There’s new analysis the UK’s HR and recruiting job market to determine how much the digitisation of this industry has affected vacancies. Interestingly, rather than result in decline in these positions, Joblift has found that the demands on HR professionals have adapted to fit the gaps that robotics cannot fill.

According to the research, 220,185 HR and recruiting jobs have been posted in the last 12 months in the United Kingdom. Vacancies in this industry have seen an average monthly increase of 1 percent – significantly lower than the 5 percent monthly increase seen in the UK’s job market as a whole in this time period. Despite this slow growth, HR and recruitment jobs spend an average of 15 days online before being filled, a duration which is mirrored in the job market as a whole.

In terms of pay, only 15 percent of the 148,848 vacancies that stated a salary, offered a wage of £50,000 or above, with the largest percentage (39 percent) of postings advertising a salary of between £20,000 and £30,000 per year. Unsurprisingly, London dominates positions with 19 percent of all vacancies, followed by Manchester with 4 percent, and then Birmingham, also holding 4 percent of HR and recruiting postings; 63 percent of the 220,185 vacancies were for recruiters specifically with these roles experiencing a 1 percent average monthly increase. Interestingly, the 37 percent of vacancies looking for HR roles on a broader basis experienced three times the growth with a 3 percent average monthly increase. Both recruitment and HR jobs followed the whole job market’s lead spending an average of 15 days online before being filled.

Joblift’s studies show that little notice has been given to artificial intelligence and digitisation in the job advertisements posted in the last year. Only 1 percent of the HR and recruiting vacancies posted stated the need for knowledge of HR and recruiting tools. In comparison, this industry has seen a shift in demands when it comes to candidates. Rather than demanding knowledge of these tools, the HR positions themselves are adapting into more relationship management roles. For example, 45 percent of the vacancies advertised in the last 12 months highlighted the importance of communication and people skills – areas in which artificial intelligence cannot compete.