Salary Survey
Market Insights October to March 2025
Welcome to our bi-annual Market Insights, Spring 2025, where we provide commentary on the recruitment market in our sector. We glean information from professional bodies and our own extensive research, via a targeted survey reaching more than 6000 candidates working in business support roles.
The Jobs Outlook from the REC (Recruitment and Employment Confederation), collecting data from over 700 UK employers involved in hiring, reflects a positive intention for business recruitment compared with the 3 months to December 2024. However, the full impact of the National Insurance hike still remains to be seen, so caution is evident with this. The government continues to talk up support for businesses, however, the ongoing discussion points around the Employment Rights Bill, much of which we will see play out in 2026, paints a slightly different picture and whilst we support employee rights and the sentiment of this, it is creating a nervousness with smaller to medium sized businesses and their future hiring.
Overall we see cautious optimism, and in our findings over the last 6 months, whilst salaries have broadly levelled out, fixed term contracts are notably on the increase and is an area we have chosen to discuss in more detail for this period. We also see temp to perm recruitment holding strong and being a solid choice for companies as part of their hiring strategy. We have also seen an up-tick in entry level roles, which is encouraging for new talent coming into the market.
SALARIES
In our survey almost 51% received a pay rise in the last 6 months, this is a significant improvement compared to 28% in the previous 6 months of those surveyed. As with the first half of 2024 just over 60% are not expecting a pay rise in the next 6 months. Whilst this may give rise to greater movement in employees seeking a salary uplift, our survey indicated 37% of respondents put salary as their number one reason to move, we note that other factors such as job security, bonuses and flexible working play into job seekers reasons for looking for new roles. 25% are seeking a better work/life balance as their number one priority and 20% career progression.
The Bain and Gray salary results we have seen, salaries level out for the first time in 18 months. The senior end of the market has held, and unsurprisingly plateaued, not seeing a significant increase over the last 6 months. Notably, private PA roles still command some of the highest salaries where employers reward the desired personality fit to build trust coupled with previous experience in similar roles.
We have seen recruitment for entry level and junior roles increase over the last 6 months, which is encouraging for new and skilled talent coming into the market and indicates investment from businesses in graduates and future staffing invested in from the grass roots level.
BONUSES
We thought it would be useful to include raw data from our survey which shows detailed Bonus payments over the last 18 months period. There has been a 15% increase in bonus pay outs since Spring 24. Key takeaways are that companies have increased bonus payouts consistently and the most proportionate increase is Bonus over 13% of base salary have risen from 2.63% to 14% in the 18 month period.
As candidate talent continues to be competitive, its apparent from this data that companies are ensuring their benefits package and bonus scheme is attractive to retain and attract talent.
32% of candidates surveyed are not expecting a bonus this year which remains the same as the last 6 months. Only 12% unsure whether they will receive a bonus or not. These responses would indicate bonuses are playing a bigger part in candidate attraction and retention.
Many candidates are now considering their salaries alongside anticipated bonuses. As in previous surveys, the Financial sectors command the most significant percentage payouts, and attract financial and professional service candidates by offering bonus schemes. The anticipation of a bonus payment, will often be a significant deciding factor in the timing of a candidate’s search. Our survey conducted (April 2025) had a significant percentage of respondents working within the financial sector reflecting the current London market. However, professional services, property, creative, tech, charity and public sector companies also make up a significant proportion of our business support candidates surveyed.
Results show that 56% of candidates are expecting a bonus this year with 15% of these guaranteed a 20% bonus or more, this is significantly up on the previous 6 months.
32% of candidates surveyed are not expecting a bonus this year which remains the same as the last 6 months. Only 12% unsure whether they will receive a bonus or not. These responses would indicate bonuses are playing a bigger part in candidate attraction and retention.
FIXED TERM CONTRACTS
Over the last 6 months, we have seen an uptick in Fixed Term Contracts for a variety of reasons, including specific projects, Maternity/ Paternity and sickness. Hiring contract employees offers several advantages such as cost efficiency, flexibility and access to specialist skills. Companies see this as a way of managing their workforce more effectively as able to scale up or down based on need without the long-term commitment.
The contract search differs slightly to the permanent and we would offer the following advice to our clients looking to recruit. Leave plenty of time for the search; finding top calibre immediately available candidates that fulfill your requirements can be challenging and it does take time to fully explore the market, hirers should also keep notice periods in mind as they are likely to still apply. 45% of our job seekers surveyed would consider a 12 month fixed term contract as an alternative to a permanent position; recognising the value of the contract role in today’s market.
An open-minded approach to CVs is key, some candidates opt for contracting as their chosen career path, as such more movement on CVs is likely. This can be seen as a positive, as candidate's are familiar with hitting the ground running and are quick to adapt. Consider offering a “Completion Bonus” as an excellent way to secure a candidate for the full duration of a contract.
Bain and Gray can play a critical part in sourcing the right candidate for your contract hire by providing access to a to a pool of qualified professionals who are pre-screened and right to work compliant.
RETAINED SEARCH
We are working on an increasing number of retained searches, particularly with Chief of Staff and Business Assistant roles. Working in this way means we map out the market on your behalf and identify candidates that you might not otherwise be able to access.
Read our Retained Business Case Study here
BENEFITS AND HYBRID WORKING
Salary remains the number one driver for seeking a new role, followed closely by career progression and personal development, benefits still play a significant part in the decisions our candidates make when looking for their next job.
Retaining the top spot for most highly ranked benefit was Hybrid/Flexible working. This is no surprise as our consultants have noticed a continued push/pull in this, with a drive for more office work from businesses, and a continued desire for a mix of flexible home/office working from candidates.
When asked directly about desirability for hybrid/flexible working: 51% of respondents said it was extremely important, followed by 40% saying it was highly desirable.
When considering packages and benefits as part of hiring, it is worth reviewing hybrid/flexible working as a non financial, but highly attractive offering to the top talent in the market.
It is also worth noting that when asked, 64% of our candidates currently work hybrid/flexible working patterns, most commonly 4 days in the office, 1 day at home, and 26% are full-time in the office, clearly indicating this remains the prevalent working arrangement of business support staff.
COMPANY CULTURE
When asked what positive company culture meant to them in order of importance, the top five were:
This is very similar to last year, however regular team meetings and check-ins is up one place, suggesting communication and good management are key to a positive company culture.
When asked if our candidates current company engaged positively with Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, we saw an increase from 77% to 82% agreeing that this was the case.
RECRUITMENT PROCESSES
The general theme remains unchanged regarding recruitment processes. Hiring success is driven by a number of factors and these were reflected similarly in this survey to our previous bi-annual surveys from our candidates.
Lengthy processes, and lack of feedback continue to be highlighted as ongoing frustrations from our candidates surveyed. The theme being that honest, constructive feedback is much better than none at all, and lack of transparency as they see it does not help their searches or their experience when job searching.
As an agency we continue to work with our clients to help speed up processes and manage candidate expectations around timelines and feedback. We see far greater recruitment success where our clients listen to our expert advice, and remain open to work with us on the recruitment journey from initial brief to offer. We also see a huge benefit to clients whose businesses work with us exclusively for our focussed shortlists and a deeper understanding, as well as competitive fees.
We insist on meeting clients face to face to take job briefs, in order to deeper enhance and streamline the search and shortlisting. We find face to face meetings enable us to understand thoroughly the subtle nuances of the job brief and the recruitment process.
We also see candidates having a greatly improved experience from face to face interviews. Whilst there continue to be frustrations around communication, this is a huge step to a better experience on both sides, and a resulting in better hiring outcomes for all. Candidate’s welcome transparency and clarity around the jobs they are going for, and the expectations of salary and progression being part of the interview process. As always, good candidates will really appreciate this and be drawn to companies that recruit through clear and honest channels of communication and expectations.
THE TEMPORARY MARKET
Over the past six months, we have seen a rise in both candidates seeking temporary roles and clients hiring on a temporary basis, 45% across our client base. Temping remains a valuable way for candidates to gain experience, and for employers to hire flexible candidates in an uncertain market.
One of the most significant shifts has been the increase in ‘temp to perm’ recruitment. This "try before you buy" approach is becoming increasingly popular, giving both candidates and clients the opportunity to ensure long term fit before committing to a permanent contract. It’s an excellent way for businesses to assess personality fit and capability in a professional working environment, and for candidates to explore whether the role and organisation are right for them.
We are also seeing a more considered approach to temp hiring. While temporary roles have historically been filled with speed and urgency, clients are now taking more time to find the right fit. The hiring process has become more protracted over the past 6 months and it is common to see three interviews occasionally four interview stages as part of the process. This does run the risk of clients missing out on strong candidates.
Another key factor shaping the market is the increase in notice periods. We have seen a shift from the typical one month notice to three months, which has meant an increase number of candidates resigning earlier from their permanent roles to secure a new role with a shorter timeline to starting. In this unpredictable market it is often resulting in higher calibre candidates becoming available immediately and eager to explore temporary to permanent options.
Career temps are fewer in number than those available for temporary work, resourced from a pool of actors, graduates, and early career professionals looking for short term work, for experience, income, or flexibility between roles.
Hiring freezes across some companies are also increasing demand for temps, offering companies a cost effective way to remain effective without increasing permanent headcount.
As of April 2025 with employers National Insurance contributions increasing we would expect temporary workers to be an attractive proposition for our clients whilst considering the increased costs for their permanent headcount.
Overall, we expect temporary hiring to remain strong throughout 2025, especially in graduate and entry-level roles, as businesses continue to prioritise flexibility and adaptability in a shifting economic landscape.
Rates remain largely unchanged over the past 6 months, with slight increases at the senior end.
If you would like to discuss temp or temp to perm cover for your business, please contact us on 020 7036 2030 or email temps@bainandgray.com
Read our previous salary surveys below:
If you would like more information on the current market, or if there is specific information you would like us to gather for our Autumn Insights, please email us on clients@bainandgray.com
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