Yearly Round Up 2021
When I did my Yearly Round Up 2020 I started off by talking about just how much the Covid Pandemic had affected us personally, from a business perspective as well as the effect on those around us. I hardly expected that in my Yearly Round Up 2021 we would still be suffering quite so much at the hands of this pandemic. In many ways this year has been even more difficult than the last with us still not being able to see friends and family around the world, not having been home in nearly 2 years. We haven’t had one single visitor this year, to our house in the South of France which has made it, understandably, a very lonely year, quite defeating the purpose of moving closer. With the advent of the Passe Sanitaire and covid vaccination statuses, it has certainly changed the face of overseas travel and left many of us questioning whether or not the life we have chosen is the right one.
I set out in January, to focus very much on C&E HR Consultancy knowing that the Gite Business would be precarious in this current climate and I was right to do so. Although the beginning of this year was equally as difficult as last with numerous furloughs, redundancies, economic downturns and personal difficulties we did start to see a dramatic shift in the Labour Market in the second half of this year. This was the start of what they began to term #thegreatresignation which has portrayed an extraordinary change in employment mentality globally. It has, also of course, very much shaped the business of C&E HR Consultancy!
The world has started to understand the very real benefits of a more flexible working environment – multiple lockdowns have proven the endless possibilities of remote working and working from home. In addition, those used to working in customer facing environments have taken some time to upskill and realise long held career ambitions. This has meant that the workforce has thrown caution to the wind, resigned from long held positions and started to take their futures in their own hands using a very much more focused approach. Businesses, therefore, have had to respond in kind, having a larger pool of talent to chose from but with a greater set of requirements from their working environments. The past 6 months, from my perspective, have been an incredibly exciting time. Competition has never been greater however, and my clients have started to really understand the benefits of preparing for application and interview.
Traditionally, this will start to slow down a bit until April next year when budgets are renewed and the new financial year commences – however there are still a plethora of amazing positions out there with some extraordinary talent ready to take up those positions with gusto. I have never seen so many Remote Positions advertised. Some salaries are, in fact, lower than they once were, however people are understanding the value of benefits, perks and convenient flexible working situations, with some people stepping down or sideways in order to gain the skills they will need for their futures. This is the dawn of a new, more strategic age in the building of career paths.
This year I have partnered with two amazing Yoga Teachers to create packages which combine my Strategic Planning sessions with a fully holistic approach to Work Life Balance. My work has very much focused, this year, on the notion of Work Life Balance and ensuring that people enter back into the world of work with a healthy balance moving forwards. I think this ties in perfectly with what people are looking for nowadays.
In addition to this I have explored extremely interesting partnerships with other Holistic Suppliers such as a Sophrologist, a Reiki Master, an Artist and Designer and many more. Forming a network for the future and understanding how I can better serve my clients.
I even recorded an Expat Podcast on the International Job Market which was extremely successful and super useful for those looking to relocate for work. I actually really enjoyed doing this and it opened up a market for me in the USA and Canada which I had never even contemplated before. If you are interested in listening you can find it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_WhSS1La3w
https://www.expatfocus.com/podcast/how-the-international-jobs-market-is-changing/
Since I enjoyed it so much I started to record my own Instagram Live shows interviewing Expats about their Career Journeys which you can find on my Instagram Page. Although I have so far only recorded a few of these, I found them extremely interesting and informative for my audience.
As a result of the above I have found that my expertise lies more in helping people with an International Job outlook. With the events of the Labour Market this year it has really helped me to focus on which Service Lines really work for C&E HR Consultancy and for those regular readers of this blog you will know that I recently undertook a review to understand the way forward for the business.
In terms of my Service Line, you will find that some changes have started to happen as a result of market demand:
· I am focusing less on CV Writing and more on guiding others to tweak their CVs, Cover Letters and LinkedIn Profiles. Therefore, spending more time on Recruitment/ Job Search Strategy than the act of simply writing CVs. I have found that most of the professionals with whom I work have good bases for their CVs and so do not feel that it is necessary for them to pay out for a CV Writing service. It means I can really focus on helping them to get the jobs that they are applying for with a more integrated approach.
· I have been conducting lots of Mock Interviews in the past couple of months and all candidates have been awarded positions. This is going to become increasingly important as a service moving forwards.
· A whole new Coaching & Mentoring package will be launching in the coming weeks which will focus purely on Success in a New Position & Aiming for Promotion – this programme will focus on setting your initial objectives, managing upwards, working on your KPIs and your own professional development. We are calling this programme the Set for Success package and includes such things as Entering into the world of Thought Leadership, Administrative Tasks for Succession Planning and Stepping into the Shoes of Senior Management.
Here are some of my key figures from 2021:
Achievements Numbers
Industry Blogs Written = 42
Clients = 32
CV Healthchecks Done & CVs Written = 30
Instagram Followers = 1946
Instagram Posts = 300
Website Views = 3083
New Service Lines Added = 8
Nationalities of Clients = 10+
Mock Interviews Conducted = 8
Clients Placed in New Positions since July 21 = 10
So as we move swiftly into 2022 I expect great things from the Labour Market globally in the knowledge, however, that this pandemic is not going away. International Travel is no longer what is once was and therefore remote working is the key to international travel from the comfort of your own living rooms. I will continue to grow C&E HR Consultancy as much as I possibly can whilst juggling my life, including several exciting personal plans of my own! More to come on that in the near future.
However, for now, from the team here in France, wishing you all a very Merry Christmas 2021 and all the very best for a prosperous New Year 2022.