It’s that time again when a recruiter pitches his or her vision of what the new year holds in store for all those knowingly (and possibly as yet unknowingly) about to consider a career change in the next 12 months.

These articles over the last few years have swung wildly from “it’s all bad” to “it’s all great”, but this year I’d confidently say “it’s all a bit better”.

After some of the shellshocks and aftershocks the global economy has weathered in recent times, we’re far from assuring perfectly calm seas – but month-on-month now we’re seeing some genuinely clear signs that confidence has lifted.

One of the key indicators of an improving recruitment climate is the release of transactional roles, specifically in banking and corporate, and since October we’ve been briefed on more of these jobs than at any point in the last 18 months.

A further indicator is that relating to which firms are recruiting – and the good news is that several of the traditional top-tiers have new, urgent requirements. As a benchmark, when the normally reserved and cautious big end of town starts to panic over staffing levels it’s generally a clear sign that somewhere a snowball has started to roll.

For now, understandably, candidate confidence is lagging behind client confidence. After two years of being told the world’s come to an end it’ll take time for those keen to move jobs to trust that their moment has come.

However, all round the world law partners and decision makers are enjoying their last few days of holiday before returning to the office and adding to the already considerable weight of demand for talent.

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Matt Harris, manager, Taylor Root