There has been a marked increase in the number of firms recruiting personnel without using the traditional methods of the past 20 years, according to London advertising agency MBA.

MBA’s research reveals that 33% of businesses questioned said that they had recruited someone within the past 12 months who had been introduced to the company either through a friend or a colleague, up from only 17% a year earlier.

These personnel had been offered jobs either before they had been formerly advertised, before briefing a recruitment agency or, as in 51% of the cases, when the next available opportunity arose.

And 20% of businesses said that they had more personnel introduced by friend or colleagues still waiting placement opportunities with them.