Recent polling* across recruitment leaders highlighted three recurring priorities for the year ahead:
- Winning new clients in a tougher market
- Scaling efficiently without unnecessary risk
- Strengthening internal systems, visibility and planning
Together, these themes point to a sector that wants to grow, but only if the foundations are strong enough to support it.
Winning New Clients While Managing Risk
The most common priority was securing new business. With tougher market conditions and increased competition, agencies are focused on building more stable and diversified client bases. Several responses pointed to the risks of relying too heavily on a small number of core clients and the need to protect revenue streams moving forward.
This is where operational confidence becomes critical. Winning new clients often means taking on new contractors, higher payroll runs and larger invoice values, all before invoices are paid. Without clear visibility of funding, credit limits and cash flow, growth can quickly introduce risk rather than reduce it.
QUBA supports agencies here by combining recruitment funding with real-time operational insight. Through the DynamiQ platform, agencies have clear oversight of invoicing, credit limits and aged debt, allowing them to take on new business with confidence rather than caution. Importantly, this is backed by experienced people, relationship managers and credit control specialists who actively support agencies as they grow, rather than leaving them to manage exposure alone.
Scaling Efficiently in a Slow Market
Scaling was another dominant theme – but not at any cost. Many respondents highlighted concerns around hiring new recruiters who may take longer to cover their own costs, particularly in a slower market. Others noted the challenge of scaling without external investment.
Efficient scale relies on two things: control and clarity. Agencies need to know where margins sit, which consultants are performing, and how costs move as the business grows.
QUBA’s joined-up approach to funding, operations and technology helps agencies avoid overextending. DynamiQ centralises payroll, margins, commission and performance reporting in one place, reducing admin and removing guesswork. This allows business owners to make informed decisions about hiring, expansion and investment based on live data, not spreadsheets or assumptions.
Just as importantly, QUBA’s operational teams handle the day-to-day back-office workload, freeing up time for business owners and leaders to focus on strategy, clients and people.
Fixing the Foundations: Systems, Visibility and Strategy
Alongside growth, there was a strong acknowledgement that internal systems matter. Respondents spoke about reducing manual work, improving poor systems, and building clearer long-term roadmaps supported by better financial insight.
As agencies mature, disconnected tools and manual processes often become a hidden brake on growth. Admin increases, visibility decreases, and leadership decisions become harder to make with confidence.
DynamiQ was built specifically to address this challenge. It brings together timesheets, payroll, invoicing, margins, consultant commission and reporting into a single platform designed for recruitment businesses, not adapted from generic software.
For agencies that want even more control over their workflows, DynamiQ also includes an optional CRM feature. This supports candidate and job management, compliance tracking and task management, without introducing unnecessary complexity. Crucially, the CRM exists to strengthen the wider funding and operations experience – it’s not a standalone tool, and it’s shaped by how recruiters actually work day to day.
Technology That Supports People – Not the Other Way Around
Across all these challenges, one theme sits underneath the poll results: recruitment leaders don’t just want tools, they want support.
QUBA’s model reflects this reality. Technology drives efficiency and insight, but people deliver the expertise, guidance and reassurance that agencies need, especially in uncertain markets. Every client works with dedicated relationship managers and operational specialists who understand recruitment and are invested in long-term success.
Feedback from clients directly informs how DynamiQ evolves, ensuring the platform stays grounded in real recruitment challenges rather than theoretical features.
Looking Ahead to 2026
The picture emerging from the poll is one of cautious optimism. Recruitment agencies still want to grow but they want to do it sustainably, with better systems, stronger visibility and less risk.
By bringing together recruitment funding, back-office operations and purpose-built technology, powered by people who understand the sector, QUBA helps agencies move into 2026 with confidence, control and clarity.
Not just to grow faster, but to grow smarter.
* Based on QUBA existing clients poll December 2025
