salaries ranging from £70k to £150k. These are not speculative plans, these are businesses scaling at pace.

Construction and infrastructure are also posting strong vacancy numbers. And in transport and logistics, job adverts in London rose 8.1% month-on-month (REC:), a clear signal of regional momentum.

Meanwhile, financial services are seeing a marked increase in hiring intentions. A business confidence survey revealed nearly three-quarters of UK firms are planning to grow headcount (The Times:).

Why Sales, Business Development, and AI Strategy Must Now Take Centre Stage

All this presents a critical moment for recruitment leaders. This is not a time to be reactive. It’s a time to be commercial and visionary. It’s a time to show true leadership.

Now more than ever, your teams need to be armed with the business development and sales skills to not just win but proactively create opportunity. Markets like cybersecurity and fintech won't fall into your lap, they require positioning, insight, and tenacity to penetrate.

We’re also seeing a resurgence in candidate supply, with the July KPMG/REC report showing the highest availability since 2020 (Prism Recruitment:). This means consultants will need to shift back into high-performance client engagement, selling not just CVs, but solutions, insight, and speed.

The rise of AI-powered tools, such as Capita’s deployment of Salesforce Agentforce AI (Reuters:), is redefining internal recruiter productivity. Admin tasks are being automated. The real value now lies in relationship-building, influence, and strategic selling.

But AI also demands more than efficiency. It demands strategy. Recruitment leaders must ask:

• What will our clients want in an AI-powered hiring world?
• How will candidate expectations shift?
• Will traditional services still hold value, or must we reinvent?

An AI strategy is now as vital as your growth strategy. Whether it’s candidate matching, lead generation, or predictive analytics, leaders must be integrating AI into their processes and services, before clients start asking why they’re not.

What Recruitment Leaders Should Do Now

This upturn isn’t a guarantee of success. It’s an open door. To step through it, agency leaders must:

• Invest in frontline sales skills: From account mapping to consultative selling, too many recruiters have lost the art of business development during the last few defensive years.
• Shift toward growth markets: Cyber, fintech, construction, legal, and logistics are among the hottest sectors, are your teams targeting them?
• Build a business-wide AI strategy: This includes tooling, training, and service innovation.
• Audit your client base: Which accounts are poised to hire, and which need to be let go or repositioned?

Reimagine your offering: What services will truly add value in 2026 and beyond?

The Window is Open, But for How Long?

The UK services sector just posted its strongest PMI expansion since August 2024 (Reuters:). Business optimism is rising. Hiring plans are growing. And recruitment leaders are once again being asked to lead.

Don’t wait for the next wave to pass you by.

Re-energise your teams. Reinforce your sales muscle. Create an AI strategy. And hunt where the growth truly is. The recovery is real, but only for those prepared to act decisively today.