All work and no play at the moment. It’s my Birthday, but no sooner are the presents unwrapped than I’m back in work mode and keen to get my thoughts on the blog.

We need to be our usual sensitive selves right now as many of our Clients will be nervous and some may be quite downbeat. There is plenty to be upbeat about so we must be the positive voice in amongst the grumbling crowds. Most people will prefer to do business with those talking positively rather than being depressing.

So that said, what is our message?

• This is a good opportunity for Clients to review the talent pool.
• It is also a great opportunity to pick up some new talent. The best people are looking around for good opportunities and forward looking employers. Candidates will respond well to Clients who present their “Value Proposition” well i.e. those Clients that use a Professional Recruitment Partner to promote their employer brand (this means us!!)
• Every Client should rightly focus on getting value from all suppliers. In terms of recruitment this means that shouldn’t be paying significant fees just for kids doing telesales and CV Searches with no depth. Recruitment should be about getting people in who will drive the organisation forward through being highly motivated because they really fit well in to their new company. To achieve this they need to work with a professional partner (again, this means us!)
• A focus on value is a focus both costs and profitability. Costs are minimised through getting recruitment right first time. Maximising profitability is about getting the right fit, and having upbeat, motivated people rather than demotivated staff who bring everyone else down….
• And the final point; the economy in recession, but only fractionally. The circumstances surrounding the Banking Crisis are unique and they will unwind themselves eventually. In the meantime, we’ve avoided inflation rising further which could have become a real problem, Interest Rates are lower and will be lower still, and underlying demand for housing still outstrips supply, so we’ll be back to normal relatively quickly. We will all come through this stronger, and conditions, which are probably over-hyped in the real Economy, will improve.