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New to Market

14 April 2025
Creative/Digital/Media, Engineering

NEW TO THE MARKET: 14-18 APRIL 2025

• Manufacturing and engineering specialist Busy Bee Recruitment has relaunched its website. The refreshed online platform has a modern design and enhanced user functionality, offering an intuitive browsing experience that makes it easier than ever to explore current vacancies, submit CVs quickly and securely, access expert recruitment advice via a blog and submit vacancies directly online.

• Deel, a global payroll and HR provider, has launched a suite of AI-driven products to help companies hire, manage, and pay international teams. Deel will offer an all-in-one global workforce platform integrating payroll, HR, and IT, designed to support compliant operations across borders. Key updates include: Real-Time Payroll in over 53 markets (expanding to 130+ by 2027), offering instant calculations and faster processing; Deel PEO for offering top-tier benefits without enterprise-level costs; Benefits Admin for simplified, compliant benefits management across countries; Deel Talent for streamlined recruitment via trusted agency networks; Workforce Planning, Compensation, and Engage tools – powered by AI – for smarter headcount strategy, global pay management, and employee development; IT Lifecycle Management features like MDM, IAM, and EPP, supporting global device and security control.

11 April 2025
Creative/Digital/Media, IT/Telecoms

Spotted Zebra merges Interview Intelligence and Assessment in one platform

This is technology that transcribes, analyses and evaluates conversations through an AI-powered lens. The merger connects assessment results with interview data, addressing the growing challenge enterprise talent leaders face: making confident, objective hiring decisions when candidate information can be fragmented across multiple tools.

In a statement, Spotted Zebra says that enterprise talent acquisition teams are facing twin pressures from AI-generated candidate applications and deepening skills shortages. 

The launch responds to a critical market challenge, the statement continues; while more than three in four businesses report widening skills gaps, employers are inundated with applications with around half of all jobseekers using AI tools to apply for roles. Current solutions force companies to choose between expensive, disconnected systems or compromise on either assessment breadth and depth, or a scalable interview process and structure.

“We’ve integrated Interview Intelligence with Assessment because our enterprise customers are facing unprecedented challenges in talent acquisition,” said Ian Monk, co-founder and CEO of Spotted Zebra. “By unifying these previously siloed technologies, we’re enabling talent teams to make data-informed decisions based on a complete picture of each candidate’s capabilities.”

Unlike standard Interview Intelligence tools that primarily transcribe conversations, Spotted Zebra’s implementation establishes a data framework that truly connects skill measurements across different evaluation methods:

  • Real-time skill evidence mapping: Comprehensive role skills profiles are automatically created thanks to AI-powered intake meetings between recruiters and hiring managers. 
  • AI-assisted interview questioning technology: The AI-powered Interview Guides automatically generate targeted question paths for specific role skills profiles and each candidate.
  • Consolidated hiring evidence dashboard: The Decision Kit combines summarised skill data from both assessment scores and interview evidence, weighting each source appropriately based on predictive validity for specific skill types. 

According to the company statement, AI in Spotted Zebra enhances human decision-making, ensuring the final call on a candidate’s suitability for a role is objective, data-backed and always in the hands of the hiring team.

Headquartered in the UK, Spotted Zebra was launched in 2020 by Monk and co-founder and chief commercial officer Nick Shaw.

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10 April 2025
Creative/Digital/Media, Executive search

NEW TO THE MARKET: 7-11 APRIL 2025

• UK recruitment firm HRGO has launched ‘Betty’, an AI agent tackling recruitment ghosting by ensuring all job applicants receive feedback. Since its December 2024 launch, Betty has provided personalised insights to over 40,000 candidates. A survey of 1,000 users found 90% valued the feedback, addressing a major frustration in the hiring process at scale. Betty was named after Elizabeth ‘Betty’ Parkinson, the founder of HRGO back in 1957.

• Recruitment firm Sowena Group has moved into new headquarters in Manchester city centre. Perran Cooke launched Sowena Group last summer after more than a decade in the recruitment industry, including roles as regional MD for the North at executive search company PSD Group and as a director at Axon Moore. Sowena now has a team of five and has taken office space at The Tootal Buildings on Oxford Street. The company statement says Sowena Group is expected to deliver more than £650k in revenue this year.

Senior recruitment consultants Dave Kreitz and Mackenzie Harrop have joined Sowena in recent weeks, along with Leah Allen as head of marketing and Megan Buckley as marketing executive. Cooke said he expects the team to grow to 10 by the end of this year, creating roles for recruitment consultants, back office and support staff, market research specialists and a non-executive director. Sowena Group focuses on senior finance posts in high-growth and private equity and venture capital-backed businesses across the North-West and beyond.

3 April 2025
Creative/Digital/Media, Executive search

Dragon-backed Chapter 2 boosts talent offering with transformation service

Backed by Steven Bartlett (from BBC Dragons’ Den and his Diary of a CEO), this strategic expansion aims to solidify “Chapter 2’s 360-degree talent solutions offering, delivering comprehensive, data-driven solutions to the most pressing talent challenges facing businesses today”, according to a company statement. 

Spearheading the new service is talent strategy director David Brammer. The Transformation & Advisory practice will tackle every area of talent acquisition, from capability and capacity to hiring process optimisation and workforce planning. The practice will also provide talent strategies to prepare businesses for AI-focused roles for the future of work.

As part of this offering, Chapter 2 will conduct in-depth talent and hiring audits, identifying opportunities and reducing hiring-related challenges, through structured hiring diagnostics and benchmarking. 

The service also includes recruitment efficiency assessments, policy and risk evaluations (including IR35 compliance) and contingent workforce strategy development.

Leo Harrison, founder and CEO of Chapter 2, says: “Establishing the Transformation Advisory completes our 360 offering, making sure that we’re able to provide solutions to both common and uncommon challenges that companies face in not only today’s workplace, but the one of the future.”

With 26 years’ experience leading global talent acquisition strategy for brands such as Boots, Kingfisher and Ocado, Brammer will be supported by experienced hire Marta Wasowicz, as the director of advisory and transformation.

L-r: Steven Bartlett, Marta Wasowicz, David Brammer, Leo Harrison ©Chapter 2

• Comment below on this story. Or let us know what you think by emailing us at [email protected] or tweet us to tell us your thoughts or share this story with a friend.

6 June 2017
Marketing & Sales

Ex-Michael Page manager launches new recruitment business

Dan Boneham – who worked for the global recruiter for almost seven years, most recently as manager of Yorkshire and North East markets – officially launched Monday at Nine this week.

Currently working on his own but with advice from a former colleague who now owns a marketing business, Boneham aims to get under the skin of the industry he’s serving.

“We are looking to offer a service where we immerse ourselves in the market in Leeds. We want to understand when agencies are working with their clients, what they are looking for. 

“We will take a different approach, trying to be more marketing, to market our business in a way that reflects the people we want to work with.” 

The company’s name reflects the time of the week Boneham believes workers can be at their unhappiest.

“People often have a Sunday night dread about Monday morning at 9am. I have a good feeling at that time and want it to resonate.”

• Want to comment on this story? Email us at [email protected] or tweet us below to tell us your thoughts. We will run comments online in a round-up at the end of the week.

5 June 2017
Public sector, Education, Legal, Executive search

NEW TO THE MARKET 5-9 JUNE 2017

• Executive search and leadership advice firm Adastrum Consulting has launched a tool based on research it carried out with Kingston Business School's Wellbeing at Work Research Group.

Adastrum claims the Leaders with Purpose tool is the first to explore a leader’s sense of purpose, and how their leadership style and organisational context act as a facilitator or barrier to success.

It collates insights and responses from managers, peers, key stakeholders and those directly reporting to an individual based on a range of questions.

• On-demand recruitment software provider Bullhorn has launched a new suite of software for healthcare staffing firms.

The London-based firm said Bullhorn Healthcare Edition would improve efficiencies in candidate and client engagement, credentialing, document management, shift scheduling and workflow automation.

• Midlands-based legal recruiter Bygott Biggs has created a paralegal and support staff division in response to client demand.

The unit, headed by recruitment consultant Mike Green, will focus solely on non-lawyer workers for the legal sector. It will be based at Bygott Biggs’ Nottingham office. The firm also has bases in Leeds and Birmingham.

Green said the new division meant the firm covered the whole spectrum of roles in the legal sector.

“We feel there is a gap in the market,” he added. “There has been increased use of paralegal and support staff in London recently and it is being replicated in the regions.

“At the moment we are using existing staff but there is potential to hire in the future depending on how busy it becomes.”

• The Classroom Partnership has opened a new office in Warrington, the sixth office opening in the UK for the education recruiter.

The staffing agency says it sees the North-West as a strategic growth area and Warrington as an ideal location. It will support local authorities in Liverpool, Manchester, Warrington and surrounding areas.

Along with the new office, Gail Andrews has been appointed director. Andrews previously held senior positions within Vision for Education, Axcis SEND Recruitment and ITN Mark Education.

30 May 2017
Marketing & Sales, Executive search, IT/Telecoms, Hospitality/Leisure, Accounting/Finance

NEW TO THE MARKET: 30 MAY-3 JUNE 2017

• Independent job site CV-Library has launched a Republic of Ireland operation. The move also sees sales professional Gavin Smith join the operation. He previously worked at Jobs.ie.

• Executive search organisation Oceans Group, subsidiary of talent management business Harrier Human Capital, has launched a new executive HR practice. Michael Semark, previously director, executive and permanent at HR recruitment specialist The Next Step has been appointed to lead the new practice.

The firm adds that Semark will shortly be joined by a number of other HR specialists as the firm builds the practice.

• Temporary staffing supplier LOLA Staffing has rebranded and changed name to TempTribe. The firm says the change reflects a desire to retain its core focus as a specialist supplier to the hospitality and events industry, while becoming more relevant to its diverse workforce and client base.

The firm adds the new TempTribe brand reflects the idea of community, with the business planning to use its developing technology to better connect workers with each other, and ensure the best hospitality staff are motivated to remain on its platform.

• Greater Manchester-based contractor accountancy firm Gorilla Accounting has launched a new umbrella business, Gorilla Payroll. The business is aimed at flexible workers, and has been launched in light of recent legislative changes affecting contractors and the self-employed.

• Newcastle-based management recruiter Edward Reed Recruitment has rebranded, launching a new logo and website design featuring iconic imagery associated with the North East.

• Screening software provider IScreenYouScreen has launched. The software works by providing online application forms and reference requests, while letter templates can be branded to suit any company. Users also have access to a database of more than 100,000 employers, with contact details that integrate with automatic letter and email generation in a bid to speed up referencing procedures.

• Want to comment on this story? Email us at [email protected] or tweet us below to tell us your thoughts. We will run comments online in a round-up at the end of the week.

22 May 2017
Retail, Sales, Commercial & office support, Accounting/Finance

NEW TO THE MARKET: 22-26 MAY 2017

• India-based online recruitment marketplace AasaanJobs has launched an interview scheduling feature for employers and candidates registered on its platform.

The feature enables employers to specify and pick different time slots for scheduling interviews with job hopefuls.

• Human capital company Beyond360 has launched an employee engagement portal.

The portal, which operates on mobile devices as well as desktops, enables employees to refer candidates for jobs, to give and receive real time feedback, access training and coaching, appreciate and reward each other, access wellbeing programmes, recommend sales referrals, share and express ideas, and access discounts from major high street brands.

• IT recruiter Evolution Recruitment Solutions has launched a new software system. The new system, housing millions of candidate records, uses techniques such as data mining and semantic matching to ‘read’, interpret and make sense of CVs and profiles, build a complex map of technology employers and candidates and automatically track employees’ career progression.

The data is not only of use to local employers and candidates, but also provides industry insights to help inform strategic decisions such as company relocations or to help overseas technology firms looking to set up offices in the UK.

• Newcastle-based Frank Recruitment Group is to open an office in Dallas. Located on the 24th floor of Ross Tower, the office, which officially opens on 5 June, will primarily focus on Frank Recruitment Group’s technology recruitment brand Nigel Frank International (NFI).

The Dallas office will be led by NFI executive vice president Paul Briggs and vice president Paden Simmons.

NFI specialises in supplying skilled Microsoft Dynamics and Stack professionals to employers in the US and worldwide.

• Workplace disability consultant MyPlus Consulting has launched a recruiters toolkit, ‘Recruiting talented disabled students: from engagement to onboarding’.

The Student Recruitment Toolkit helps businesses understand what being a disability confident student recruiter means in practice. It offers practical advice to achieve this, with a step-by-step guide to bring about disability confidence in eight key focus areas, enabling employers to easily understand what they need to do, and how to measure progress.

• FMCG and retail brand staffing specialist New Chapter has completed its office move into the Wellington Place development in Leeds city centre, managed by property investment and development business MEPC.

The space, occupying over 2,000 sq ft of the third floor of 10 Wellington Place, forms part of the firm’s expansion plans, which has seen the company grow from two recruitment professionals 12 years ago, to more than 35 across its Leeds and London offices.

The firm adds it chose Wellington Place due to its proximity to the business community, overall development design and the community activities created by MEPC, which includes a work-place choir, creative writing courses, knitting clubs and beekeeping as part of the package.

• Recruitment platform Peek launched yesterday in London. The platform, available as both an app and a web version, aims to make recruitment more relevant to candidates and employers by using artificial intelligence, behavioural learning and algorithms to match candidates on personality, culture and values as well as skills and experience.

• Construction recruiter Unite People has launched. The firm, located in London’s Liverpool Street and led by founding partners Tom Perkin, Ross Bayston and Colm McGinley, serves the civil engineering, construction, rail and residential development sectors.

McGinley is also CEO of multi-sector recruitment firm McGinley Group.

• Multi-sector recruiter Workforce Recruitment is opening a new branch in Solihull. Director Tina White led the new office opening.

The 1,260 sq ft branch in Highlands House on the town’s Highlands Road will serve jobseekers and employers across Solihull, South Birmingham, Coventry and Warwickshire for professional services including sales, administration, accounts and customer services.

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