Stay up to date with Prime! Newsletter June 2025

Stay up to date with Prime! Newsletter June 2025

Welcome back to our newsletter — it's been a while! We're delighted to bring you this packed update with the latest from our team, industry insights, and all the news you won't want to miss.

Insights from #RECLive25

Our Recruitment & Operations Manager, Katie Holmes, recently attended the Recruitment & Employment Confederation's #RECLive25 event in London, where she heard from key industry leaders including Neil Carberry OBE, CEO of the REC, and Justin Madders MP. What became clear is that we're experiencing the biggest economic transition since the 1970s, with a 12% decrease in labour recruitment across the UK as we shift from the post-COVID "boom" to the current adjustment phase. One quote that particularly resonated: "Recruitment is one of the only industries where the product can say no" - highlighting how candidates, unlike traditional products, have their own choice and can decline opportunities even when they're a perfect match.

The event highlighted that while challenges persist—from the complex Employment Rights Bill implementation to AI adoption (only 1 in 8 employees currently use AI tools)—there's genuine optimism ahead. With Gen Z prioritising flexibility over material goals and 53% of businesses now offering flexible working, the message was clear: adapt, learn, grow, evolve. Katie returned inspired and ready to bring fresh insights to support our clients and candidates in this evolving market.

A full blog post with Katie's complete takeaways is coming soon!

Golf Day Success: £11,835 Raised for Alzheimer's Society!

We're delighted to share that our 5th annual Golf Day at Colchester Golf Club on June 6th was a fantastic success, raising an incredible £11,835 for Alzheimer's Society and bringing our total fundraising efforts to £280,637! With 20 teams enjoying perfect weather and a brilliant day on the course, there was a great atmosphere from the morning check-in through to the evening celebrations. The event was made extra special by the addition of a putting competition overseen by Matt Holland (ex-Ipswich & Ireland international), while teams enjoyed a well-deserved break at the halfway house with delicious treats from Lisa at Holts and Tiptree Patisserie.

During the evening, Managing Director Robyn Holmes spoke passionately about why this cause means so much to us, sharing the story of our dear friend and co-founder Margaret, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's at just 55 and recently celebrated her 70th birthday. Robyn emphasized the urgent need for more research funding, highlighting the stark disparity between resources allocated to Alzheimer's compared to other life-threatening diseases like cancer. With dementia now the UK's leading cause of death and 1 in 3 people born today expected to develop it, supporting the Alzheimer's Society's groundbreaking research and advocacy work is absolutely crucial.

A huge thank you to our generous donors and everyone who joined us for the dinner, raffle, and auction — your incredible support truly made the day!

Read the full blog post here for all the details, photos, and a complete list of our generous donors

Supporting the Next Generation at Suffolk New College

Our Managing Director Jack recently had the pleasure of speaking at Suffolk New College's Progression Pathway Event, where he worked with Level 1 Hospitality & Catering students to share practical career advice. During the session, Jack covered essential job search skills including how to apply for roles online, creating standout LinkedIn profiles, writing CVs that get noticed, and interview preparation tips. The college's response was fantastic: "Thank you for running a workshop with a group of learners on Tuesday, 13th May. It was a highly valuable session, and the feedback has been overwhelmingly positive! We really appreciate you taking the time to support their learning and development — we look forward to working with you again!"

Jack found the experience incredibly rewarding, sharing how fulfilling it is to support young people at such a pivotal stage in their careers. As he put it: "It's a privilege to support the next generation and help them build confidence with practical tools for success." We're proud to be part of initiatives that make a real difference in young people's futures and look forward to more opportunities to give back to our local community.

The Temporary Staffing Turnaround

Our Managing Director Robyn Holmes reflects on a welcome shift in the market: after months of volatility and cautious hiring, we're finally seeing a strong resurgence in temporary recruitment. Companies across diverse industries are coming back with requests we haven't heard for a while - "We need five or six people to help with a new contract." This upturn spans from small family-run operations to larger corporations, all showing renewed confidence in bringing in flexible staffing solutions to support growth, seasonal peaks, or ease the load on core teams.

For Robyn, this isn't just about numbers - it's about the long-term relationships Prime Appointments has built over years, sometimes decades. The fact that businesses are regaining confidence to invest in temporary staff, even for short-term needs, signals we're moving into a more hopeful chapter. While caution remains, there's genuine momentum building, and as Robyn puts it: "I truly believe we're entering a new cycle where flexibility and people-centric solutions are going to be more important than ever." The message is clear - businesses are picking up, and it's energising to feel that buzz again.

Summer Fun at Prime HQ

We recently hosted a brilliant summer get-together at our Witham office, bringing the whole team together for an afternoon packed with fun, games, and great food! The day was filled with laughter as everyone got competitive with giant Jenga, swingball, tailgater putting, and rounds of beer pong. We were treated to some delicious local Turkish food and enjoyed drinks in the sunshine — the perfect way to unwind and celebrate all the hard work everyone's put in so far this year. A fantastic afternoon that left everyone already looking forward to the next one!