Understandably, recent Elite networking events have centred on the current challenging market we find ourselves operating in. Those who’ve been through this before are almost exclusively stronger for it and the reasons why become obvious when you think about it. On the face of it every bit of economic news coming at us is negative. However, we remain extremely upbeat for the following reasons:

• If Unemployment is rising (which it is) then more Candidates are available and Clients can choose more from a range of possible talent rather than having to settle for anything they can get. In this environment, the more skilful, intelligent recruiter has more scope to select and influence and less room is left for the scatter gun approach which relies on luck – finding the only Candidate through sheer weight of numbers.
• Competitors are retracting and talking themselves down. Other recruiters are already “hunkering down” and reverting to type i.e. even more calls and even less depth. The more they panic and struggle, the harder they will find it to win business. You cannot build relationships when you sound depressed, desperate or both.
• Our Value Proposition. We are clear what we do and how we do it. We take a long term approach, focussing on recruiting people who will genuinely drive our Clients forward. Our retention rates are really something to be proud of, and we can talk to our Clients with confidence about reducing their costs and increasing their profitability. The more Clients focus on getting value from their Suppliers and Partners the better we will fair.
• Cash Management. A lack of Cash and not Profits is what governs whether companies fold or not. Michelle and I are extremely close to this and we are on top of our game. We have a strong relationship with the Bank and we are extremely capable of managing growth and cashflow. I am not sure this is always true of Recruitment Companies.