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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.

10 October 2023
Engineering, Construction & property, Commercial & office support, Industrial/Manufacturing, IT/Telecoms, HR

NEW TO THE MARKET: 9-13 OCTOBER 2023

• Construction and built environment recruitment agency Daniel Owen has refreshed its brand image. The firm has announced the move as it repositions its place in the market and expands further into the engineering and facilities management sectors. The recruiter currently has 12 offices across the UK, with plans to open at least two further hubs in the near future.

• HireVue, the global rec-tech pioneer in human potential intelligence, has announced a new category for hiring, which assesses candidates based on their skills and potential. The Find My Fit application bridges the gap between candidates and opportunities, empowering jobseekers to discover roles based on their skills, interests and human potential. Find My Fit ensures that candidates are not directed to open positions, but to roles that are aligned with their skills and potential. HireVue says this approach broadens candidates’ horizons and elevates their overall jobseeking experience. The Find My Fit application encourages diversity by guiding individuals to consider positions they might not have explored.

• US-based NEXTAFF has opened a new commercial staffing agency in Laredo, Texas. The Laredo staffing office is owned and operated by Veronica Villarreal and serves Laredo and the surrounding areas. The office will focus primarily on staffing and recruiting for manufacturing and commercial companies and is located at 9114 McPherson Rd, Suite 2504, Laredo, TX 78045.

• Global employment platform Oyster has launched Oyster Talent Network, a partner-powered talent acquisition and recruiting solution to help businesses source remote candidates around the world.

6 October 2023
IT/Telecoms, HR

NEW TO THE MARKET: 2-6 OCTOBER 2023

• Brellis Recruitment has opened a new office in Oxford, adding to its current branches in the West Midlands. The recruitment agency says Oxford was an “excellent place to provide exceptional service to both candidates and clients”. The new office is situated in John Smith Drive Business Park.

• Namecoach, which aims to solve the common problem of name mispronunciation and gender pronoun communication, has announced its latest product update is now available. Its features capitalise on AI technologies to provide novel and engaging pronunciation experiences that empower users to communicate more thoughtfully, accurately, and inclusively.

• Workforce solutions provider Suna Solutions has announced that it is set to “redefine” the way businesses manage their human capital programs. Suna's Workforce Management (SWM) Vendor Management System (VMS) will streamline operations, enhance efficiency and provide insights for staffing service providers and their clients.

5 October 2023
Retail, Industrial/Manufacturing, Hospitality/Leisure

Dutch freelancer start-up expands UK operations to Manchester

The start-up was founded by Pim Graafmans in Holland in 2017 as an offshoot of YoungCapital recruitment agency.

According to the company, the platform turbocharges how businesses connect with quality freelancers to meet both long-term and last-minute workforce needs. Since its launch, YoungOnes has seen almost 350 UK businesses sign up to the platform to find quality freelancers since 2021. 

The platform already assists an array of big names with their staffing needs, including Nando’s, HelloFresh, IKEA and H&M. In London, YoungOnes currently provides gigs at luxury hotels and A-List celeb haunts including Shangri La at The Shard and the exclusive Berkeley Hotel.

The platform not only meets short-term business needs, with responses to gig posts as fast as five minutes, but is also able to connect staff from a quality talent pool with companies’ long-term needs, replacing the need for agencies.

YoungOnes set its sights on the hospitality and industrial hotspot of the North, to help the city’s fast-moving businesses meet their ever-changing staffing needs. The platform is already working with some renowned Manchester favourites such as Masons Bar and Restaurant, connecting them with quality freelancers.

YoungOnes city launcher Joe Loughlin has said: “YoungOnes’ fantastic success in the Netherlands has continued since its launch in the UK and, as we reach nearly 7 million hours of work provided to our freelancers, we’re delighted to expand to the Northern powerhouse of Manchester.”

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4 October 2023
IT/Telecoms

LinkedIn rolls out AI-assisted Recruiter 2024 as AI job posts double

Job posts mentioning AI or generative AI have more than doubled globally in the last two years, with LinkedIn’s ‘Global Talent Trends Report’ finding that applications for these posts have grown 17% faster compared to those that don’t mention AI or generative AI. LinkedIn’s research finds that 89% of professionals globally are excited to use AI at work, and more than half (57%) want to learn more about it.

In response, LinkedIn is rolling out new generative AI tools, including Recruiter 2024. According to the professional networking firm, its new AI-assisted recruiting experience makes hiring more efficient and easy, so talent leaders can focus on strategic, people-centric work. 

A version of Recruiter 2024 is being tested with a small handful of LinkedIn’s Recruiter customers, with plans to roll it out globally later this year.

Olivier Sabella, vice president, EMEA & LATAM, LinkedIn Talent Solutions, says: “AI is ushering in a new world of work, and the technology is already reshaping jobs, businesses and industries. Everyone from customer service representatives and sales professionals to teachers, will be able to use the technology to remove some of the drudgery of everyday tasks so they can focus on valuable people-centric work.”

LinkedIn is also testing out real-time advice in two of most in-demand skills that apply across all types of jobs: leadership and management. LinkedIn Learning’s AI-powered coaching will be available to a handful of customers from yesterday [3 October], with plans to roll out globally to LinkedIn Learning Hub customers throughout the year. 

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