Reflections on 25 years in Recruitment from our Chairman; Tom White.
To celebrate our 25th anniversary, we asked our Chairman, Tom White to take a trip down memory lane and share his reflections in recruitment from the last 25 years. We felt that he was uniquely positioned to describe how the market has changed throughout the years. Tom discusses not only his memories but also the future of recruitment. Here’s to another 25 years, of doing what we love!
Reflections In Recruitment
“As Net Temps celebrates its 25 years of trading, I thought it poignant to reflect on those years and convey my thoughts on what the future may have in store over the next 25 years.
The recruitment industry has undergone momentous change during this time, the most significant step change being the information technology revolution which blossomed in the mid-1990s.
Early Years
As peers of my generation will remember, recruitment in its formative years was a card index-driven process and I’m sure many will recall with fondness attaching multiple candidate registration cards to a client index card where candidates had been placed. Each sales office had a large marker board which would be updated each day highlighting every aspect of the temporary assignment including pay and charge rates!
During Thursday and Friday ‘call round ’ would begin in earnest, the current week’s board wiped clean, and the following week’s work meticulously marked up. Copy duplicated time sheets were frantically typed up. Friday was electrifying, the room was always filled with spontaneous humour and the office was inundated with temporary workers discussing their week at work, collecting their hard-earned wages and looking forward to a well-deserved weekend break. How times have changed!
Technology
The recruitment industry remains a cut-and-thrust marketplace. Technology has driven duplication and operating costs down and simplified and enhanced benefits to candidates and clients but what still remains is the human connection which compliments these changes and at its core, candidate and customer care a theme that has remained consistent from the early 1970s when I took my first tentative steps into the industry – suited and booted in flared trousers and Ben Sherman shirt.
As the market has evolved what has also been immensely welcoming to see is the significant and essential regulation and compliance of the industry which has improved the welfare of those who operate within it and raised the profile, standards, and professionalism of the industry.
Marketplace
The marketplace remains volatile and competitive, quality labour is scarce, and we should resist temptation and avoid ‘the race to the bottom‘ by consistently placing precedence on high-quality delivery and safety by continuing to work with employees, candidates and clients who share, recognise, and embrace these values.
We are optimistic as we look towards a bright horizon and the dawn of a new technology era. We should not fear the momentum and embrace the challenges and opportunities change will undoubtedly present. Adapt, improvise, and evolve!
The Personal Touch
The industry is unrecognisable from very humble beginnings but what still remains is the joy in seeing the personal development and success of a fledgling new member of staff or recruiter, the excitement of converting a new client or successfully placing a new worker. All of these continue as personal incentives to embark and remain in the industry, and provide an intrinsic sense of achievement which I’m sure still gives every recruiter immense satisfaction today.
At the heart of all successful enterprises are their people and I would like to emphasise this as we approach our milestone anniversary. The aspirations, goals, personal development, and well-being of our staff will always be paramount. Our achievements and continued success are testament to each one of our staff regardless of role or position, making what at times seemed impossible, possible and so much more!”
Conclusion
We want to extend a sincere thank you to Tom for sharing his thoughts on the occasion of Net Temps’ 25th anniversary. His journey through the recruitment industry is both inspiring and interesting and we agree that our emphasis on the human connection has been the backbone of our success. As we move forward, we’re excited about embracing new technologies and challenges, while staying true to our values.
If you have any stories or reflections on the recruitment industry as a whole we’d love to hear from you! If you’d like to read more from us, you can do so in our extensive article library here.
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