The number of advertised HR jobs has continued to decline significantly over
the past year according to the latest figures.
Exclusive research sponsored by Personnel Today reveals that in the year to
the end of September, the number of HR jobs advertised was less than 18 per
cent of those advertised in the previous year and was a fifth of the
advertising volume of five years ago.
The HR Survey of Appointments Data and Trends by Salary Survey Publications
reveals the most dramatic reductions are in professional services, electronics
and IT, and financial services.
The report’s author Amanda Molyneaux, said: "Nervousness in the City
has been translated over the past year into a dramatic decline in the number of
personnel jobs advertised."
The CIPD’s John Philpott also believes the fall in HR jobs can be partly
explained because HR roles are increasingly evolving into more business-focused
people management positions within organisations. He believes this process is
aided by new technology and outsourcing, which are freeing HR from some of its
more transactional roles.
The only sector to buck the trend by recording an increase in advertised
jobs was public community services, reflecting the Government’s increased
investment over the past few years.
The study reveals that most HR posts recorded a slight increase in average
salary over 2001, although still less than inflation.
Two-thirds of advertising was for generalist roles, and training was the
biggest specialist HR area of recruitment advertising.
Recruitment roles had the biggest downturn, but are still more abundant than
compensation and benefits and employment relations posts.
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The number of equal opportunities posts advertised is still small, which
Molyneaux believes is due to pressure from the Government to push it into a
mainstream generalist personnel role.
