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THE RTC AWARDS 2025​​​​On Friday 20th March 2026, we held our annual RTC Group Awards, rewarding those who have gone above and beyond throughout 2025.​Held at our headquarters, the Derby Conference Centre, we gathered for a night of celebration and reflection as we looked back on the past twelve months and all that the group has achieved across the various industries we support.We were joined by employees from each of the group’s offices from across the country and overseas, welcoming the teams from RTC Group Plc, Ganymede Solutions, ATA Recruitment, Global Staffing Solutions and The Derby Conference Centre.​Ganymede and ATA Awards​The evening began with the Ganymede and ATA Awards, where we awarded the top performing individuals across the recruitment businesses as well as those who have personified our core values over the last twelve months.Congratulations to the winners of the Ganymede and ATA Awards:150k Club: Chris James, Andy Crewe (Top Perm Biller), Gareth Jackson, Mark Hibbert, Brad MinnsPeople are our Passion: Agi GlonekSocially Responsible: Lewis GardnerTop Newcomers: Lina Oprisnyk, Karolis StenasTop Team Performance: Energy (1st Place), Rail - Scotland (2nd Place)Delivering Excellence: Charlie WillisonSafety First, Safety Always: Jason CrewTaking Pride: Lucinda HardyTop 10 Individual Billers:​ Karla Delczeg, Tyler Cook, Michael Anderson, Tom Cleverley, Colin Earp, Dave Carter, Will Heath, Hassan Choudhry, Michael Dobson, Katie Townend (Top Contract Biller, Top Overall GP)Paul Crompton, Managing Director said:“Congratulations to all of the award winners on your well deserved recognition, your dedication and hard work continue to drive our success.I’m proud of everything achieved over the past year and look forward to building on this momentum in 2026."​The RTC Group Awards​The evening continued with the Group Chairman & CEO address, three course meal and RTC Group Award, presenting for the second year the Douie Award.​Douie Award: Chris O'Connor​​Thank you to all those who attended this event, and for making the evening a resounding success. The RTC Group Awards will return in 2027.

​​6 Benefits of Working in Contract Recruitment​Contract recruitment offers a unique career path for recruiters who want to build a desk with real momentum.Many successful contract recruiters started their careers in permanent recruitment. The core skills remain the same. Business development, candidate management, relationship building and negotiation all transfer naturally into the contract market. With the right support and infrastructure, recruiters can transition into contract recruitment and quickly build confidence.As opposed to permanent recruitment, contract recruitment also offers the added benefit of recurring revenue and a desk that can grow month after month.Here are some of the reasons many recruiters choose to build their careers in contract recruitment.​Strong Earning PotentialOne of the biggest attractions of contract recruitment is the earning potential.As opposed to permanent recruitment, contract placements generate ongoing revenue rather than a one off fee. As your contractor base grows, your desk begins producing consistent monthly billings alongside new placements.A well built contract desk can quickly become a high performing revenue stream.​Real Demand in Our SectorsContract recruitment thrives in sectors where businesses need specialist skills and project support.Across engineering, infrastructure and manufacturing, organisations rely on contract talent to deliver projects, manage workload peaks and bring in technical expertise quickly.We see this demand in our own business. Contract consultants make up the majority of our Top 10 billers, highlighting both the opportunity in our sectors and the earning potential of a successful contract desk.​A Faster Paced MarketContract recruitment often moves much faster than permanent hiring.Businesses frequently need contractors at short notice to support projects or manage increased workloads. This leads to quicker hiring decisions and faster placements.For recruiters who enjoy pace and momentum, contract recruitment can be incredibly rewarding.​The Opportunity to Build Your Own DeskContract recruitment offers real autonomy.Consultants have the freedom to win new business, build networks of contractors and develop their own market. Over time this creates a desk that generates consistent revenue and long term growth.For recruiters who enjoy the entrepreneurial side of recruitment, contract desks provide real ownership.​Dedicated Compliance and Training SupportContract recruitment involves additional processes such as contractor onboarding, right to work checks and regulatory compliance.To support this, we have an award-winning dedicated compliance team who manage the contractor process and ensure everything runs smoothly. We also provide training and ongoing support so recruiters can manage the contract lifecycle with confidence.This allows consultants to focus on relationships, delivery and growing their desk.​Clear Career ProgressionAs contract desks grow, so do the opportunities around them.Successful consultants often move into leadership roles, build teams around their markets or develop specialist divisions within the business.Contract recruitment therefore offers both strong financial rewards and long term career development.​Interested in Building a Contract Recruitment Desk?If you are an experienced recruiter looking to build a desk with real momentum and long term earning potential, contract recruitment offers an exciting opportunity.Within our business, consultants are supported by experienced leadership, dedicated compliance infrastructure and ongoing investment in recruitment tools and technology.If you would like to learn more about opportunities with us, we would love to hear from you.​Get in touch with Rachael Bailey-Frost for a confidential conversation.📞 07920 595 229📧rachael.bailey-frost@ganymedesolutions.co.uk

​​The ATA Recruitment Annual Contractor Charge Rates Report 2025 is available to download​As the demand for skilled professionals continues to rise, more businesses are turning to skilled contractors and temporary workers to support large-scale projects. With recruiting and retaining permanent employees still a challenge, flexible workforce solutions have become essential for business growth.Covering the following disciplines, we have highlighted the average contractor charge rates across the UK as well as provided you with expert commentary from our specialist contract consultants:​EngineeringMaintenanceManufacturingInterim and Shared Services​If you are a contractor looking for a new assignment or a client looking to use a flexible skilled resource, then please get in touch.​Download the report​​​Get in touch​​As always, we hope the report provides you with the insight as to where your business currently sits in the market, as well as giving you some guidance on how to construct your talent strategy for 2026. If you have any questions or comments on any of the information covered in the report, please do not hesitate to get in touch.​​

The 9th edition of ATA Recruitment's Annual Engineering Insights is available to download​We are excited to share the 9th edition of ATA Recruitment’s Annual Engineering Insights Report with you. This data has been compiled from the placements we made in 2025, providing a real-time overview of the average salaries offered across the UK.In addition, the report offers detailed market insights and explores the shifts in candidate behaviour that are driving these changes. We have also included salary trends from the past eight years for further context, helping to illustrate how the market has evolved over time.​​Covering the following disciplines, we have answered some of the most common questions we get asked, as well as providing you with the quantitative data from salary trends:​Maintenance & ServiceQuality & ManufacturingDesign & ProjectsMid ManagementThis data has been generated from the placements we made in 2025, along with various industry survey findings. We trust this will give you a real time overview of the recruitment landscape and average salaries offered across the UK.​​Download the report​​By submitting the above form, you are agreeing to our Privacy Policy.​Get in touch​​As always, we hope the report provides you with the insight as to where your business currently sits in the market, as well as giving you some guidance on how to construct your talent strategy for 2026. If you have any questions or comments on any of the information covered in the report, please do not hesitate to get in touch.​​By submitting the above form, you are agreeing to our Privacy Policy.

​ATA Recruitment's Annual Maintenance Insights Report 2025 is available to download​​A comprehensive report of average Maintenance Engineering salaries, market trends and candidate behaviour across the UK in 2025, compiled using real ATA Recruitment data.​ATA Recruitment pride ourselves on providing service with real added value, and as part this we like to share our market intelligence and insights with our customers. The data we have collected has come from a large cross-section of the market for both SMEs and large blue chips in industries such as Food, Automated Distribution, Construction Materials, FMCG, and General Manufacturing.​Download ATA Recruitment's Annual Regional Maintenance Insights Report 2025​​​​By submitting the above form, you are agreeing to our Privacy Policy.​Get in touch​​As always, we hope the report provides you with the insight as to where your business currently sits in the market, as well as giving you some guidance on how to construct your talent strategy for 2026. If you have any questions or comments on any of the information covered in the report, please do not hesitate to get in touch.​By submitting the above form, you are agreeing to our Privacy Policy.​

​2025 Employer Survey​To understand how engineering and manufacturing businesses have performed through 2025, ATA Recruitment surveyed a cross section of business leaders from across our client base. Respondents represented a wide range of sectors including food manufacturing, automotive, aerospace, special purpose machinery, warehouse automation, construction materials and general engineering.The findings show a market that has remained resilient despite economic uncertainty. Many organisations continued to grow, but the data also highlights the pressures that shaped decision making around cost control, recruitment and workforce planning. In this first article, we focus on the headline trends from 2025. As part of the survey, we also asked business leaders about their confidence heading into 2026 and how this is shaping future hiring and workforce planning decisions. In follow-up pieces, we will explore the challenges behind these results in more detail, including attraction, retention and the growing opportunity around forces leavers.​Growth continued at a higher rate than 2024​When asked about business performance in 2025, the majority of respondents reported positive outcomes:​​20242025Achieved very strong growth7%5%Achieved strong growth32%57%Saw no growth54%21%Experienced negative growth7%​16%​This is a positive shift year on year, especially in the context of wider economic uncertainty. Nearly two thirds of respondents reported positive growth in 2025 (62%), compared with 39% in 2024, with strong growth jumping from 32% to 57%. Crucially, the proportion seeing no growth more than halved, dropping from 54% to 21%, pointing to firmer demand across many engineering and manufacturing markets.​Cost control emerged as the biggest barrier to growth​​When asked about the main challenges faced in 2025, respondents highlighted:​​20242025Cost control, including energy, materials and salaries23%28%Customer demand23%22%Recruitment23%21%Employee retention18%​14%Competition3%12%​Cost control is the biggest barrier to growth in 2025, rising to 28% from 23% in 2024. Customer demand and hiring challenges have eased slightly year on year, but businesses are still being careful. Many are holding back on expansion unless they can see clear productivity gains and keep costs under control. For recruitment, this suggests a more practical, value-focused approach from clients. They are likely to prioritise hires that keep work moving, improve efficiency, or deliver a clear return, while also paying closer attention to the full cost of employment.The increase in competition (12% vs 3%) supports this picture. More firms are fighting for work and trying to deliver with smaller teams. That makes targeted hiring, retention support, and flexible resourcing even more important.​Employment cost changes created caution, but not paralysis​With increases to National Insurance contributions and the Real and National Living Wage, many employers entered 2025 cautiously. There was concern across the market about how these changes would affect hiring plans.In 2025, the real impact was more limited than expected within engineering and manufacturing:77% of businesses said their hiring plans were unaffected23% reduced hiring plansThis suggests that while cost changes increased scrutiny around recruitment decisions, they did not lead to widespread freezes. Instead, businesses became more selective and focused on getting hires right first time.​Hiring activity remained strong across permanent and contract roles​Despite cost pressures, recruitment activity held up well:​​Permanent hiring20242025​Increased​41.5%42.9%​Maintained​39%44.6%​Decreased​19.5%12.5%​​Contract hiring20242025​Increased​24.4%32.5%​Maintained​41.5%51.8%​Decreased34.1%15.7%​​Executive and leadership hiring20242025​Increased​17.1%14.3%​Maintained​63.4%66.1%​Decreased19.5%19.6%​These results show that businesses continued to invest in core operational roles, while remaining more cautious at leadership level. This reiterates a focus on protecting delivery and output while managing long term overheads.​Confidence for 2026 is strong, but measured​​Looking ahead, employers reported a generally positive outlook for 2026, with an average confidence score of 3.05 out of 4:​​2025​Expecting very strong growth11%​Expecting strong growth68%​Expecting no or negative growth22%​This optimism is reflected in hiring expectations:​​2025​Expecting increased headcount39.3%​Expecting headcount levels to maintain51.8%​Expecting reduced headcount8.9%​The data suggests that demand is expected to continue, but growth will depend on how effectively businesses manage people, cost and capability. Workforce strategy is clearly becoming a key factor in whether confidence translates into results.​What this means for engineering and manufacturing businessesThe 2025 results paint a picture of resilience rather than acceleration. Growth is present, but it is constrained by cost pressure, recruitment difficulty and the need to protect margins. Businesses that succeed in 2026 are likely to be those that plan workforce needs earlier, invest in the right skills and take a more strategic approach to hiring and retention.In the next articles in this series, we will explore the specific challenges employers identified around attraction and retention, and how alternative talent pools such as forces leavers can support long term workforce stability.​How ATA Recruitment can helpAt ATA Recruitment, our mission is to bridge the skills gap in engineering and manufacturing. We work closely with businesses to understand their challenges and help them find the right people at the right time, whether that’s permanent, contract or interim support. If you’re thinking about your hiring plans for 2026 or want a clearer view of what’s happening in the market, our team is here to help.

​2025 Candidate Behaviour Survey​To better understand how engineers are feeling about work in 2025, ATA Recruitment surveyed a cross section from our database. The results give a clear picture of a workforce that is largely employed and experienced, but increasingly selective about where they choose to stay and when they decide to move.While many engineers remain in their roles, the data shows growing pressure around management quality, work life balance and feeling valued. These findings offer important lessons for employers looking to retain skilled talent and for candidates considering their next move.​Most engineers are employed, but not fully satisfied​The survey shows that 79% of respondents are currently in work, confirming that the engineering market remains active and competitive.However, satisfaction levels tell a more nuanced story:Average salary satisfaction scored 2.95 out of 4, slightly down from 2.99 in 2024Feeling valued by employers scored 2.73 out of 4, up from 2.55 in 2024This suggests some improvement in engagement, but also highlights a gap between pay and how valued engineers feel day to day. Many are staying in roles, but not necessarily feeling secure or fulfilled.​What really makes engineers feel valued?​When asked what would make them feel more valued at work, engineers pointed to a mix of reward and development:​20242025Training and progression35%34%Improved salary20%24%Improved benefits15%15%​Additional qualifications​13%​9%​While salary remains important, development and progression continue to play a major role. Engineers want to see a future with their employer, not just a payslip. Rising living costs may heighten pay awareness, but long term engagement still depends on growth and opportunity.​Why engineers are leaving roles​​Of those surveyed, 57% had not changed employer in 2025. Among those who did move, the reasons reveal a shift in priorities:​20242025Poor management and not feeling valued15%25%Shift pattern or needing a better work / life balance12%19%Redundancy or lack of stability13%17%Lack of training or progression28%15%Financial reasons5%11%Other reasons​​10%​There has been a sizable shift in those attributing poor management and feeling undervalued as their main reason for leaving. Is this a sign that companies aren’t investing enough in their management teams development? Are businesses running flatter structures which have left managers more stretched? Or is it a case with the number of opportunities available to engineers they are just less tolerant now? These stats are further backed up below by those who are currently looking to move.​Those looking to move show the same patterns​​The reasons given by engineers currently considering a move closely match those who have already left roles:​20242025Lack of training or progression28%18%Poor management and not feeling valued15%25%Redundancy or lack of stability in their roles 13%7%Shift pattern or needing a better work-life balance12%25%Financial reasons4%13%​This consistency shows that dissatisfaction builds over time and often leads to action. Management quality and work life balance now rival pay as primary decision drivers.​Engineers are not patient with poor onboarding or broken promises​Engineers continue to show limited tolerance when a new role does not meet expectations:​20242025Would leave within one month16%20%Would wait one to three months27%23%Would wait three to six months24%26%Would stay longer than six months33%30%​Nearly half of respondents would leave within three months if unhappy. This highlights the importance of honest role briefs, strong onboarding and early engagement. First impressions matter, and poor starts are difficult to recover from.​What this means for employers and candidatesFor employers, the message is clear. Retention in 2025 is about more than pay. Engineers want strong leadership, realistic workloads, development opportunities and to feel valued for the contribution they make.For candidates, the market remains active, but decisions should be informed. Understanding culture, management style and progression opportunities is just as important as salary when choosing the next move.​How ATA Recruitment can helpATA Recruitment works closely with both engineers and employers to ensure expectations are clear from the outset. We help candidates find roles that align with their goals and values, and we support businesses in attracting and retaining the right people through honest insight and specialist market knowledge.If you are an engineer considering your next move, or an employer looking to strengthen engagement and retention, ATA Recruitment is here to support you with insight, guidance and access to opportunities that fit.