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New to Market

25 April 2025
Construction & property, Graduates/Apprentices/School leavers

National student lettings agency launches apprenticeship scheme

In a bid to support young people and grow skilled and knowledgeable individuals for the student lettings sector, loc8me recently launched its 18-month programme, which is open to anyone aged 16-18. The scheme will offer hands-on experience, mentorship and the opportunity to engage in paid work.

Raffaele Russo, founder of loc8me, said: “We’re thrilled to launch this apprenticeship programme, giving young professionals a real chance to learn, grow and begin building a career in an exciting industry.

“Now more than ever, young people are seeking opportunities, guidance and goals to pursue. With this programme, we’re investing in their future – and in the future of the lettings sector.”

Apprentices will have the chance to study the theoretical and practical elements of the lettings industry, and on starting, they will be given a mentor from the loc8me team to support their development via regular meetings throughout the course.

loc8me now operates in 13 major university cities across the UK, including Loughborough, Durham, Nottingham, Manchester, Leeds, Cardiff, Newcastle, Birmingham, Liverpool, Leicester, Hull, Bath and Bristol.

Freya Watson-Russo, academy co-ordinator, said: "At loc8me, we’re committed to nurturing the next generation of letting agents. … We’re giving young people the chance to build a future, gain confidence and carve their own path.”

Founded in 2008 by Russo, loc8me manages more than 2,500 properties and employs more than 75 staff members.

(L-r) Apprentice Ollie Coe, loc8me's marketing assistant and academy co-ordinator Freya Watson-Russo and apprentice Isabel Tebbutt ©loc8me

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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 September 2024
Creative/Digital/Media, IT/Telecoms

NEW TO THE MARKET: 2-6 SEPTEMBER 2024

• Gi Group Ireland has opened a new office in Cork, Ireland, and plans to grow its workforce by 25-30% in the next 6-12 months, according to a company announcement. Gi Group recently acquired longstanding temporary and permanent staffing supplier Kelly Services Ireland, and so is marking its first phase of expansion with a new office facility for its Cork-based team. The new office will offer candidate testing rooms and private meeting rooms, with its location enabling easy access for local candidates.

• Holistica Consulting, led by expert Ayub Shaikh, has passed the 100-hour mark of video training content in the IT recruitment training sector. Holistica has successfully trained tens of thousands of clients globally, transforming how recruitment professionals engage with the ever-changing world of technology. The global business has trained consultants from the largest recruitment and consulting firms around the world, including Hays, Capita, PageGroup, Manpower and LA International.

• Jobilla, a European digital recruitment firm, has launched a new set of AI-powered recruitment tools designed to streamline the hiring process. These tools automate time-consuming tasks such as creating ads, landing page content, and email drafts, cutting campaign setup and running time by at least half. They also enhance candidate screening to identify the best profiles for open positions. A key feature of the platform is its localisation function, which produces native-level content in multiple languages, helping companies attract talent in new markets. Jobilla has also secured €6m (£5.05m) in funding to support further development of its AI-driven platform and expand its market presence in Europe.

27 August 2024
Recruitment Process Outsourcing, Commercial & office support, Industrial/Manufacturing

Two branches merge to create Kingdom People Manchester

The company says this strategic move “aims to enhance the provision of industrial and commercial recruitment and staffing solutions across the North-West”.

Experienced recruiter Scott Owen (above, right), who also oversees sales for Kingdom People Bolton, Rotherham and Lincolnshire, has been appointed sales director for the new Manchester branch to lead the firm’s ambitious growth plans.

Alex Thompson, operations director at Kingdom People, who oversees all operations, said that merging the two Manchester recruitment businesses was a logical step, following several key strategic acquisitions across the UK, and the consolidation “allows us to leverage our brand more effectively across the North West”.

Mike Rogers (above, left), chief operating officer of Kingdom People, welcomes the merger and Owen’s appointment: “Kingdom People Manchester is a key player in our branch network, which Alex and Scott will steer. The network now sits at five locations, with plans to increase to six or seven by the end of the year.”

According to Rogers, the network, supplemented by its managed services division, will deliver £70m of labour solutions across the UK, and “will exceed £100m soon”. 

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20 August 2024
Engineering, Construction & property, Graduates/Apprentices/School leavers

NEW TO THE MARKET: 19-23 AUGUST 2024

• Home builder Hayfield has launched its 2024 Graduate Development Programme. Established in 2022, the scheme provides graduates a career path in the housebuilding sector. The programme offers financial investment, on-the-job training, and supports professional qualifications and NVQs. The programme is customised to each graduate, equipping them with the necessary knowledge, skills and experience. Interested graduates should contact Hayfield’s HR director Sara Hope at [email protected]

8 August 2024
Life sciences, Construction & property, Banking/Financial services, Executive search, Interim recruitment, Healthcare/Medical, Accounting/Finance

NEW TO THE MARKET: 5-9 AUGUST 2024

• Bluestones Investment Group has announced a joint venture and launched a new life sciences agency – SEDA Talent. Based in Central Belfast, the new business will be recruiting for biotech, foodtech, medtech and pharmaceutical professionals throughout the UK and Ireland. Initially permanent-focused, according to a statement, the business will evolve to also provide contract and temporary recruitment services, as founders Darrach Teague and Seamus Moore grow the business. SEDA Talent is a new business within the Bluestones Equity Partners division (formerly known as Bluestones’ investment division), and joins Clayton, ENS, Green Carbon Talent and EC&I Partners.

• Môrwell Talent Solutions, a specialist accounting and finance sector recruitment agency, has launched in Cardiff. The start-up has been created by joint directors Sarah Jones and Ceri Leath, who bring a combined experience of 35 years in recruitment, to provide permanent and interim talent for businesses looking for accounting and financial talent in Cardiff and South Wales.

• Scotland’s construction trade association SELECT has launched a new online employment resource to help companies source key personnel. The body is introducing a free jobs board to allow its 1,240 member firms to advertise vacancies directly on the front page of the SELECT website. Adverts include the full job description and details of how to contact the company to find out more.

• The Barton Partnership has opened its first office in Sydney, Australia. James Roberts leads the APAC business and the firm’s private equity and financial services practice across the region. The executive recruitment firm also has offices in London, New York, Paris, Singapore and Hong Kong.

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