Controlling the Controllable

I’d love to be writing about something fresh and new going on within the Transformation space, but here goes…

If you read my previous Transformation Tuesday post back in May, you’ll recall the analogy I drew between Transformation teams and the act of ‘Body Transformation’ and how many organisations were consciously becoming leaner. Well, I’m afraid that this trend has only continued, particularly within the Project Services and Transformation space, leaving lots of top-class talent on the market, pursuing new work opportunities.

For us as agencies, it has meant that we are having more conversations with candidates than ever before, with so much invested in us to provide answers, clarity and a reassurance that things will be OK. And really, that is all we can do; be positive and keep having as many conversations on your behalf as possible. It’s also just as critical that you are continuing to nurture your own relationships, much in the same fashion that we are with our clients.

After all, we are not fortune tellers and I can certainly not profess to being qualified to act as an Economist, forecasting and predicting how the market will shape up in this new Financial Year. My only saving grace, and my blind optimism, is that I always have the feeling that when things turn for the worse, they seem to bounce back in a more emphatic fashion. If the events in the market of 2020-2022 didn’t teach us that then I don’t know what did!

So, what am I saying we should do? Well, I’m definitely not saying that we should just be positive and hope for the best. As I say, let’s control the controllable and make sure that we’re continuing to build our networks and our personal brands.

It may also sound easy, and potentially a little na?ve, for me to say but try not to lower your standards in this market. Try not to be offended if you are a Senior candidate within the Transformation space and you’re not getting much traction, because maybe you’re just too qualified for a role you have applied for. As frustrating as that might be to hear, we’re hearing it more and more frequently at the moment, largely because many organisations are looking for more mouldable, up-and-coming talent. Many are also nurturing existing internal talent and mobilizing individuals from elsewhere within the business.

It also makes sense from a team dynamic perspective to have a mixture of experience levels and not lots of senior individuals. It would be like a football team having a plethora of strikers but lacking in defenders and midfielders! Plus, why would a business leave themselves exposed by hiring someone that could potentially be a flight risk as soon as something better comes along?

Now you might also be reading this thinking “I get what you are saying, but what’s the solution as I really need a job because I have bills to pay?” And yes, for many this is a really significant issue, but my message, as simple as it sounds, is that there is work out there if you dig hard enough. Speak to enough people, hold enough recruiters to account (without hounding) and keep being positive because things will come back around!

Remember, it’s not personal, it’s not you, it’s the market and it won’t be like this forever.

And let’s also remember to take care of ourselves, both mentally and physically, because whilst we all need wealth, health is also wealth and should always come first. Try not to lose all those habits you get into when you’re working and when life is ‘normal’ (whatever that is!) And if you’ve not already embedded those habits then when will you have a better time to do so? (There’s the ‘Body Transformation’ link again too)

Please reach out to any of us within the Talenza Projects team if you need anything!