Sadly, in response to the global recession, employers are taking on fewer recruits and are more particular about the suitability of candidates, when they do employ. For many, the current emphasis is now on part-experience as well as part-qualification, which is bad news for graduates with no work experience. To mitigate this, many academic institutions are now laying emphasis on the benefits of work based learning, but there is still a large number of job-seekers searching for first-time employment opportunities.

Employers also now expect applicants to take the initiative in the job hunt process, which is slightly different from the way the market operated in the past. Unfortnately, the job-seeker seems to be more at a disadvantage as the industry evolves. The market has even shrunk further with the adoption of outsourcing and offshoring, leading to diminished boundaries between world markets.

To free up time, and gain access to a large number of potential candidates, many employers will still rely on agencies to fill jobs, but it is becoming more evident that few recruitment companies have advanced at the same pace as the market. This is evident in various types of recruitment- graduate, professional, permanent and interim. In many instances, resorting to the use of a typical recruitment firm to fill an interim role brings with it a lack of continuity and issues of uncertainty. In some other cases, the entire process may prove to be prohibitively expensive in terms of time and money spent; especially when clients experience problems such as low quality candidates, lengthy processing periods, and geographical limitations.With horror stories being recounted by job seekers and employers, it seems like high quality recruiters may be a dying breed.

Without doubt, there is a huge gap in the market for a new generation of recruiters; Professionals who understand the holistic nature of the current labour market, the specifics of their industry, and an awareness of the increasing transparency and accountability in the economy as a whole. The industry needs recruiters who are anxious to provide value to both employer and graduate, catering to neglected skills and remote locations. We need recruiters with a paradigm shift, more value driven than profit driven to unleash our true potential, and to help restore shattered public confidence.