Recruitment

2022 was a year of significant change for the UK recruitment sector. Amid a volatile macroeconomic and political backdrop, the sector's resilience was once ...

Finally, the HOT 100 list illustrates the quality and competitiveness of the UK recruitment sector. Technology continues to be the most prevalent recruitment sub-sector for 2022, with 42 of the HOT 100 companies operating in the sector. - Six companies in this edition of the HOT 100 list had at least two subsidiaries qualify to be included in the list. This augurs well for 2023 and positions the sector for another year of robust and resilient performance. The proportion of recruiters in this year’s list generating a GP margin in excess of 40% is greater than not only the period in focus this year, but it is also the largest recorded in the recent history of the HOT 100 publication. - Thirteen companies in this year’s HOT 100 have private equity (PE) investment, illustrating the benefit of institutional investment in achieving market leading metrics. - The most prominent recruitment sub-sector in 2022 was technology, with 42 companies in the HOT 100 recruiting into the sector. This evidences the success of the sector in rebounding post-pandemic and in raising the productivity bar. This edition of the Recruiter HOT 100 demonstrates the sector’s resilience and puts the spotlight on its ability to successfully navigate periods of significant uncertainty, which augurs well in view of a wider economic slowdown in 2023. This shift reflects the high level of fragmentation within the sector, which is increasing, with significant growth being achieved by recruiters with a strong, refined value proposition and service offering. This reinforces the sector’s resilience and creates a solid foundation for growth in 2023. Sectoral breakdowns of this year’s list reinforces the buoyancy of sectors such as IT, technology and healthcare, which are demonstrating high growth amid a backdrop of significant candidate shortages.