The lost art of pivoting
2020 seems so long ago
2024 was a tough year for most recruitment agencies. I even saw one recruiter suggest the last 12 months have been harder than 2020, although I’m not sure many of us would hop in a time machine if we were given the option.
But 2020 does spring to mind as another challenging period for recruiters. As far as we can compare them, I see one big difference between the two years: the pivot.
Four years ago, we responded to the business challenges of the pandemic by pivoting. We reviewed our strengths, our markets, what opportunities there were at the time, and decided on a best course of action.
With hindsight, we can see that some pivots went well. Others taught us some lessons, which we absorbed into our core business as things returned to normal. And some just didn’t work - but at least we tried.
This year in recruitment has been challenging on a number of fronts, but I’ve seen much less public discussion about recruitment leaders trying new things. Ramping up your BD efforts is one thing, but when your clients’ challenges have changed sometimes you need to change with them.
I highlight the lack of this conversation in public discussions because I’ve worked with several recruitment leaders this year who have been quietly pivoting the way they create value for their clients.
In one example, the founders identified that their core strength lay in temp recruitment and restructured their offer to focus on helping their clients with agile, fast-paced ways to get the right people in to solve their business problems.
Another founder stepped away from one-off roles to help his clients answer the question of how they can scale to a successful exit. This consultancy-first approach covered so much more than just adding headcount, and the fees clients are willing to pay reflects that additional value.
I share these examples because making a significant change to your business is a big step to take, and it can be daunting to feel like you’re doing it alone. In 2020 we were all in the same boat, and there was a shared feeling that we were trying something new together. While I’ve seen recruitment leaders wanting to change in 2024 - and some making big changes - the experience has seemed more isolated.
If you are changing the way you work with your clients and you’d like support in making that change happen, simply reply to this email with the subject ‘Change’ and I’ll explain how I can help.
Jon
P.S. Even if you have had a good year, it’s clear that our clients’ needs are changing rapidly. I believe recruiters are uniquely placed to help businesses tackle these challenges - whether it’s automation, outsourcing, offshoring, or many more - but we need to be able to show our clients that we are valuable to them.
If you are changing the way you work with your clients and you’d like support in making that change happen, simply reply to this email with the subject ‘Change’ and I’ll explain how I can help.