Market Overview
The Scottish HR market has remained active throughout the Q2, although much of that activity has taken place away from publicly advertised vacancies. And who said the summer months are quieter? July was a particularly strong month for us, with a real level of activity across permanent and interim recruitment. It was a good reminder that, while there are often assumptions that recruitment slows over the summer, organisations continue to hire when there is a clear business need.
Historically, we’ve also tended to see September bring a noticeable uplift in recruitment activity as business return from the summer, reflect on where they’re at YTD, and revisit hiring plans that have been sitting on hold. September has certainly remained active, although the increase hasn’t been as pronounced as we might traditionally have expected based on previous years.
That doesn’t mean the market has gone quiet, rather, it reflects a continued pattern of organisations being more considered about when and where they hire. Organisations continue to balance day to day operational pressures with long term workforce planning, organisational change and transformation.
What feels particularly noticeable about this quarter is how differently various areas of the market are behaving. Demand at the transactional and operational end of HR remains strong, interim recruitment has accelerated, and senior appointments are increasingly being made through networks, executive search and direct approaches rather than traditional advertising.
The result is a market that can appear quieter on the surface than it actually is.
Transactional & Mid-Level HR
Demand for HR Assistants, HR Coordinators and HR Advisors has remained strong, particularly where organisations continue to invest in the operational capability needed to support increasingly busy HR teams.
One trend that continues to stand out is the gap between expectation and reward. Many organisations are seeking candidates with broad HR exposure across the employee lifecycle, strong stakeholder management skills, and the ability to operate with a degree of autonomy. However, salary expectations don’t always reflect the breadth of experience being sought.
For candidates, realistic salary positioning and clear development opportunities are therefore becoming increasingly important. For employers, getting the role, responsibilities and salary aligned from the outset can make a significant difference when competing for experienced HR professionals.
Mid-Level & Senior HR
The mid-to-senior HR market feels active, but much of that activity is not particularly visible. We’re seeing an increasing number of senior appointments managed through executive search firms, headhunters, and established professional networks rather than openly advertised recruitment campaigns.
Transformation and change experience continues to be a key theme throughout the market. Candidates who can demonstrate agility, adaptability and experience of delivering through organisational change continue to attract significant interest from employers.
We’re also hearing increasing frustration from candidates around lengthy recruitment processes. Strong candidates remain engaged when there is momentum, communication and a clear understanding of next steps. Where processes become drawn out, businesses can risk losing people who are already in demand elsewhere.
Interim & Temporary Recruitment
Interim recruitment has continued to gather momentum throughout the quarter. We’ve seen a number of interim requirements we’ve worked on this quarter linked directly to organisations going through internal restructuring, organisational change and wider transformation programmes. We’ve also seen demand for specialist HRIS and systems expertise, particularly where businesses are implementing, optimising or transitioning to new technology.
This reflects a broader trend we’re seeing across the market: organisations still need the capability to deliver change, even where they may be more cautious about committing to permanent headcount.
What The Team Have Been Up To
Talent Talks #4 proved to be our most popular session to date, filling quickly as talent acquisition professionals gathered to discuss one of the profession’s most talked-about topics: AI.
Adam Gordon and Euan McNair led a practical discussion exploring the role AI can play throughout the hiring journey. The conversation focused on where AI adds value, where human interaction remains essential, and how organisations can make informed decisions based on their own context. Follow Talent Talks on LinkedIn for more information.
Away from Talent Talks, Team Iconic has been busy fundraising for House of Hope Scotland, with challenges including a 10K, Ben Lomond and an ice-water dip, all in aid of a brilliant cause. We’ll be rounding off our fundraising with a charity event at the end of October, with tables still available
Looking Ahead
The final quarter looks set to be shaped by workforce planning, legislative change and continued pressure to do more with less.
The Employment Rights Act 2025 remains high on the HR agenda, with further measures coming into effect from October and additional changes scheduled for January 2027. For HR teams, the focus is increasingly shifting from understanding what is changing to preparing policies, managers and teams for the practical impact. Alongside this, the Autumn Budget on 28 October will also be one to watch as organisations finalise their 2027 plans, particularly around employment costs, remuneration, headcount and wider workforce planning.
Demand for experienced operational HR professionals and specialist interim support is expected to remain strong, particularly around change, ER, systems implementation and transformation. Senior recruitment is likely to remain active but less visible, with networks, executive search and direct approaches continuing to play an important role.
For employers, having clarity around the brief and being able to move with pace when the right person is identified will remain increasingly important.
It’s set to be a busy quarter for Team Iconic too, with our Charity Quiz Night, HR Roundtable led by Shelley Smith and the Annual HR Network Award Gala Dinner in November.
As always, if you’d like to compare notes on what we’re seeing in the market or discuss your own recruitment plans, we’d be delighted to have a conversation.