Despite navigating one of the most challenging decades in modern recruitment with Brexit uncertainty, pandemic furlough and job losses, skills shortages and the rise of AI, the Group Sales Director of leading HR and recruitment specialist, Gi Group Holding, says the most challenging times are yet to come as implementation of the Employment Rights Act looms on the horizon.
As the UK prepares for another wave of job market uncertainty with political change at the heart of Westminster, those in leadership roles in the labour market are collectively taking another very deep breath.
For Dan Challis, who joined Gi Group in 2016 as Regional Corporate Development Manager, the last decade has barely had a quiet period, or a stable status quo, to treat as a benchmark. Amidst leaving the EU, the pandemic, successive changes of PMs and rapid technological advances, recruitment leaders have had to adapt like never before.
And now the Employment Rights Bill (ERB), which gained royal assent at the end of 2025, is in Dan’s opinion already showing signs of and is set to be as potentially disruptive as all of the above combined for businesses reliant on people.
Dan commented: “When it comes to the leading catalyst for adaptation across our industry, in how we support and advise our customers and candidates, the ERB has caused the biggest waves this year so far. From preparation for statutory sick pay reform, changes to probation and dismissal risk, to potentially major updates to flexible labour models and zero-hours arrangements, businesses will be impacted – especially those reliant on flexible, part-time and temporary workers. It means identifying and implementing the perfect hire or hires has never been more important.”
Despite the tumultuous backdrop, Dan has been pivotal in Gi Group’s growth across Managed Service Provider (MSP) and Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), progressing through senior business development leadership to his current role as Group Sales Director, at the age of 36. His impact is felt in the partnerships he has shaped, the solutions he has designed, and the teams he has helped develop.
He initially started his career at a regional recruitment agency in 2014, First Personnel, taking ownership of its Tamworth branch. Despite recruitment not being in Dan’s original career plan, having studied at the University of Birmingham for a Physiotherapy degree, he quickly found his ‘calling’ and professional home at Gi Group UK.
Joining the business with a seasoned track record in blue collar recruitment, Dan rapidly progressed through management within the UK & Ireland operation of the business, which saw him promoted to the role of Director as part of Gi Group Holding in 2022.
Dan continued: “I joined Gi Group at a really important time for the business as the UK & Ireland operation branched out from focusing purely on blue collar recruitment, adding a number of new businesses to its network offering.
“Our approach became focused on providing a well-rounded service as we incorporated businesses focused on HR, training, coaching and personal development. At this time, I developed my role to focus on MSP and the RPO offerings, which supported my progression within the business. A huge turning point for us was winning the Commonwealth Games contract in December 2019, which offered the space for me to implement new service lines.
“As recruitment experts, embedded within our customers’ business, we are in constant ‘adapt, change, thrive, repeat’ mode. We’ve navigated many challenges throughout this time – skills shortages, rapid tech advancements and hikes in national insurance. Such major economic tailwinds are felt first and foremost in the labour market – we are the litmus paper, the big red light indicator, when the economy is thriving or down turning. We are first to hear when businesses need more labour because they are flourishing, and we are first to see the impact and support they demand when they contract their requirement in terms of volume and pivot to a specific requirement in terms of skills.
“As such, the most important learning I hold on to after a decade in the business is that maintaining our promise to our customers and candidates to ‘Go Beyond’ the expected and uphold our very high standards for delivery has never been more important than it is in today’s unpredictable labour market.”
Responsible for a team of 11 across the Group’s sales operation, Dan has seen his team respond with agility and skill to some of the biggest shifts in temporary recruitment legislation in recent history, with the passing of the Employment Rights Bill in late 2025. With several major employment law changes coming in to force this year and next, Dan predicts some of the most challenging times for the temporary jobs market are yet to come.
Dan added: “Temporary employment isn’t the devil, it is fundamental and crucial to the smooth running of the labour market and as we enter the age of AI at pace it is clear our sector will be called upon like never before to support businesses in growth, stability and talent retention.”
Gi Group UK is headquartered in Chesterfield in the Midlands. Parented by Gi Group Holding, Gi Group UK employs close to 500 people in 2026 from 17 hub locations. Working across manufacturing, logistics, food and drink and many other sectors, Gi Group UK is uniquely committed to the creation of social and economic value for both employers and candidates alike. For more information about Gi Group in the UK, visit: uk.gigroup.com.
