Recruiters will be hit by the long-term fall-out from the recession, according to a new survey.   

Seven out of 10 in-house recruiters surveyed by HR search & selection firm Oakleaf Partnership, said the long-term impact of the recession would be a reduction in the need to use recruitment firms. 

However, just under a third predicted a rise in the number of smaller, boutique recruiters.

In-house recruiters have also been affected by the recession, according to the survey, with nearly 50% of all such functions restructuring in the past six months.

Another effect of the recession, according to the survey, is that in-house recruiters are now taking on a broader remit, including internal talent sourcing, direct sourcing of external candidates, compensation and employer branding.

Richard Cogan, chief executive of Oakleaf Partnership, says: “All recruitment functions have been affected to one degree or another by the global recession.”