Watch the webinar
The UK labour market is undergoing a seismic shift, with new regulations set to take effect in April 2025, amplifying challenges for businesses already grappling with hiring and retention issues. Labour shortages and rising costs are reshaping how organisations attract and keep their best people. To succeed, businesses must rethink their strategies, turning obstacles into opportunities.
In this webinar, our panel explored the evolving labour market landscape and equip participants with actionable insights to remain competitive – redefining the approach to attracting talent, cultivating loyalty, and driving long-term success.
Key themes we explored:
The labour market dynamics of 2025
Employee value proposition
Attracting professionals through innovation
Retaining talent
Building resilient teams
Our panel:
Jennagh Delaney-Harding, Senior Talent Acquisition and ER Manager, The Gym Group
James Reed, Chairman and CEO, Reed
Robyn Lowe, Talent Attraction and Early Careers Manager, Mercedes-Benz UK
Research from a Reed survey of 5,000 UK workers to help inform our 2025 salary guides highlighted the importance of employee wellbeing, with 43% of people saying they work more hours than they are paid to. Alarmingly, when asked why, 40% of those employees said they have too much work to do in the hours they are paid to work. And, nearly half of workers told us that they are unhappy with their salaries.
If these issues remain unaddressed, you could see valuable employees walk out the door – therefore, it’s more important than ever to re-evaluate you approach to talent acquisition.
More about our speakers
Jennagh Delaney-Harding, Senior Talent Acquisition and ER Manager, The Gym Group
With over 15 years of experience in talent acquisition and employee relations, Jennagh is a strategic leader delivering impactful results for The Gym Group, one of the UK’s fastest-growing value gym chains.
Jennagh leads the recruitment team to attract top talent across 250+ gyms and gym support functions, streamlining processes and empowering managers with tools to hire effectively and at pace. She also oversees the employee relations team, implementing robust frameworks, ER triage systems, and fit-for-purpose policies that ensure a supportive and people-focused approach throughout the employee lifecycle.
A champion of inclusion, Jennagh spearheaded the Inclusive Traineeship scheme, providing individuals with Down syndrome valuable industry experience and a fitness qualification. Her work has earned recognition in the 2024 role models for inclusion index, reflecting her commitment to creating opportunities for all.
Jennagh’s leadership combines innovation and empathy, driving a workplace culture that is inclusive, engaging, and continuously evolving.
James Reed, Chairman and CEO, Reed
James Reed CBE is the Chairman and Chief Executive of Reed, the largest family-owned recruitment company in the world. Founded in 1960 by James’ father, Sir Alec Reed, the company now boasts over 4,500 employees in 200 locations globally and handles almost 100,000 job applications each day via Reed.co.uk.
James first joined the company in 1992 after graduating from Harvard Business School. He was appointed Chief Executive in 1997 and Chairman in 2004.
As an advocate of philanthropic giving and doing more for the greater good, James established Reed as a purpose-led philanthropy company, or PhilCo, a decade ago. The PhilCo movement aims to encourage businesses to embed philanthropy into their ownership structure thereby ensuring a positive impact on people and the planet. Reed has transferred 18% of its shareholdings to the Reed Foundation, which has since given away tens of millions of pounds to good causes. This means all Reed staff work the equivalent of one day a week for charity.
James is the driving force behind charity Big Give and is Chair of the Trustees. It is the UK’s biggest match funding platform which doubles donations to thousands of other charities taking part in its fundraising campaigns. To date, it has raised almost £300 million.
James is a regular media commentator on work and labour market issues, with appearances including BBC News, Sky News and BBC Radio 4. He has contributed insight to a wide range of publications including the Financial Times, Harvard Business Review, the Sunday Times and City AM.
James’ most recent book, ‘Life’s Work’, is about 12 proven ways to fast-track your career. The book contains numerous ideas for people to pick up and try in order to give you an edge and make a difference to your life’s work. The book is also available as an online course designed to provide insightful videos, activities and resources to help individuals build a successful career.
James’ latest initiative is a new podcast series called James Reed: all about business which involves him speaking to business leaders and entrepreneurs and sharing their views, insights, and opinions.
Robyn Lowe, Talent Attraction and Early Careers Manager, Mercedes-Benz UK
Robyn plays a pivotal role in shaping and executing strategies to attract and grow top talent, with a particular focus on early career development programmes. With over 10 years of experience in recruitment, talent acquisition, and employee development, she is committed to creating a diverse and innovative workforce at one of the world’s leading automotive brands.
In her current role, she oversees the design and implementation of recruitment campaigns, university partnerships, and graduate programmes that align with Mercedes-Benz UK’s long-term talent strategy. She works work closely with internal stakeholders and external partners to ensure that the recruitment process is both efficient and inclusive, reflecting the company's commitment to excellence and innovation, while harnessing the skills for the future.
Passionate about empowering the next generation, Robyn is dedicated to providing high-quality career opportunities and mentoring for young professionals, helping them build a foundation for success in their careers.
