How we tailor our approach to handle market volatility
Engineering and manufacturing businesses all over the UK have faced market volatility over recent times, with its incumbent pressures becoming an all-too-familiar reality. Whether it’s supply chain disruption, shifting political landscapes, salary inflation or delays in project funding, numerous factors can contribute to a climate of unpredictability and a more complex hiring environment. All of which make it harder to predict what’s coming next and can impact hiring and workforce planning.
At Employment Solutions we understand that when volatility strikes, the pressure on talent acquisition intensifies. That’s why we work closely with our clients to help them respond to these challenges in a practical and measured way. By offering flexible recruitment options and insights into current market conditions, we enable businesses to make informed workforce decisions without overextending themselves during uncertain times. Take a look at how we tailor our approach to support clients to navigate volatility and plan for the future, even when the market is uncertain.
The challenges for engineering and manufacturing employers
For many of our clients, volatility means unpredictable external conditions that are out of their control. These often centre around several key issues:
Policy and political shifts – with recent global political uncertainty, businesses are dealing with changing employment laws, tax rises, contractor legislation and the imposition of tariffs, and how those things will affect them in the future. Hiring against this background can be difficult, especially when onboarding times are long and the cost of a bad hire is high
Skills shortages and salary pressure – as more specialist roles become harder to fill, salaries rise and businesses must compete more vigorously for talent, particularly within the engineering and manufacturing sectors
Unpredictable project pipelines – projects may start and stop based on client funding, government grants or global supply chain disruptions, particularly for those organisations that work internationally or rely on imported components
Funding uncertainty – despite recent defence spending announcements, government investment into key industries, such as automotive or aerospace, can stall, shift or accelerate suddenly, providing little stability
Budget constraints – during periods of uncertainty, recruitment budgets often shrink, leading to hiring freezes or delayed workforce expansion. However, clients still expect deadlines to be met. Employers are often left balancing the need to control costs with the risk of losing productivity.
These conditions create a scenario where organisations deal with more variables than ever. This can lead them to delay hiring decisions, creating skills gaps, stalling projects and increasing pressure on existing staff.
A flexible, client-led recruitment approach
In order to address these issues, and other, more client-specific ones, we offer a range of recruitment services designed to give our clients options, flexibility and control. We never use a one-size-fits-all model; instead, we work closely with our clients to build adaptive, individualistic hiring strategies that support their goals while responding to current and future market conditions, such as:
Contract hiring for short-term needs – contractors offer our engineering and manufacturing clients a powerful option when project timelines shift or niche expertise is suddenly required. Our network of experienced contractors allows our clients to bring in the right skills quickly, without a long-term commitment. This can be especially useful when dealing with project delays, unexpected additional workloads or projects that have niche skill requirements.
Real-time market intelligence – our team constantly monitors salary trends, skills availability and competitor activity, particularly in sensitive areas such as aerospace, defence and automotive, where global market changes can have immediate knock-on effects. We share this intelligence with our clients to help them benchmark effectively, remain competitive and plan more efficiently, especially when the labour market is tight or undergoing unprecedented change.
Scenario-based hiring models – we also support our clients with tailored hiring frameworks that allow them to scale up or down, depending on need. This includes building talent pools of pre-vetted candidates in advance, creating project-specific resourcing plans or developing staged recruitment strategies that align with key funding or project milestones.
Permanent recruitment for core roles – while contractors offer flexibility, most businesses still need a core team to ensure Business-as-Usual (BaU). We work with our clients to identify which in-house roles are essential, then focus on finding high-quality candidates who not only possess the necessary skills, but are also a good cultural fit for the team, managing the whole process, from sourcing and screening to interview, offer and onboarding.
A recruitment partner, not just a CV provider
As market volatility becomes the new normal, employers, especially within the engineering and manufacturing sectors, need a recruitment partner who understands the pressures of the market and can offer real, actionable advice. At Employment Solutions, we’re not just here to pass on CVs and leave our clients to ponder them. We’re an extension of their team, advising, supporting and helping them to navigate a constantly changing market.
By combining permanent and contract recruitment, data-driven insight and a flexible delivery model, we support our clients through periods of uncertainty, without compromising on quality or productivity, to achieve long-term success.
If your business is feeling the effects of market volatility, it’s a good time to reassess your hiring strategy. To find out more about how we can build a hiring strategy that keeps your business agile, efficient and future-ready, contact us today.
