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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.”

• Comment below on this story. Or let us know what you think by emailing us at [email protected] or tweet us to tell us your thoughts or share this story with a friend.

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.

• Comment below on this story. Or let us know what you think by emailing us at [email protected] or tweet us to tell us your thoughts or share this story with a friend.

30 October 2017
Rec-to-rec, Transport & logistics, Creative/Digital/Media, Engineering, Construction & property, Commercial & office support, Legal, Executive search, IT/Telecoms, Accounting/Finance

NEW TO THE MARKET: 30 OCTOBER-3 NOVEMBER 2017

• Global recruiter Antal International has expanded its operations in China with opening of an office in Guangzhou. The Guangzhou office, which recruits into the automotive, insurance, manufacturing and technology sectors, follows the opening of Dalian and Wuhan offices in October and August 2017.

Antal Dalian covers general insurance, life & health insurance, and reinsurance appointments. Antal Wuhan office helps clients to recruit automotive, IT, property and banking professionals.

• Blue Legal has launched its first overseas office, adding New York to its Manchester and London bases. The agency, which serves the legal, accountancy, property and consultancy sectors, said the US operation is an extension of its European and Asia presence to support its global clients.

• Search firm Careers International has opened an office in Hong Kong. Philip Hutchinson, who will also be responsible for growing Careers International’s global banking practice throughout the Asia Pacific region, heads up the new offices.

• The Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport (CILT) is to host its first LIVE Virtual Careers Fair. This interactive Careers Fair will be streamed live on CILT’s Facebook page on Wednesday 22 November at 18:00.

The fair will include presentations, live talks and question & answer opportunities. It’s free to register and open to all students looking for a career in logistics and transport.

Students will be able to interact with recruiters, organisations and industry professionals, and learn more about the opportunities available within the sector.

Companies including DHL Supply Chain, Sainsbury’s, Logistics Learning Alliance and XPO Logistics will answer questions directly in real time using online chat technology.

• Procurement and supply chain staffing specialist DSJ Global, a Phaidon International company, has opened an office in Hong Kong. The office, which has its official launch today [1 November], will recruit for procurement, supply chain & logistics, operational excellence, CFO/finance functions and HR roles.

• Technology and professional services staffing specialist Eurostaff is opening its second office in the city of Berlin. The new location is parent company Staffgroup’s third premises in Germany, with the Earthstaff brand based in Hamburg.

Having opened in a three-man office in February 2013, Eurostaff’s Berlin operation is now a 75-person business. The firm says this latest expansion has been driven by demand for talent in the innovative engineering space. Wasilij Korotchenko, who heads up Eurostaff’s engineering team in Germany, will head up this new office.

• Global IT sales and digital recruitment company Finlay James has opened an office in Downtown San Francisco. Vice president of US operations Nick Guy will be spearheading the new venture, based in the WeWork offices at 650 California Street.

• Team GB triathlete Shayne Wilson has launched rec-to-rec Kanso Recruitment. The business is based in Manchester City Centre and supports recruitment business across the North-West and London.

Wilson qualified to represent Team GB in Triathlon earlier this year.

• UK payroll provider RACS Group is divesting from the umbrella model and has launched a new Professional Employer Organisation (PEO) service suite.

PEO, which is fee-free for contractors, streamlines processes and brings together a range of benefits, which sees contractors gain access to their earnings in advance of their scheduled pay day and the real-time matching of contractors’ competencies and availability with suitable temporary work.

23 October 2017
Creative/Digital/Media, Construction & property, Commercial & office support, IT/Telecoms, HR

NEW TO THE MARKET: 23-27 OCTOBER 2017

• Specialist recruitment and training agency Acorn has opened a new branch in Bridgwater in Woodlands Business Park. This new branch is one of two new locations in the South-West, with another office set to open in Bournemouth.

Newly appointed commercial development manager Matthew Hastie has been brought in to manage both the Bournemouth and Bridgwater offices.

• Recruitment giant Adecco has joined forces with multinational Microsoft to launch technology start-up YOSS. The freelancer platform, launched this week, has been custom built to specifically facilitate the relationship between freelancers and enterprises.

• Global human capital management solutions provider ADP has rolled out its cloud-based human capital management system ADP iHCM 2 in Germany, Italy, Netherlands and the UK.

The solution aims to simplify and streamline HR processes for pay, talent acquisition, time management, performance management, development and training, as well as tools for HR administration, reporting and analysis.

• Kalcrest Site Services has announced its return to Bradford. The construction recruiter launched in Bradford in 2003 before moving to Rotherham in 2011.

• Digital staffing specialist Propel London has moved to larger offices at 55 Greek Street in the heart of the capital’s West End as part of its expansion plans.

18 October 2017
IT/Telecoms, HR

Start-up of the Month: LUCKYLINK's EVA

Recruitment app provider LUCKYLINK has launched EVA (Employment Virtual Assistant) – a recruiter bot hardwired with artificial intelligence, which has the knowledge of a recruitment executive with two years’ experience.

Officially launched in October, EVA can source and present five suitable candidates in less than five days following a 10-minute brief from an employer.

But LUCKYLINK founder Ben Kaminsky told Recruiter EVA doesn’t spell the end for companies using human recruitment consultants. “The idea is to make the consultant role truly relationship driven, to reward behaviours that build and develop deeper connections with candidates and clients. 

“The scalability and cost effectiveness of this platform mean it will very quickly challenge in-house teams for both total cost to hire and longevity of placement. Our algorithms get better the more you use us resulting in higher success rate of placements with clients as the relationship matures.

“It costs the same to recruit a permanent hourly paid worker through us as it does to hire an agency temp for two-and-a-half weeks for the same role.”

EVA has already gained 15 customers to date, however Kaminsky said the aim is to expand its use across the whole recruitment lifecycle. 

“There are huge opportunities for automating the day-to-day tasks carried out by recruiters,” he added.

16 October 2017
IT/Telecoms

Nicoll Curtin buys cyber experts BeecherMadden

Led by managing director Karla Jobling (pictured above), BeecherMadden has been in the cyber security market for seven years, with offices in London and New York. Speaking exclusively to Recruiter, Jobling said: “We hit the cyber market at the right time.” The company has a strong presence in the cyber consultancy market, providing cyber specialists to a variety of industry sectors.

Nicoll Curtin CEO James Johnson told Recruiter that he and Jobling were introduced by industry expert Graeme Reid, leading to a year-and-a-half worth of conversations and finally, the acquisition.

“They were the right people in the right market,” Johnson said of BeecherMadden. “It’s a really exciting market,” he went on to say, predicting that cyber security recruitment had not even reached a small percentage of “what it will be in time” across UK and international markets.

Jobling said that her own emphasis on salaries, women and diversity had helped boost the profile of her business. A key talent pool that businesses miss out on is that of people returning to work after career breaks, she said. Given that 50% of jobs in the cyber market go unfilled, she urges employers to look at returners with, for instance, project management skills who can be trained in cyber disciplines.  

Also, she said, greater awareness is needed of the potential in cyber careers. “People are put off by the image of a teenager in a hoodie,” she said.

Jobling is one of a team of 12 that has already moved into Nicoll Curtin quarters.

The deal was executed by the immediate parties, with no external advisers. Jobling said: “I was surprised how easy the process was. The integrity is strong.”

Earlier this year, Nicoll Curtin launched digital recruiter Purple Halo.

• Want to comment on this story? Email us at [email protected] or tweet us below to tell us your thoughts. We will run comments online in a round-up at the end of the week.

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