An increase in rec-to-rec assignments is the first sign of a return to growth and investment in the recruitment industry, according to the Recruitment and Employment Confederation’s (REC) Recruitment- to-Recruitment sector group.

Growing rec-to-rec areas include healthcare, senior IT, investment banking and finance positions.

But Tim Connolly, chair of REC R2R, says that despite growth, key talent has already left the sector.

“We have seen that those who left the industry in the recession are deciding not to return for various reasons. The problem is more acute at the senior end where senior recruiters have felt the industry let them down.

“As a result there is now a significant gap where middle managers once stood, with no one at the junior end experienced enough to move up the career ladder.”