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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.

23 January 2024
Creative/Digital/Media, Education, Engineering, Commercial & office support, Legal, Industrial/Manufacturing, IT/Telecoms, Apprentices/Grads/School leavers, Accounting/Finance

NEW TO THE MARKET: 22-26 JANUARY 2024

• Digital skills training provider QA has launched a new apprenticeship programme to train digital product managers. It joins QA’s programmes in areas including data, cyber, AI and software development, which have trained more than 30,000 apprentices. The Digital Product Manager Level 4 Programme is the equivalent of a first year undergraduate degree. The course concludes with a two-day hackathon where students will develop a product from start to finish.

• Paul Ridley and Dean Penn have joined forces to create technical and engineering retained recruitment specialist Scorpius Talent Acquisition. Ridley and Penn have engineering, manufacturing, legal and compliance experience in the recruitment sector and aim to deliver innovative candidate/client-led recruit-to-retain solutions via the Scorpius Insights platform.

• Chester-based invoice finance and back-office support provider Zodeq has launched its latest campaign. ‘Top of the class finance’ is aimed specifically at recruiters working in the education sector. According to the company, the offering highlights how Zodeq can help – not only teachers but also kitchen staff, handymen, gardeners, etc – to protect their cashflow through innovative invoice finance solutions.

18 January 2024
Public sector, Social care, Creative/Digital/Media, Education, Engineering, Legal, Industrial/Manufacturing, Healthcare/Medical, Accounting/Finance

Dept for Education campaign to encourage staff to teach in Further Education

By sharing skills, and training the next generation of workers in their field, the Teach in Further Education campaign is calling on more employers to encourage their staff into part-time teaching in FE in 2024.

New research commissioned by the DoE’s campaign has found one in four employers cite recruitment to fill growing job roles as a top priority for their business this year.

Employers recognise the importance of preparing a pipeline of talent for the future of their business and 93% agree they have a responsibility to help train people to future proof their sector’s workforce.  

Teaching in FE can be flexible and may appeal to employees including those looking for new development opportunities alongside their current career, those nearing retirement but wanting to stay connected to their industry, or people seeking a less physical role within their sector.

Practical experience gained from industry is highly sought after, and teaching and other academic qualifications are not always a pre-requisite for employment as FE teachers can start earning straight away and do funded on-the-job training. There are full-time, part-time and flexible contracts available, allowing FE teachers to balance their hours alongside other professional or personal responsibilities.

FE teachers are needed across many subject areas but there is particular demand for workers from the following sectors: health and social care, construction, engineering & manufacturing, legal, finance, accounting, and digital & IT.

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15 January 2024
Recruitment Process Outsourcing, Sales, Transport & logistics, Commercial & office support, Industrial/Manufacturing, IT/Telecoms, HR, Accounting/Finance

NEW TO THE MARKET: 15-19 JANUARY 2024

• Abacus Group, a managed services provider to alternative investment firms, has opened a new office in the centre of Edinburgh to expand its research & development and customer support capabilities while leveraging the local talent pool in the area. The new office is already being used by a number of staff, and Abacus expects to fill additional roles early this year to support its projected growth of 19.

Key to the Edinburgh decision is the opportunity the city provides to support emerging talent looking to get into the sector. The city has a reputation for having a highly skilled and diverse workforce, and is renowned for its research and innovation, especially in sectors such as technology and finance. Abacus will actively be speaking to universities in and around the Edinburgh region, with a view to getting involved in graduate recruitment schemes in the future.

• Randstad Digital has partnered with Valeo, a worldwide leader in mobility technology and electrification, to serve as its global talent partner. Valeo will have access to Randstad’s talent and training services through the Randstad Digital Academy, as well as the company’s proprietary AI-driven platform. The partnership will begin in early 2024 in India, Romania and France, with plans to expand and reach automakers worldwide.

• Rhino Safety, a health & safety solutions provider, has launched a new recruitment service for businesses looking to secure qualified health & safety experts. The new offering of interim health & safety consultants aims to address the challenges faced by businesses in recruiting qualified experts for short-term coverage, providing a reliable solution to ensure project safety and compliance.

• Independent business telecoms provider Rubix VT has launched its new recruitment business Rubix Recruitment. Rubix VT managing director Nick Poyner has teamed up with experienced recruitment specialist James Naylor to grow the business. The Brighton-based business will specialise in finding permanent employees for offices, sales and warehouse businesses in Sussex and the South-East.

7 December 2023
Transport & logistics, Creative/Digital/Media, IT/Telecoms, HR, Accounting/Finance

NEW TO THE MARKET: 4-8 DECEMBER 2023

• Distribution company CitySprint is recruiting couriers across London and the UK. New recruits will support the increased logistics demand during the 2023 festive season and driving continued business growth. The new recruits will join CitySprint’s team of more than 3,000 couriers across the UK and will work across a wide range of vehicles, with a particular hiring focus on long wheel-based drivers. Demand for drivers also extends to CitySprint’s electric vehicles, with the company’s fleet continuing to expand.

• Human capital advisory firm the Josh Bersin Company has launched a generative AI expert assistant and problem-solving tool for HR leaders and their teams. Galileo can help business and HR users to get answers to any HR or management question by interrogating the collective Josh Bersin Company accumulated intellectual property, covering research, in-depth maturity models, frameworks, benchmarks, videos, podcasts, case studies and more.

That assistance ranges from asking questions, but also allowing users to compare vendors, research solutions, and generate implementation plans, RFP templates, communications plans, and more. The expert assistant allows practitioners to interrogate all the Josh Bersin Company intelligence online at their own pace as if all the advisory firm’s analysts were there in the room with them.

• Randstad Digital, a digital enablement organisation, has joined the global ‘RiseUp with ServiceNow’ programme to help skill and train individuals in the ServiceNow ecosystem and prepare them for in-demand jobs in technology. The partnership will provide organisations of all sizes with the talent needed to navigate the era of digital business, while expanding career opportunities for individuals. This collaboration designates Randstad Digital as ServiceNow's workforce placement partner, contributing to RiseUp's mission of upskilling one million people by 2024.

• Search Capital, an investment and talent incubation company dedicated to fostering growth and innovation in the recruitment sector, has launched. The firm will provide environment, infrastructure and network for strategic business development. Currently, the company’s portfolio consists of five thriving businesses, including JCW Group, Guideline, Xander Talent, OutScout and the recently launched Core Consultants. These companies, with collective revenues of around $75m (£59.6m), represent a diverse mix of traditional and non-traditional human capital businesses across multiple specialisms and regions.

Search Capital says it brings a “transformative” approach to the traditional model of business growth by strategically investing in and supporting the development of human capital firms, helping to scale businesses and accelerate their success.

• Sterling Check, an identity and background services provider, has announced Sterling RISQ is being rebranded as ‘Sterling’ in the Asia Pacific (APAC) region. It is being aligned with technology enhancements to deliver global background screening and identity programs and local expertise. Sterling has employees based in Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, India, the Philippines and mainland China.

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