As we approach the end of 2010 it is probably time to reflect on the past year in terms of recruitment and try and forecast how the recruitment market will perform in 2011. This year has proved even tougher than 2009 although we seem to be ending the year with a flurry of roles across all our major markets. We think that the uncertainty has now been eliminated and although 2011 will be challenging for many companies, we feel that businesses in general are for the first time able to plan for the future which ultimately reflects on recruitment activity. As a result we are forecasting a slow and steady increase in the number of positions being recruited for - not just replacement roles but new positions in companies looking to invest.

2010 has been the year where social media has come of age. As a recruitment tool it has the potential to be as influential as an advert in the Sunday Times used to be! LinkedIn is the social media tool of record for us and at Premier Consultants we have a policy of only contacting people who indicate they are looking at 'Career Opportunities' in their profile and usually make contact via email rather then phone them in the office. We also believe that to be a good LinkedIn member it is important to contribute to discussions so where we can (and where it is appropriate) we do so. Whilst Twitter has the potential to be an extremely powerful tool, our view is that it is populated by too much 'chatter' so tweets regarding roles do get lost. As for Facebook, MySpace, Bebo etc. despite experimenting with them they are not affective recruitment vehicles.

We have also seen an explosion in the number of recruiters and headhunters across the marketing space - the choice for clients and candidates alike is now truly overwhelming. Since 1992 our basic principles have held steady, treat people how you would be expected to be treated yourself. Despite all the ups and downs of this year we have maintained our client base, worked with a plethora of new clients and have the base on which to forge ahead into the New Year.

At some stage next year we will be revamping our website to incorporate social media tools and other functionality to bring it bang up to date.