Are you like me becoming tired of the term credit crunch, asks Ian Whitmore of c2c Recruitment.
Every time you open your emails you are swamped with credit crunch offers. All the shops left in today’s High Street have offers aimed at beating the credit crunch. In reality businesses are using the term just to offer discounts, get you to spend and generate revenue.
It certainly means that the economy is in a recession caused many believe by behaviour of the financial sector and it is these same financial institutions who are unwilling to give credit to individuals and businesses who are now suffering as a result. Economic experts and commentators give daily predications as to the depth and length of the recession. The fact that the BBC Business Editor Robert Peston and the Liberal Democrat Economic Spokesman Vince Cable have even become household names shows how the economy has dominated the news in recent weeks, only pushed to one side by the weather, isn’t that typically British.
Recruitment may be the last thing on the mind of many businesses that are probably more concerned about reducing their labour costs than recruiting additional labour. However getting back into a job is becoming more and more important to many of the individuals making up the ever increasing unemployment statistics.
Whilst the security sector isn’t likely to be affected as badly as other sectors such as retail, financial and manufacturing as suppliers to those sectors the security industry will no doubt contract and be seen as cost saving by many clients.
In this environment we recruiters find clients often tighten their requirements and look for candidates that "tick every box". This approach may be right for the organisation and it may ensure that they recruit someone who can "hit the ground running" but come the upturn, when demand goes back to pre-recession levels will we again hear Companies and many industry leaders bemoaning a lack of talent.
A recent survey also found that candidates across a wide range of industries were willing to accept a reduction in their overall package to stay in or acquire a new role. Again this could be a short-term fix and when employment opportunities increase will not these individuals go elsewhere. Short term candidates don’t mind doing a less rewarding and demanding job to "pay the bills", what candidates don’t like is to undertake a demanding role knowing that the client has simply taken the opportunity to reduce the pay scale for the job.
Isn’t it an ideal time for the industry to consider candidates who have strong transferable skills who can add to the overall professionalism of the industry. Many of the sectors affected by the downturn do employ individuals with the essential skills of managing people, service and profit. Simplistic as it seems isn’t this what companies expect of the management within the security industry.
The problem with this approach is whether given the opportunity in a future up-turn they will immediately move back into the industry from whence they came. Yes this has happened before partly as a result of individuals seeking their "comfort zone" but also because the security industry hasn’t been willing to adapt it’s culture to accommodate the individual’s needs.
If it is affordable should companies consider the much wider labour pool that will be available and to nurture and develop this talent so long-term they are best able to benefit from a more rounded and experienced team.
The approach taken now could be short-term, reduce costs, take advantage of the increased labour pool or to take the opportunity to widen the organisation’s talent base and come out of the recession with a more skilled and able team.
Recruiters should certainly not forget the candidate. Many will, for no fault of their own find themselves looking for work in what will inevitably be a reduced market. For them it will be important that they are given the tools to find work, a professional CV, guidance on applying for positions, on interview techniques and not underselling themselves.
Candidates should probably also be advised however that a scattergun approach applying for every position advertised does nothing to endear them to the recruiting organisation. Candidates should certainly read the advert and note the requirements and apply for positions where their background meets that being asked for.
Candidates often say they are willing to take on excessive commutes to and from work and will often include the phrase "willing to relocate". Neither is going to be acceptable and given the current housing market relocation is more fantasy than practicality.
The next however many months are going to be challenging for everyone but as all economists say, we will come out of it and decisions that companies make now will impact on how strong they are to take advantage of the up-turn when it comes.
About the writer: Ian Whitmore started c2c Recruitment, a specialist recruiter in the fire and security sector in 1997 and prior had worked in the industry for a number of years as Chief Executive of Security Express and subsequently an Executive Director of Securitas.
