New market analysis has revealed the top five roles in demand across the North West employment arena including payroll practitioners and maintenance engineers. That’s according to Preston based firm, Clayton Recruitment.

The latest quarterly analysis of the employment landscape in the North West is based on a comparison of vacancy levels across Clayton’s broad areas of expertise and highlights the ongoing skills requirements of employers in the region.

Payroll practitioners

“Topping the list for the third quarter in a row, we have seen a huge requirement for payroll experts across the board. This stems from the increased trend of ‘Northshoring’ which has resulted in a plethora of companies relocating their payroll operations to the region. Consequently we have seen clients looking for payroll clerks, administrators and assistants to service these businesses,” says Tracy Bolan, commercial manager at Clayton Recruitment. “In addition we have seen demand for professionals at the more senior end of the market including payroll managers and supervisors for firms across the region.”

Maintenance engineers

“The engineering industry suffers from huge shortages across the board as many of you will already be aware, and maintenance engineers are no different,” adds Bolan. “For these roles in particular, much of the demand stems from the manufacturing arena and employers are increasingly seeking professionals who can not only carry out maintenance to machinery but also drive efficiencies and developments within plants.”

Credit controllers

“We have seen an increase in the number of companies in the region hiring for credit controllers. These professionals will always be in steady demand as companies ensure they control and manage their debtors effectively,” Bolan says. “Consequently the recent spike in demand can be attributed to two key factors. Firstly, staff churn and secondly, growth within a particular business which results in the need to bolster its credit control function”.

Accountants in practice

“The increased demand seen for accountants in practice can largely be attributed to increased workloads seen in the past few months in response to the end of the financial year. However we have also seen a rise in demand for chartered accountants to work in practices across the region thanks to organic growth.”

Marketing and e-commerce specialists

“Employers across the board are investing heavily in their e-commerce capabilities as consumers demand more from their online experience. Consequently we have seen a huge spike in demand for specialists who can enter a business and develop e-commerce strategies to drive sales in today’s omnichannel marketplace.”