Hi I’m Vicki-Anne from Creative Recruiters

I just wanted to spend two minutes giving you a quick snapshot of what I’ve learned this week after speaking to business owners and hiring managers in the creative community.

There have of course been heartbreaking decisions to let people go permanently and to stand people down temporarily.  I’ve heard stories of how its been the toughest decision of their business careers but, I understand, the most critical. After all business owners have a responsibility to their employees, those they’ve been able to keep, to ensure the business exists on the other side of this.

A word of caution though.  Whatever you need to do to save your business, do it BUT do it with care.  Think of your brand and how it will be perceived on the other side.

From my conversations with candidates (your future employees),  a question I can hear they’re going to ask you at interview is around how you handled this crisis.

For example,  they’ll ask in what ways did you look after your employees? Did you give them access to their leave entitlements if you needed to reduce their hours or stood them down? Did you offer employees who actually contracted COVID-19 extra sick leave?  Were you able to set them up at home with equipment if they didn’t have any?

Of the more positive conversations I’ve spoken to many business owners who are focussed and determined to find new and exciting ways to move their businesses forward.

As a business owner or manager you’ll be thinking about innovative ways to keep your business growing and your employees will be, and should be,  thinking about innovative ways ways to keep their jobs.  The upside is that all of this new innovation is not only going to help your business now but well into the future. So if you’re having a moment, and let’s be honest we’re all having them, turn your focus inward and look at your business with a fresh pair of eyes. Audit every part of it and improve everything from your systems and procedures all the way to your client and customer care.

Next week I’ll do my best to share some of the more innovative ways employers are keeping their employees busy and connected to their companies.  Hopefully by then I will be able to share that we’ve experienced a rise in freelancer requests now that everyone is a little more settled into their new ways of working. Fingers crossed.

In the meantime, thanks so much for listening and stay well.

Vicki-Anne