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New to Market

12 June 2025
Creative/Digital/Media, IT/Telecoms

NEW TO THE MARKET: 9-13 JUNE 2025

• Lattice has announced its next generation of AI agent functionalities aimed at streamlining HR operations and improving workplace productivity. Key updates include voice input for hands-free interaction, automated 1:1 meeting summaries, and a dashboard delivering proactive management insights. A new ‘Coach’ feature offers real-time guidance to managers and employees, while expanded integrations bring the AI Agent into tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams. Overlaying these new functions, Lattice’s new AI Agent Platform allows companies to build their own agents. Employees will be able to create their own AI agents that can be customised to their data, roles and systems.

• IT blog makethehire.com has launched to explore and share insights on how tech is shaping the recruitment world – from applicant tracking systems and AI tools to sourcing automation and candidate experience platforms.

4 June 2025
Oil & gas/Energy, Life sciences

Green energy firm aims to bring skilled jobs to Kent

Hydrogen TE (UK) is seeking planning permission from Kent County Council to build the UK’s first waste-to-hydrogen base at a 10-acre site in Manston, near Ramsgate. The project aims to convert household and commercial waste into clean hydrogen, significantly cutting landfill and carbon emissions.

According to a report from news site BDaily, bosses say the jobs would include skilled and graduate roles, alongside a training centre to foster local talent. The hydrogen produced will supply commercial heavy vehicle fleets and waste management operations, helping meet UK net-zero targets.

Michael Engsted, Hydrogen TE managing director, says: “This area of Kent has seen a huge depletion in jobs over the past few decades, which has forced many skilled workers and graduates to relocate.

“We are determined to help revitalise the local community by giving talented individuals a reason for staying here. We are committed to prioritising local recruitment for positions including finance, engineering and science.”

According to BDaily, the company also has plans to expand with a second plant near Newport, Wales. Joint MD Jeremy Parkin adds: “We are keen to establish the standard for plants like this, which will one day become a familiar sight across the UK.”

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27 May 2025
Creative/Digital/Media, Industrial/Manufacturing

NEW TO THE MARKET: 27-30 MAY 2025

• Aston University has announced a new initiative, guaranteeing all full-time master’s students a professional internship as part of their studies. Launching in September 2025, the Postgraduate Guaranteed Internship Scheme will be available to students enrolled in MSc, MA and MBA programmes at both the Birmingham and London campuses.

This scheme is designed to enhance employability by providing high-quality industry placements lasting between one and six months. These internships may be conducted in-person, remotely, or in a hybrid format, and will be facilitated through Aston’s global network of employers. The initiative is available to both UK and international students.

• Worcestershire-based Four Squared Recruitment has launched its new Recruitment Academy, a strategic initiative aimed at developing early careers and entry-level talent. The Academy supports new entrants with structured training, mentorship, and hands-on experience to prepare them for the demands of a competitive job market. Three new team members have also joined Four Squared as a result of the programme. The initiative helps close the gap between emerging candidates and evolving industry needs.

• Gi Group UK, part of global company Gi Group Holding, is strengthening its position in the recruitment and HR sector by delivering forklift and material handling equipment (MHE) training. With warehouse operative roles in high demand across the UK, the company provides essential upskilling opportunities to meet the growing needs of the logistics sector. The MHE training programme supports up to three candidates daily and is RTITB-approved, ensuring high standards of safety, compliance and operational efficiency.

• Technology recruitment provider itris has launched itris X, a cloud-based CRM and applicant tracking system (ATS) built specifically for recruitment agencies and staffing professionals. The new platform is designed to streamline the entire talent acquisition process with a focus on automation, scalability, and ease of use. itris X addresses core operational challenges in recruitment by offering AI-powered automation to reduce repetitive tasks, advanced reporting tools for performance insights, and personalised candidate communication features. The system is accessible across devices and integrates with a wide range of recruitment tools and platforms. Key features include lead and marketing management, user-friendly design and comprehensive customer support. itris X is scalable for use by both small agencies and large global firms, maintaining performance and usability regardless of company size.

• ManpowerGroup has launched the Work Intelligence Lab, a new global initiative designed to help employers and workers understand and adapt to the impact of AI on jobs and skills. With over half of employers (53%) already using AI in hiring and onboarding, the Lab provides real-time insights into how automation is transforming the labour market. The Lab leverages Manpower Group’s workforce data, drawn from millions of placements over 70 countries, and integrates real-time hiring trends, employer demand and worker sentiment. It aims to give organisations clearer visibility into emerging skill requirements, role changes and workforce dynamics.

27 May 2025
Oil & gas/Energy, Engineering

Energy recruitment firm launches in Aberdeen

Founded by Alan Golightly (pictured), an experienced recruitment professional with more than 27 years in the industry, the company targets small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) requiring tailored support for complex hiring needs. 

The firm provides permanent recruitment solutions for technical and engineering roles, as well as short-term internal recruitment assistance to help businesses manage hiring fluctuations without increasing fixed costs. Agilient also offers custom recruitment strategies that align with clients’ specific values and growth plans.

Golightly previously worked for, among other oil & gas recruiters, NES Fircroft, and launches Agilient from global energy recruiter Simpson Booth.

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2 July 2019
Creative/Digital/Media, Engineering, Construction & property, Commercial & office support, Executive search, Industrial/Manufacturing, IT/Telecoms, HR, Healthcare/Medical, Accounting/Finance

NEW TO THE MARKET: 1-5 JULY 2019

• Paris-based recruitment platform AssessFirst is expanding its services into the UK, with the launch of its first office in London.

• US healthcare recruiter Cross Country Healthcare has merged its permanent search brands – Cejka Physician Search, AP Healthcare, StarMed and Cross Country Staffing’s RPO division – under its new Cross Country Search brand. The brand will be led by newly appointed president David Pantano.

• Engaging Works has launched jobs features for both individuals and organisations on its platform. The new job features allow employers to post and target jobs, and to promote great places to work to a range of people, including experienced individuals looking for new jobs, as well as students and graduates seeking positions within organisations focused on the happiness and engagement of their employees.

Part of a wider roll out of tools to help people find the right job, build skills, knowledge and connections to help them be happier and more successful at work, the new job services include a range of tools to help individuals decide which job, industry and company is the right fit, including the Happiest Companies to Work for Index and Career Tests. The site also has a CV Generator and interview advice on its Global Hub – a place for online discussion about working life.

• Worcester-based duo, Gareth Matts and Mike Pincott, have partnered with The Jarell Group of companies to launch GMP Recruitment. The new recruitment agency will provide both temporary and permanent recruitment services across Worcester to companies in the industrial, technical, commercial and healthcare sectors.

Michael Duffy Partnership and Emms Gilmore Liberson supported the process through retained financial and legal advice respectively.

• Scotland-based recruiter Meraki Talent is launching an accountancy & finance division serving clients across commerce and industry in the central belt of Scotland.

To support this, the group has appointed Neil Woodley as director in its Edinburgh office and Greg McDermott as senior manager in Glasgow. In a separate move, the group has also hired Craig Rumball as an associate director in its London office.

• Employment background screening company Sterling is opening an office in Amsterdam. The firm adds it also has expansion and improvement plans across locations such as Switzerland, Germany, Poland and Romania.

• The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is running a number of roadshows for unemployed people and those wanting to get a better job. The events in Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall will feature staff from colleges, training providers and job advisers, providing information to help people access training, find work or plot a path to a better career and explain what training courses are on offer in the West Midlands as the WMCA takes control of the region’s £126m adult education budget (AEB).

The roadshows will focus on the region’s fastest-growing economies, including digital, construction, advanced manufacturing and engineering, and business and professional services, offering advice on what qualifications are needed to get jobs in these sectors, and how to access the training required.

28 June 2019
Transport & logistics, HR

Proactive managing partner Rubin hopes book will disrupt HR

“Some people in HR will love it, but some won’t like it – but that’s okay,” Ruth Rubin (above) told Recruiter.

Speaking at the public launch of the company’s new branding at the House of St Barnabas, a homeless charity and members’ club in London’s Soho Square last night, Rubin articulated the company’s new mission and spoke about the book. She said the book, entitled Unticked, will be about the ‘Who revolution’, something in which she is a great believer, and which informs Proactive’s philosophy and culture.  

Rubin explained that this approach looks at who the candidate is and at their values, such as altruism, rather than what they have done. She said the reason for the title of the book, which is due to be published next year, is because “I hate tick boxes” [the tick-box approach and the associated red tape prevalent in many HR departments]. 

Rubin said there was a strong link between altruism and those who performed well in the sort of customer-facing jobs in which the company specialises. Many of the company’s clients are rail to whom it supplies staff to work in customer-facing roles at stations. It also recently won a contract to provide Thames Clippers, the company that operates ferries on the Thames, with customer-facing staff. 

Rubin said that unlike the usual approach taken by many HR departments, “we look at the gaps in people’s CVs. Someone who has a three-year gap in their CV to look after their mother could be showing that altruism”.

Unticked will also highlight other practices that Rubin believes stop companies missing out on talent. She said one such practice was requiring candidates applying for a role that requires great customer-facing skills “to pass a maths test”. “Both employers and companies could be missing a trick,” said Rubin.

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24 June 2019
Engineering, Construction & property

Hudson Freelance launches ahead of private sector off-payroll rules

Legislation around IR35 reforms states that construction firms with more than 50 employees, a turnover of £10.2m or assets of £5.2m must comply with the new rules, which serve to define off-payroll working in a bid to crack down on so-called ‘disguised employment’ by April 2020.

Ian Anfield, managing director of Hudson Contract, says: “If HMRC decides highly paid consultants are actually employees, the potential liabilities could be disastrous. 

“Many businesses have already taken the decision to cull their off-payroll staff, thinking it’s better to be safe than sorry, even though it could harm their growth prospects. We have launched Hudson Freelance to eliminate the risk of continuing to use consultants once the rules change.”

• Comment below on this story. You can also tweet us to tell us your thoughts or share this story with a friend. Our editorial email is [email protected]

24 June 2019
Marketing, IT/Telecoms, HR

NEW TO THE MARKET: 24-28 JUNE 2019

• Edinburgh-headquartered IT recruiter Cathcart Associates has expanded its operations in Thailand’s thriving tech hub of Bangkok, doubling its headcount, moving into a new office and offering new career opportunities for staff. The expansion sees the firm move to the city’s Mercury Tower, a space four times bigger than their previous location.

Nick Macdougall, managing consultant for Cathcart Associates in Thailand, said: “Looking to the future, we expect Bangkok to become our headquarters for the whole of South-East Asia as we ramp up our activity into neighbouring countries.”

• Pioneer Search, a specialist technology recruiter in London, has opened two new divisions. Jonathan Magee will be heading up the new data & analytics team, while Pratap Vara and Gavin O’Reilly will head up the new cyber security & cloud team.

The development is part of a move by Pioneer Search to refocus its brand on the core areas of specialism. Technology has always been a main focus, but with the proliferation of AI and cloud, it was important to recognise this and the growing demand for these skills.

• Talent marketing solutions provider Symphony Talent has launched an analytics tool in its Experience Cloud (XCLOUD) platform, which provides a holistic view of all touchpoints in the candidate journey.

• External talent intelligence provider Talent Intuition has launched Stratigens, a new online platform for HR directors that uses big data to help companies make informed strategic decisions.

Talent Intuition partnered with technology developers and consultants OJO Solutions on the project. The platform pulls together data points from the global talent market so it can inform location decisions, expansion plans or highlight where consolidation would be most commercially effective, based on the available skills base in a location.

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