Have you all now settled down a bit?
I must admit, I was guilty of a bit of panicking myself. Especially when I realised what this awful pandemic was going to mean to my business in the short-term. However, like most other business owners out there, I focused on the practicalities first. Are the staff OK? Can they work comfortably from home? Is the technology working? Do they still feel part of a team?
So now the team were sorted, the next stage was furloughing those whose jobs have temporarily disappeared. Alongside looking at all the government initiatives on offer. And of course, I’m sure you have all done the personal bit. Sorting out your own personal finances and well-being. Am I set up to work from home? Can I get a mortgage holiday? And what sort of exercise can I do to keep me fit and healthy?
So now things are more settled, it’s time to take stock and think more calmly. Time to think about what will happen when this awful thing comes to an end. How can your business accelerate out of this crisis ahead of the competition? Time to think about your strategy! Your customers, your products, and services. This is actually a great time to breathe and take stock. What could we do better? How can we be more efficient? And also what skills do I need to add to my team?
If you are now in this strategic planning phase, it would be a great time to talk to us about the skills you think you are missing from your business. It’s also a good time to reflect on the relationship you have with your recruiter. Are you guilty of just throwing a Job Description at us and feel disappointed if we are wide of the mark? It’s like anything in life, the more you invest in something the greater the return. The more you engage with us, your recruiter, the more we will understand your business, your culture and your points of pain. This makes us more likely to find you a solution.
So now is a great time to build that relationship. Arrange time for a chat and let us know what you think you might need as we come out of this crisis. We have the time right now to listen, the time right now to reach out to our network and engage with candidates with the skillset you might need. The person you are looking for, is probably furloughed right now and reflecting on life and the universe. It’s probably exactly the right time for us to engage with them on your behalf. And it’s a great time to chat to someone using the plethora of online technology out there, and have an informal chat.
Of course, this is probably an impossible time to bring people into your business. Everyone is working from home, so that just won’t work. However, you’ve had that initial chat, you’ve explored some options, both parties liked what the other had to say. In 4 weeks, 6 weeks, 8 weeks maybe, when we start to get back to normal – you will already be halfway to making what could be your most important hire of the year. And best of all – IT COSTS YOU NOTHING!!!!
So why not arrange to have a chat with me or one of my team about your future plans – its free and you’ve probably got more time on your hands than usual to think strategically.
Stay home – protect the NHS – save lives!
