The First Six Weeks

Redundancy. It's never a word anyone wants to hear. But in the depths of a recession, the flood of fear and shock that takes over your body is one I'll never forget. How do I pay the mortgage? How do I pay for my children's education? How will I feed my family? Shit, petrol.... how on Earth will I afford that?! The agonising over the unknown keeping me awake at night. Then having decent, good, hard-working people contacting me because they've been made redundant and are in the same panic mode I am. All I can respond is, "Sorry, I've been made redundant too!"

This is when I decided to take back the control. I was going out on my own and I was going to do recruitment my way. Over the last two weeks of my employment, the word 'integrity' kept popping up in both my professional and personal lives. It was weird because it wasn't a word that I used a lot, but it is a value of great importance to me. So, I Googled it. What exactly does integrity mean? 'The quality of being honest and having strong moral principles.' PERFECT. On the 13th of April 2024, Integrity Recruitment was born.

WOW!!!! What an absolute shitshow this current recruitment market is. Recruitment agencies pretending to be candidates so they can steal a role, telling lies to candidates so they can destroy another person's market reputation, literally scraping it out with clients and candidates to make a placement. JUST FERAL. I described it to an old colleague as cats scrapping in a dark alleyway in the ghetto.

In life, you can only control your behaviour. You can't control how someone else behaves. So, here's how Integrity and I will behave.

1. All communication will be honest and transparent.
2. Integrity will be at the forefront of everything.
3. Clients and Candidates are just as important as each other. I will act on the best interests of both parties.
4. I will be a recruitment partner to any client I work with. I want to know your business and your people.
5. I'm a Recruitment Consultant, not a Wizard. I'm not going to promise you the world and then not deliver. Expectations will be realistic.
6. Follow ups will happen! No dump and run, thanks for the fee.

The last six weeks have been an absolute roller coaster. I'm so thankful for having my Husband and best friend Aiden Osborne by my side. If only I could be paid in words of encouragement...... Speaking of that, thank you to my parents who are financially supporting us so we don't lose our home. I promise to pay you back with more than just love and a Grandchild!

To anyone reading this who has gone through a redundancy or facing a redundancy, please reach out. Even if it's only to share your panic and grief. I will listen, I will care and I will do everything I can to support you with your employment hunt. Just don't do it alone.

This market will change.

Every decision you make reflects your evaluation of who you are. - Marianne Williamson.