special feature people and recruitment
Specialist recruiting post-recession
David Calleja-Gera, MD of 101 Recruitment, gives a personal view of starting up in the current economic climate
When I opened 101 Recruitment’s doors in early 2010, everyone was extremely supportive, but simultaneously thought I was mad. After all, the country was still suffering the effects of a deep recession, with some 2.5 million people out of work, and many companies still shedding staff. Yet here I was setting up a business specialising in finance and leasing recruitment, an industry hard-hit in recent years. I, however, maintained a more positive outlook, and saw my move as an opportunity not only for my colleagues and myself but also for candidates, and those looking to hire. With the country still in turmoil, attitudes towards recruitment at a low, but with the economists’ graphs pointing in the right direction, to me the time seemed right for a fresh but experienced face to appear, and help to demonstrate that things were turning round. That said, I knew it was never going to be easy. The last couple of years have seen some changes in the recruitment marketplace, which have made it harder for smaller specialist consultancies to exist. Many HR and hiring teams in organisations large and small have come under increasing pressure to save money as budgets are squeezed, and are finding new ways to recruit using internal resources, their own networks, and professional networking sites such as Linkedin. Resourcing Preferred Supplier Lists have been heavily culled, and it’s only those who are able to demonstrate commitment to high levels of service, values and solid return on investment that can survive, a good thing in my books as that’s exactly what we offer.
Some companies now choose to work predominantly with
large – one might call them High Street recruitment firms – yet I hear time and again from both candidates and clients that the personal touch is lost, resulting in a poor recruitment experience. I believe firmly that a consultant should take the time to understand the requirements of both parties otherwise countless hours of everyone’s time can be taken up needlessly, with nobody obtaining the result they seek. Here the nature of a specialist recruitment consultant’s knowledge comes into it’s own, with a thorough understanding of our marketplace, and the ability to properly represent both parties. Now more than ever, specialist industry recruitment expertise is, and should be, seen as a vital part of the recruitment process that overcomes a myriad of difficulties. For example, the attracting and selecting process has always been a challenging one, and now there are more job seekers than ever applying for vacancies advertised, many of whom take something of a scattergun approach in the hope of finding something suitable.
This can have the unfortunate effect that it’s very easy for good candidates to get lost amongst the noise, and that’s bad
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news both for them and for the person or team responsible for finding someone to hire, not to mention the added labour involved for the latter.
For both parties, working with a
consultant, who is well connected and able to quickly match the right person to the right vacancy, means the whole process is smoother and more effective.
So the past couple of years have changed the recruitment landscape, but let’s not forget the impact said events have had on the people employed in the leasing industry.
Increasingly
we’ve been working with a very diverse range of candidates; many are individuals with years if not decades of leasing industry experience who have suddenly found themselves displaced, and who may not have had an interview for years. In these times there is always a greater number of people vying for a smaller number of opportunities, and for some the chance to pick up where they left-off can seem unlikely. Average salary levels on offer have decreased and many job seekers find themselves having to “be realistic.” Again, consulting with a specialist recruiter can open up options.
> A GREATER NUMBER OF PEOPLE, A SMALLER NUMBER OF OPPORTUNITIES
But it’s not all doom-and-gloom. Many people we work
with who’ve found themselves in a redundancy situation have told us that it’s the best thing that ever happened to them. For some it’s been the kick up the proverbial they needed to move on from their last role, whilst for others it’s been an unexpected chance to look at different organisations, and in some cases a complete change of direction. The same can be said for those on the hiring side of the fence. For instance, a client of mine at a well known brokerage remarked that this is a “window of opportunity” to attract experienced asset financiers who have found themselves displaced by larger organisations, and who are looking for a way to service their accumulated relationships. I don’t have a crystal ball, and there’s still a lot of uncertainty among the asset finance fraternity about what the future will hold, but I for one am positive about what’s to come.
For
those who are able to change with the times, and adapt, the future looks bright.
DAVID CALLEJA-GERA, MD, 101 RECRUITMENT,
WWW.101RECRUITMENT.CO.UK
www.leasingworld.co.uk ■ March 2011
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