As many sit idly on furlough amid another lockdown and hopes of popping up the pub after work for a pint, a distant dream, we ask, what does another lockdown mean for the recruitment sector? An industry built on face-to-face networking. And what does it mean for those working within it?
Tales of Team A and Team B being dragged back into a deserted office on a part time basis, forced to crush onto commuter trains and sit miserably in half empty, cavernous rooms whose walls once rang with the sound of chatter and gossip of their colleagues - showed what some employers were made of.
Working from home has this time left many workers feeling delighted or frustrated, excited or bored in equal measure - everyone’s experience has been different. As we await the scramble for new roles and a new meaning to people’s working lives, many may be on the hunt for a move to another employer with a more agreeable way of working. Recruiters may feel aggrieved by the way in which they have been treated and look to start their own enterprises, soon realising that 80% of the income they generate could be theirs rather than in the pocket of an employer who calls the shots.
Recruiters know how it feels to be at the sharp end of poor management. Take this time in lockdown (whether it is over quickly or hangs around) to assess your own career trajectory, and adapt to the new challenges. Those that were camera shy have become Zoom experts and flashy city based offices are no longer the mark of a successful business. Recruitment will rise to the Covid challenge as it did before, providing a path for those looking to add meaning to their lives, and for recruiters themselves, it’s time to be their own boss.