Alex Scriven

5 ways to ditch your best recruiter 🫡 Thinking of pushing out your top biller? Here’s a handy guide ⬇️⬇️   🫵 Micromanage them to death Hover over every call, second-guess their judgment, re-write emails, and remind them how you did it back in the good old days. Works like a charm.   🎯 Set KPIs for KPI’s sake Who cares if they’re bringing in the most revenue? Make sure they still make 50 calls a day!   🔨 Give them broken tools Outdated CRM? No access to LinkedIn? No automation? Perfect   🙅 Offer zero support Want a healthy pipeline? Don’t bother with marketing. No client intros. No admin. Let them juggle everything   👊 Create constant turf wars Pit them against others in the team, create an environment where your recruiters won’t share candidates/clients/info – nothing like a bit of healthy competition Are you a manager reading this and feeling personally attacked? I’m sorry to say you may be creating a toxic environment 😭 Are you a recruiter reading this thinking, is this post about me? Message me ASAP 🥲 Recruiters don’t leave recruitment They leave environments that make it impossible to succeed #recruitment #agencylife #recruitertips #rec2rec #recruters  

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Enjoying my morning coffee date with Chat GPT this morning and came across a UK contract market update… 📈 One of the most popular UK staffing platforms has reported on contract hiring, suggesting a stronger than expected uptick in contract activity in September. The report notes that contract roles increased 10.4% year on year in September and month on month, contract roles increased 18%. A consideration is that employers are leaning more on contract / flexible talent strategies to manage risk… but positive signs ahead of Q4!

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One month back at OpusRS – here’s what I’m seeing in the JavaScript contract market. It’s been great to get stuck back in, and I’ve already noticed some clear trends across the UK JavaScript contract space. 🏢 Hybrid working is shifting. Fully remote roles are becoming less common, with more contracts now asking for 2–3 days a week in the office. Collaboration and team presence are making a comeback. 💬 Contractors who know how to add value and communicate clearly with clients are being consistently extended. It’s not just about technical ability—commercial awareness and soft skills are making a real difference. 📉 Rates have taken a hit compared to a few years ago, but demand is still strong for those who can hit the ground running. ⚙️ Next.js is gaining serious traction. While React remains dominant with 39.5% of developers using it, Next.js is quickly rising with 17.9% adoption—thanks to its performance benefits and built-in features like server-side rendering and static site generation If you're a contractor looking for your next move, or a business needing top JavaScript talent, I’d love to connect. #JavaScript #NextJS #ReactJS #Contracting #TechRecruitment #OpusRS

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In big recruitment firms,  “𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐥𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩” is broken. Here’s why... Over the last 5 years with one client we had: >5 key consultants work with the client >10+ supporting team members >Delivering across a blend of permanent, contract, and consulting hires Result? That client scaled rapidly, worth 24bn JPY (~$16.3m USD) in recruitment value. No single recruiter could deliver that outcome! >It takes specialization. >It takes collaboration. >It takes solving problems across multiple hiring models. That’s the real value clients pay for. Steven Li follow for more cyber security recruitment content in Japan

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When we founded Alexander Daniels 15 years ago, we couldn't have imagined we’d build such a loyal team. Many of our colleagues have been with us for over a decade — which in recruitment, and in business generally, is something I feel incredibly fortunate to say. It seems strange to call them colleagues, because in truth, so many are now our friends. But here’s the reality: along the way, we’ve also lost some truly great people I would have loved to keep. Not because they weren’t performing, or because the culture didn’t fit — but because they needed new challenges we simply couldn’t offer at the time. And that’s okay. One of the hardest lessons as a leader is understanding that retention isn’t about holding on to everyone at all costs. It’s about building an environment where people want to stay — and also recognising when someone needs to spread their wings elsewhere. Sometimes the best thing you can do for a talented colleague is to let them grow beyond your business. When it is right for someone to stay, here’s what I’ve learned about keeping your best people engaged for the long haul, not just through my own journey, but also from the many great CEO's and Leader I get to work with: ✨ Clarity of mission – People stay when they’re connected to the bigger “why”. ✨ Growth opportunities – Even in a startup, you can give space for learning and stretch. ✨ Recognition – A genuine thank-you is more powerful than a bonus. ✨ Flexibility and trust – In today’s world, this isn’t a perk, it’s a baseline. ✨ Listening – Not just at review time, but through ongoing, honest conversations. Retention isn’t about perks, although we've had some great ones! It’s about creating an environment where people feel valued, trusted, and challenged. And when they do move on, it’s about celebrating their growth, not resenting it. What’s the one thing your company does that makes great people stay — and how do you handle it when they choose to leave? Do you measure retention? #Leadership #Retention #Startups #ScaleUp #Talent #Culture #Team

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🚨 After the overwhelming response to my recent posts, it’s clear there’s strong appetite for real insights into what’s happening across the BA and QA market right now. So - I have pulled together our Q3 Market Insights Report, focused on what we’re seeing on the ground across Business Analyst and QA recruitment. 🔎 It’s not a “how to get hired” guide, but rather a pulse check on: 📈 What hiring activity looks like post-EOFY 💬 Emerging trends we’re hearing in client conversations 🧠 Skills and behaviours in demand 🔄 Shifts in contract vs. perm 🛠️ Where the market is loosening up - and where it’s still tight Whether you're scaling a team or exploring your next move, I hope this gives helpful context on the landscape we're all navigating. 📥 Feel free to reach out if you'd like the full report - or drop a comment below if anything resonates! #BAJobs #QAJobs #RecruitmentInsights #MarketUpdate #HiringTrends #ProjectServices #BusinessAnalysis #QualityAssurance #TechHiring

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⚖️ The TA Capacity Planning Guide. Created from interviews with 72 Heads of People & Talent, capturing 600+ data points. A strategic resource for TA and People leaders in tech who need to: - Understand recruiter productivity - Understand capacity calculation - Benchmark against peers - Prioritise where to invest (or defend) capacity What’s inside: - Benchmarks by Company Size Live reqs hires/rec/month sourcing mix tech / AI maturity - Tooling Trends + Automation ROI What's adopted, what’s working, and where time is actually saved - Top Bottlenecks The constraints holding most teams back - Strategic Plays for 2025 AI-native workflows, skills-first hiring, dynamic planning models 🎯 Want the full report ? Comment "CAP REPORT" and I'll share access

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⭐ UK Startup & Scaleup Growth ⭐ What a week for the UK startup and scaleup market! 🚀 📈 As a recruiter focused on high-growth tech and finance ventures, the recent surge of £961m in tech investment and record-breaking AI funding underscores the urgent need for top-tier talent to fuel innovation and scale operations. Founders now have more opportunities to access capital, develop robust business models, and attract experienced leaders who can drive growth in data, AI, and sustainability. 🔦 This week, the spotlight is on diversity, especially female-led founders, and an expanding network of free events demonstrates how collaboration and inclusion are shaping the next generation of market leaders. For those of us building teams, it’s crucial to tap into this talent pool, invest in ongoing development, and connect candidates who thrive in fast-paced environments. 💲 Alternative financing and new policy frameworks mean the barrier to entry for founders and talent is lower than ever before. The businesses succeeding today are those that secure the right mix of skills and mindset for both commercial creativity and operational excellence. 👉 If you’re exploring your next challenge or scaling your startup workforce, let’s connect.

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The Most Common Career Excuses I Hear And Why They are Actually Lessons As a recruiter, I have learned that career decisions are deeply personal. But I also notice the same hesitations come up again and again and maybe you’ve felt these too.   ➡️“I want a guaranteed salary.” Security matters. But here’s the trade-off: fixed salaries cap your growth, while performance-based structures open doors to earning more than you thought possible. It is about choosing stability vs. scalability. ➡️“Commission roles only help the company.” The reality is, they only work if they work for you too. If you succeed, the company succeeds. If you don’t, neither does. It is a shared win or a shared loss. ➡️“I don’t have the savings to risk it right now.” This one is important. Financial safety nets matter. If you are not ready, that’s okay. Sometimes the smartest move is to wait until you’ve built a cushion so when you leap, you can focus on growing instead of surviving. ➡️“Relocation isn’t on my radar yet.” Totally fair. Uprooting your life is never a small decision. But here is what I hear often from those who did it: “I wish I had started sooner.” Timing is personal, but momentum is powerful. ➡️“I don’t see myself in sales.” You might not like the word sales, but often what people want is the freedom, income, and lifestyle it creates. Risk and reward always sit side by side; you can’t have one without touching the other. Here is the takeaway: Not every role or opportunity is meant for everyone. And that is okay. But the very things we hesitate about uncertainty, risk, discomfort are often the same things that unlock the growth we are searching for. Converge #PartnerwithPurpose

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