Blog » “Professional Salaries & Benefits improving in Northern Ireland” says survey

“Professional Salaries & Benefits improving in Northern Ireland” says survey

17th December 2014

Rewards and incentives for Northern Ireland professionals showed improvement in 2014 as employers sought to recruit and retain key talent. That’s according to Brightwater Recruitment Specialists’ Annual Salary Survey for 2015. IT, Legal, Accountancy and HR ranked as the best performing sectors in terms of payment increases, benefits and job opportunities.

The Salary Survey is based on data gathered from hundreds of employers and candidates across a wide range of industries as well as placements made throughout the year. The survey provides detailed market insights across a wide range of professions and is designed to help employers plan for recruiting and rewarding staff. Its findings this year certainly suggest optimism for 2015 with many respondents reporting plans for salary improvements as well as plans for additional benefits in remuneration packages.

Richard Cherry, Commercial Director of Brightwater’s Belfast office says:

“The survey shows that employers are being extremely mindful of their benefits packages this year and are keen to invest in their key people. Remuneration packages as a whole are improving with an emphasis on benefits rather than just on salaries alone. There is now clear pressure to attract and retain talent due to carefully thought out growth plans.

The most difficult challenge facing employers at the moment is the finite number of candidates in a relatively small pool. The IT market in particular which has become even more competitive with new entrants into the market and the expansion of established names is suffering from this problem and many candidates are experiencing counter-offers. Companies are now offering more opportunities than ever before”.

Human Resources – There has been an increased demand for HR generalists at all levels and it’s encouraging to see this demand echoed with growing SMEs. HR is as always a strong indicator of the employment market and it’s a promising sign that organisations are now reviewing remuneration packages and employee engagement initiatives in order to attract and retain talent. This means that specialist roles in HR such as in-house resourcing, training & development and compensation & benefits are all increasing in numbers.

Legal – There have been some notable new entrants to the local NI market in 2014 which has created market movement and increased competitiveness for the best candidates. However there has also been a marked increase of activity in areas such as corporate, commercial property and other niche areas. Firms are again looking for newly qualified solicitors in volume which is an encouraging sign for the sector.
Business Support – Employers are again reinstating annual salary increases (in some cases up to 5%) for business support professionals. Company growth has now meant employers are confident again in recruiting administration support staff on a permanent basis rather than just contract and bonuses are making a reappearance.

David Bloch – Managing Director of the Brightwater Group said overseas investment, returning confidence to the market as well as rapidly changing business needs has led to increased market movement in a number of areas over the last year.

“Companies are growing again, not just the multinationals but in the SMEs which is a great indicator for the market as a whole. The accountancy, IT and legal sectors have publicised their plans to expand their headcounts at all levels and it’s really encouraging to see plans for real growth and the advent of justified optimism in the market for 2015. New employers like Baker & McKenzie highlight the fact that Northern Ireland remains an incredibly attractive place to do business”.

To view the full survey visit http://www.brightwaterni.com/employers/salary-survey

All media enquiries or to arrange interview, please contact:

Gillian Kerr
Marketing Executive
Brightwater
On 028 90 325 325 or email. G.kerr@brightwaterNI.com

 

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