If you ever read my ramblings you will
normally hear moaning about the biggest problem in digital recruitment… Not
enough candidates for all the jobs we have available. PPC, SEO, Display, Biddable,
Performance, Mobile etc. So many jobs so few candidates…
So with a lack of talent why do some
agencies not utilise a group of talented people that can do a job for them and
solve their recruitment problems? I’m talking about the growing group of women (and
men!) who have brilliant digital experience but have children and are keen to
work on a part time basis and, crucially, from home. I know some of these parents
and they possesses amazing talent, but they no longer want the agency lifestyle
and need something that gives them the chance to earn money, stay in the game
keeping their careers moving forward whilst still being there for their kids.
If you leave Digital for 5 years you are dead in the water, it is an industry
that changes so quickly you need to keep a foot in, stay up to date with the
technology and even the gossip! So why are so many businesses excluding this
talented bunch of experts from the current job market, leaving them to go stale
and un-employable by the time they are ready to jump back in full time?
Agency land is the classic work hard, play
hard arena. People often doing 12 hour days and then going out partying until
the sun comes up and back at their desks shortly after. Nothing wrong with that
if it suits your personal life and keeps you on top of your workload, but I do think
‘some people’ still are more focused on the amount of hours spent at a desk rather
than the work you actually get done.
“I used to love the agency life when I was
in my twenties, single and fiercely ambitious. Working 12 or 15 hour days and
making the most of the social perks as well as spending every day in a fancy
city centre office were what I loved about the industry. Now that I’m in my
thirties and have three young children, it’s just not that simple. Part of me
still wants to work long hours and go out with my colleagues after work but on
a practical level it’s just impossible. But I have 15 years’ experience, am
great at what I do and am valued by my clients so it’s frustrating that to get
the work/life balance I need, my employer is prepared to sacrifice the skills
and qualities that I can still offer. In fact, I’m the one who can now cover
the office the night after a team night out whilst everyone else is staring
bleary eyed into their double espresso!” Megan, PPC Account Director (and mum
of 3).
This is not a rant at Agencies, I love the
industry, the characters and the perks that go with it. However when one of the
key problems facing the industry is sourcing good people to help support the
people they already have who are often stressed and struggling from working in
under resourced teams then looking at offering more flexible working schemes such
as working from home, part time hours or job sharing, should be explored.
Especially when it’s the more experienced candidates, who you really want to be
a part of your business, that this flexibility would most suit.
Many agencies I have spoken with say they
would be open to recruiting someone who wants to work from home or part time
but they are just not set up for that and need people in the office. Surely we
can easily sort out these issues? Many agencies have people working from home
already and with the technology we have at our disposal such as skype, VPN,
conference calling etc, why does it matter so much where someone is actually
based?
For me it is simple, recruitment has to be
about the best candidate. If the best candidate can only work 3 days and it
needs to be from home that person should be seriously considered. Often people
who work from home get more done. This is not a disenfranchised group I’m
talking about, I’m not appealing on their behalf, I simply think some employers
are missing a trick by not taking advantage of this growing group of talent in
an industry that is desperate for talent.
If you are looking for a new digital job,
or looking to hire people for digital roles give me a shout anytime simon@digital-minds.co.uk
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