September Executive Update: hiring returns, but businesses are choosing carefully
Executive Update is back with a sharper focus.
Each month, we'll share a straight-talking view of the manufacturing and engineering market: what is moving, what we're hearing, the businesses investing and the people issues sitting behind the headlines.
No recycled LinkedIn wisdom. Just a useful monthly view from the market.
This month in one line
There is activity, but it is deliberate activity. Businesses are hiring where the role really matters.
How we're seeing the market
Summer is over and the change in pace has been obvious.
September has brought more conversations, more new roles, more client meetings, more CVs sent and more interviews than August.
Leadership is carrying more weight than narrow sector experience. That seasonal lift is expected, but this theme has stood out in the senior operational briefs we've taken on.
Business owners are talking to us about people who can lead teams, create clarity and bring others with them. Technical credibility still matters, but in a number of searches the deciding factor is becoming the ability to manage people well.
The wider picture is more cautious. Make UK's Q3 Manufacturing Outlook points to improving demand and confidence, while recruitment intentions remain softer as employment, energy and input costs continue to weigh on decisions.
That feels recognisable from our conversations. There is activity, but it is deliberate activity. Businesses are hiring where the role really matters, rather than simply adding headcount.
Three numbers worth knowing
£500m - McLaren's UK investment programme.
1,300+ - Jobs supported across Speciality Steel UK sites.
£5m - New funding secured by Sheffield-based SCI Semiconductor.
3 things worth knowing
1. McLaren is backing UK manufacturing
McLaren has announced an investment programme of around £500m across its UK operations, including expansion of its manufacturing and R&D footprint in South Yorkshire.
The programme is expected to create 1,000 direct UK jobs by 2032, with wider supply-chain benefits potentially taking that number significantly higher.
Why it matters: Major investment creates movement well beyond the initial jobs announcement. It increases demand for experienced leaders, technical specialists and the people capable of scaling operations successfully.
2. Speciality Steel UK moves towards public ownership
The Government is working towards the public acquisition of Speciality Steel UK, whose sites in Rotherham, Stocksbridge, Brinsworth and Wednesbury support more than 1,300 jobs.
The business has produced specialist steel used across strategically important industries, and the intervention reflects the continued pressure facing UK steelmaking.
Why it matters: For South Yorkshire, steel remains economically and strategically important. The next phase will be watched closely, particularly around investment, leadership, skills retention and the future shape of specialist steel production.
3. Sheffield semiconductor business secures £5m
SCI Semiconductor has raised £5m as it develops secure, memory-safe semiconductor technology.
The Sheffield business has already secured more than £2m in orders and £7.7m in Government contracts, with work involving organisations including Google Research and Microsoft.
Why it matters: Sheffield's reputation is increasingly extending beyond its traditional manufacturing strengths into deep tech, semiconductors and advanced engineering. That creates a broader leadership and skills market for the region and strengthens South Yorkshire's position as a place where genuinely innovative businesses can scale.
What we're hearing
Leadership is becoming harder to separate from technical capability. Clients still want credibility, but increasingly they want people who can communicate, lead teams and create clarity.
Businesses are taking longer to make important hiring decisions. The appetite to hire is there, but senior appointments are being scrutinised carefully.
The best senior candidates are still difficult to move. Salary matters, but so does autonomy, culture, flexibility and confidence in the leadership team they are joining.
None of these observations will appear neatly in a set of monthly statistics, but together they give a useful picture of how the market actually feels.
The rooms you need to be in
Digital Forge
Digital Forge continued its reputation for getting the right people into the right rooms with Reindustrialising the North at Cutlers' Hall.
The event brought together founders, funders and operators from advanced manufacturing, technology and engineering, with keynote contributions from Master Cutler Keith Jackson and South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard.
National Manufacturing Day - 24 September
Make UK's annual National Manufacturing Day takes place on Thursday 24 September, with manufacturers across the country opening their doors to schools, colleges and local communities.
It is a chance to show people what modern manufacturing actually looks like, highlight the breadth of careers available and challenge some of the outdated perceptions that still surround the sector.
Director Dinners
Through Shillito Executive Search, we bring together a small group of business owners and senior leaders from manufacturing for informal dinners focused on the issues affecting their businesses right now.
No presentations. No sales pitches. Just good food, a glass of wine and an honest conversation with people dealing with many of the same challenges.
If you're a senior leader in manufacturing and would be interested in joining a future dinner, get in touch with Pete.
One final thought
The market does not feel like it is suddenly booming. It feels more selective than that.
Businesses are willing to invest when the role, person or opportunity genuinely matters - and that makes understanding the market before making a move more important, not less.
If you're considering a senior hire and want a sense-check on what we're seeing before you commit to a search, feel free to speak to Pete or the Shillito team.
Pete Shillito - Shillito Executive Search, part of Shillito Group.
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