Work pressures including increased sales targets could be causing a national shortage of recruitment consultants, according to insiders.

Recruiter magazine found that most companies are struggling to fill jobs for recruitment consultants, despite offering generous salaries and commission packages.

Julie O’Neill, joint managing director at rec-to-rec firm McCall, believes changing work practices lie at the heart of the problem.

She said: “I think the markets picking up is one of the reasons the workplace has changed and people are having to adapt to different ways of working which don’t suit everybody. Sales targets also put people off and there is more pressure now than when I started.

“There is a lot of work involved in networking, meeting people and attending meetings. Much of this is about being seen at the right time and very often in your own time.

“Another factor that has changed is the tendency for people to go and live abroad. In the past two or three years this has become so popular: lots of people up sticks and move to places like Spain,” she added.

Mike Wade, temporary operations manager at RD Piper Recruitment, said he thought were leaving the industry because of the increased pressure on the job.

He said: “The industry is not as affluent as it was. Targets, sales and the pressures that go with it are putting people off. We find it difficult to find the staff and so do other companies.”

Simon Gee, director of rec-to-rec company Heywood Associates, said that there had been a huge surge in demand for recruitment consultants since October 2003.

He said: “ It’s like somebody has switched the lights on. Salaries have risen from an average of £22,000 to £30,000 and companies are working harder to attract the right candidates.”