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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.

1 March 2023
Legal, Executive search, IT/Telecoms

NEW TO THE MARKET: 27 FEBRUARY-3 MARCH 2023

• Umbrella company Liquid Friday has launched Liquid Stride, an insights dashboard for recruitment agencies. The platform allows recruiters of temporary and contract workers to retain existing talent, enhance redeployment rate and reduce candidate drop off. Liquid Friday’s new contractor app, launched in alignment with this technology, updates their agency when they are considering or actively seeking their next assignment.

• Legal search firm SSQ has opened its first US office in New York. The new office will be led by James Newton, an experienced legal recruiter who has relocated from London to lead SSQ’s new US initiative. The team in New York will offer a wide range of services to both law firms and in-house legal teams, placing talent across the US.

20 February 2023
Recruitment Process Outsourcing, Public sector, IT/Telecoms

Nash Squared launches global MSP as Flexhuis

The new Flexhuis business combines the extensive expertise of both Het Flexhuis and Harvey Nash’s Workforce Solutions to offer clients well-proven methodologies, custom designed tools and technology to simplify the way they access and organise skilled talent.

Central to Flexhuis’ approach is to help mid-tier organisations radically simplify the complexities in the hiring, onboarding and workforce management process, allowing businesses to quickly connect with skilled talent to drive their businesses forward.

Flexhuis will continue to expand its services into government and commercial organisations.

It also aims to grow its global footprint by launching in North America and expanding further into Europe.

• 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.

20 February 2023
Oil & gas/Energy, Transport & logistics, Engineering, Commercial & office support, Industrial/Manufacturing, IT/Telecoms, Graduates/Apprentices/School leavers, Accounting/Finance

NEW TO THE MARKET: 20-24 FEBRUARY 2023

• Recruitment agency Aligra has opened a new branch in Bristol, led by operations manager Leah Blanchard. Aligra opened its first office in Swindon in 2007, and over the last 15 years has opened additional offices in Andover, Didcot, Hinckley and Newbury.

• ScottishPower has launched a paid-to-learn scholarship with its parent company Iberdrola to attract new recruits into the energy sector. The programme will see the company pay a year’s tuition, accommodation and travel expenses for graduates and final-year students while they study at one of 20 top universities across the UK, Europe and beyond.

Applicants can choose from Universities of Cambridge, Strathclyde or the Imperial College of London in the UK, the Universidad Pontificia de Comillas or the Polytechnic Universities of Madrid, Valencia and the Basque Country, in Spain among others.

The application process has now opened and its encouraging students with an interest in engineering, renewable energy, information technology, cybersecurity, sustainability and big data to apply.

• FinTech recruitment brand Storm2 has launched Payments by Storm2, a hyper-specialised sector that connects senior, executive and mid-level professionals with cutting-edge payments companies. The FinTech firm was launched in 2019 by parent company Levin Group.

• Recruitment firm Swift Temps has opened a new office in Wakefield, West Yorkshire. The new office is located in Langham House and joins eight existing offices across the Midlands and North-West England. The new Wakefield branch specialises in placing workers in industrial, food, engineering, transport and commercial sectors in both temporary and permanent roles.

13 February 2023
Public sector, Social care, Creative/Digital/Media, Education, IT/Telecoms, Healthcare/Medical, Apprentices/Grads/School leavers

NEW TO THE MARKET: 13-17 FEBRUARY 2023

• Education and care specialist Bright Horizons plans to enrol 500 new apprentices across the UK, and support 500 existing apprenticeships with its rates of pay. Its popular apprenticeship programme focuses on early years who will work and study towards a Level 2 Early Years Practitioner or Level 3 Early Years Educator apprenticeship through work-based learning. Early Years apprenticeships also include Level 1 and 2 Functional Skills in Maths and English.

• London-headquartered digital healthcare provider and home healthcare provider Cera Care has developed artificial intelligence to predict which staff are at risk of leaving. Cera’s AI technology looks at factors including shift pattern changes for employees; if visits are attended on time; relationships with managers; and the uptake of learning and development opportunities in specific branches, to determine the risk of someone leaving the sector.

The technology aims to prevent 15% of potential leavers from moving elsewhere at scale, and aims to reduce the number of leavers across the system by 50,000 staff a year. By reducing employee turnover, this technology will permit “greater continuity of care”. It also reduces costs as training needs decrease, and allows Cera to grow hours in each branch and deliver excellent care to more people. Cera is initially launching this technology in select locations around the UK, including London, Essex, East and North-East of England, and Scotland, from February 2023.

• Futureheads, a design, digital and tech recruitment firm, has announced that it is now B Corp certified. The B Corp verification process administered by the nonprofit, B Lab, measures a company’s social and environmental performance (see Recruiter’s feature here). To become a Certified B Corporation, companies undergo a rigorous review of the impact of their operations and business model on their workers, customers, communities and environment, and must meet a minimum verified score of 80 on the B Impact Assessment tool.

• Intersectional diversity recruiting platform Loop Not Luck has launched to connect underrepresented candidates with tailored career opportunities. Loop Not Luck’s technology harnesses hundreds of self-identified data points, giving candidates a curated shortlist of opportunities and gives companies a tailored list of potential applicants to avoid AI bias. The jobs board works with junior candidates and covers all industries.

• Premier Group Recruitment has announced it has opened its eighth office in North Carolina in the US. The recruitment firm has offices in Reading, London, Manchester, Birmingham, Sydney in Australia, Austin, New York and now Raleigh, North Carolina in the US.

• North East-based recruitment firm Talentheads has announced it has moved to a larger office in Morpeth, Northumberland. The firm, which was set up by Sam Spoors in 2020, has taken on six new members of staff in the past 12 months. Lauren Bell and Camille Colligan have been taken on as talent engagement advisers, Alison Jobson, Rose Heppell and Grace Oliver joined as talent partners, and Judith Armatage was hired as a development partner.

• Talent intelligence specialist Wilbury Stratton has launched Wilbury On Demand to help organisations streamline their recruitment process with the latest industry insights and data. It provides users with in-depth analysis across a range of markets, enabling them to find and attract talent.

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