How Is Life Different For A Recruiter One Year On?

How Is Life Different For A Recruiter One Year On?

On 23rd March 2020, Boris Johnson told the country that we ‘must’ stay at home and that certain businesses must close. Some of the team share how they have changed in the past year and what they have noticed on a personal level.

Sally Bennett, senior consultant shares how she has changed where life is now not about looking back. “The adapt, adopt, survive mentality is something that has made an impact on me. Everything has been out of our control and whilst it has been exhausting, the fight that is in all of us hopefully means that we can’t look back. We have all learned something as individuals (and business people). The last thing we should do is get complacent and return to old habits. This is how we all now move forward.” 

The pandemic has changed how we interact, work and learn. Social distancing has meant a virtual life, both personally and professionally.

Vicki Reeks, industrial manager, hopes that the way we have all worked fits this new world. “Similar to many other people within recruitment, I get a lot of energy from being around people. The first lockdown was tough, but as we start to find our flow again, the new processes we have adopted and become familiar with can work. For instance, we have become more understanding of each other. There are clients where I used to be in contact three or four times a week, but with their daily lives taken up with video calls, you appreciate the work patterns of those you work with.”

This sense of appreciation and understanding is echoed by Rob Bruce. “For the first time in our lives, we have all been a part of the same situation. This is reflected in how we behave. There are now more in-depth conversations with clients. This has affected us all and I can see we have all adapted and changed. We have seen how IT and embracing video has changed quickly, but I think we have all changed as people too. Stress and anxiety have been prominent, but so too has empathy and solidarity.”

Michelle Mitchell, operations manager echoes how everyone has a lot more in common with each other than we may think. “It doesn’t matter where you are in the world, we have all lived through a pandemic together. It has made me realise we are all connected. Whether a candidate or a client, we have faced homeschooling and work as a combined effort. We all have a story to tell and understand the situation of others!”

Hannah Sills, head of permanent and specialist recruitment, brings to close, “What we have taken on board, we now step forward and march on together, not just as businesses but as communities. We have all found ways to stay connected, set realistic goals, learn and reach out. We all have the ability and strength to take what we have learned and move forward and have a sense of purpose in what we do as people.”

It is safe to say that practices have changed and outlooks have adapted over the past year. As doors start to open again, whilst life hasn’t necessarily got easier, there is strength and resilience for everyone to take forwards.