2021 Reflections & 2022 Outlook

Mike looks back at 2021 and reflects on the calm before the storm. 2022 is set to be a busy year, full of optimism

We entered 2021 with an air of uncertainty. It was relatively quiet in the early months. Many employers were still furloughing their staff and the country wasn’t sure if it was  heading into another lockdown. 

This had a knock-on effect to the recruitment market. Businesses were extremely cautious with their budgets and would opt to hire directly or, in some cases, had implemented a hiring freeze. I noticed that the H&S and Fire Safety professionals I was working with were less likely to move onto a new role: many wanted to be loyal to their employer and others didn’t want to join a new business to be at risk of being in a “last in, first out” scenario if another lockdown occurred.

As the country eased out of winter, the job market started to change. We started to have discussions with clients about growth and professionals became more confident to take on new opportunities. I had requirements from H&S consultancies and multi-disciplinary consultancies from across the country, all of which were looking to rapidly develop their teams of safety and CDM professionals. This has been an incredibly busy section of the market and this busyness has continued throughout the year, even into December - a notoriously quiet time in the property & construction industry. 2022 doesn’t show any signs of slowing. The last five weeks have been booming!

Another area I recruit for is the fire safety sector, working with engineering consultancies and fire engineering practices across the UK. With changes in legislation - such as the Fire Safety Bill - and many organisations classifying their fire safety teams as key workers, there has been an unprecedented requirement for competent and experienced fire safety professionals over the last two years.

As we go into 2022, I am very optimistic about the current state of the job market. There are many exciting opportunities for ambitious H&S and Fire Safety professionals. I have seen huge amounts of growth in both markets, and I am confident this will continue beyond 2022.

Future plans for the H&S, CDM and Fire Safety recruitment at Carriera is to continue on building on a successful 2021 where a new desk was established for the business and look to develop existing and new relationships with clients and candidates alike. We have plans on growing the team by 2 – 3 people by the end of 2022 which will enable Carriera to provide a more bespoke service to clients and offer an excellent service to candidates in the job market. 

If you are exploring new opportunities and would like to discuss the job market in 2022, please get in touch for a confidential chat. 

Article by Mike Davis