UK Hiring Is Picking Up. Are Your Salary Brackets Right?

Well, well, well. Are businesses hiring again?

After a couple of years of businesses being understandably reluctant to recruit, we're finally seeing some encouraging signs.

Over the last few weeks, hiring enquiries across marketing, creative, digital, SaaS and technology have picked up considerably.

More conversations turning into actual vacancies. More businesses making decisions rather than talking about making decisions.

It's been a welcome change.

Now, we're not suggesting the UK recruitment market has suddenly sprung back to life and everyone's hiring like it's 2022.

But there's definitely been a shift in mood, at least from where we're sitting.

And if you're one of the businesses thinking about recruiting again, we've got a little advice before you get started.

Hiring again? Check your salary before you advertise.

If you've finally got the green light to recruit, brilliant.

But before you dig out that old job description and stick it on LinkedIn, there's something you're obviously going to want to check...

Is the salary you're planning to offer actually competitive?

Because what you paid your last Marketing Manager in 2023 might not be what it takes to attract a new one in 2026.

That's exactly why we've built Salary Scout, our free salary benchmarking tool.

It gives you a quick indication of what you should be paying for marketing, digital, SaaS and technology roles, based on the role, seniority and location.

And the best bit? It's completely free and ungated. No forms, no email addresses and no awkward follow-up calls.

CHECK YOUR SALARY WITH SALARY SCOUT →

It takes very little time and could save you weeks of recruiting for someone you can't actually afford.

Businesses are ready to hire. But are candidates ready to move?

Now, this has been interesting...

While employers have spent the last couple of years being cautious about hiring, candidates have begun to to be equally cautious about changing jobs.

They've watched redundancies, restructures and hiring freezes happen across their industries.

Many have decided that a secure job is a pretty good thing to hang on to - Even if their boss is annoying, the coffee's terrible and they've been threatening to leave for the last 18 months.

So, while more vacancies are certainly welcome, employers shouldn't assume that good candidates will suddenly be queuing up. They still need a good reason to move.

You're competing with more than other employers

Imagine you've found a brilliant candidate earning £55,000.

You offer them £57,000.

Lovely. A pay rise.

Except, when it comes to actually making the jump, they get a case of 'is the grass really greener' & realise it's not so bad where they are after all. They know the business, like their colleagues and have a decent amount of flexibility.

Your opportunity means starting again, proving themselves to a new boss and possibly spending more time commuting.

All for an extra £2,000 a year.

Suddenly, staying put looks rather appealing.

You're not just competing against other employers. You're competing against someone's perfectly comfortable Tuesday afternoon.

And that's quite a tough competitor.

What if you can't afford to pay more?

Not every business has an enormous recruitment budget. We get that.

And fortunately, salary isn't everything.

We've seen businesses attract excellent candidates because they offer genuine progression, greater responsibility, flexibility or the chance to be part of something exciting.

But whatever you're offering, make sure it's something candidates actually value.

Because "we're a really exciting company with ambitious growth plans" is lovely.

But so is every other job advert. Give people a real reason to believe you.

A little homework now could save a lot of frustration later

Obviously, we're pleased to see hiring activity picking up.

It's good for businesses, good for candidates and good productivity for the industry.

Long may it continue.

But if you're planning your first hire in a while, make sure you're going into the market with realistic expectations.

Check your salary brackets, think about what makes your opportunity attractive and remember that good candidates might need a little more convincing to move than they did a few years ago.

You don't necessarily need to offer the biggest salary.

But you do need to give people a good reason to say yes.

And if you're planning to advertise a role at exactly the same salary you offered in 2022, with an extra two days in the office thrown in for good measure...

Well, good luck with that :)

GIVE SALARY SCOUT A GO →

And if you'd like a chat about hiring, salaries or what's happening in the market, you know where we are.

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Stonor Search | Hire with Confidence.

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