posted 29th November 2022
As we approach the end of every year it is always interesting, but also essential, to review the year that has just gone to try to learn the lessons it can teach you. 2022 is no different. Obviously three prime ministers, two monarchs, and a land war in Europe provide an interesting back drop. The return of double digit inflation, high interest rates, and the cost of energy at a level never seen before are also interesting factors. Companies closing down because they can't pay their electricity or gas bills is a new reality. The world thankfully without Trump, but the spectre of his possible return on the horizon. So it should feel like strange times but after the last 2/3 years it feels strangely normal.
From the perspective of an owner of a IT recruitment company working in the Managed Service space, it has definitely been a busy year. The sector is without doubt very, very busy. Companies are growing both organically and though acquisition and the marketplace as a whole continues to expand. This offers many opportunities and some problems in equal measures.
With regards to TSR in particular - how have we coped? It has been a year of real progress, but in the background more than in revenue generated. That will come in 2023. It has been a year where we have started to create a new identity that works in the world in which we now operate. This is our first full year of remote working, with the exception of a training hub in the Regus offices-Twickenham. This was really taken on the basis that we felt we still needed some central point for the company. However, this has proved to be, in some ways, a distraction from us fully embracing remote working as we should. With this in mind, we have made the decision to close these offices at the end of November. The temptation to wait until you are next in the office to address or correct things have made us not as decisive as we should be. As a company we have always tried to run with a 'do it now ethos' and we are determined to be that again 100%, all of the time. Next year will see a more proactive style of management, communication will be instantaneous through using the online methods available.
The continued work from our Marketing Manager, Lori, to re-establish our presence as a website and as a brand has really started to pay dividends with a continual flow of candidates applying through the website and in the latter half of the year even clients contacting us. This is a real success for us. Clients needing staff with no existing source of supply. I can only see results improving in this area through next year.
Also halfway through the year we employed an Operations Executive, Tatiana. The aim of creating this new role was to increase the integration of our CRM, JobAdder, introduce a weekly and monthly reporting system, and start quarterly email send outs to clients and candidates. What a success this has proved to be. This work, alongside the work in marketing, has started to re-establish the company as an entity in itself, not just as a number of consultants placing people.
Regarding placements and revenues, we arranged more deals this year than for the last 3 years, but also lost more to counter offers than in any year I can remember. Companies definitely need our services. Many companies could grow if only they could find the right staff. We help solve this problem. The major internal decision that we have made in how we run the business, is to be a candidate-driven business moving forward. Resourcing will be central to everything we do. TSR recruitment consultants will be known as the best in the industry at finding talent and this will be through a wide variety of ways that will be taught skills. To be a TSR recruitment consultant, you will need to master them all: LinkedIn, referrals, working our extensive database, job boards, and advertising.
All new IT sales and technical recruitment consultants will undergo a 3 to 6 month training programme to try to develop these skills. They will not carry a target and will not be involved in 360 recruitment until they have shown that they can successfully resource existing Account Director roles.
The new year will be exciting. IT sales and technical recruitment is an exciting business. I am excited for the prospect of growing the company. The market is strong. We have an identity and we are focused on success!
Best wishes,
Gary Sargeant, Managing Director
If you would like to know more about our services, please get in touch by emailing us at contact@tsrltd.co.uk or calling us on 020 3837 9180.
We look forward to hearing from you soon!