MESSAGE FROM PAULA – 2020 into 2021!
My colleague Kev, mentioned it was the year of the rat in his take of 2020. Conceivably, this could also be the year of the Bat! Definitely the year where Covid 19 changed all our lives …..
The reality of locking down from an unseen enemy which has permeated the bedrooms and boardrooms across the globe. Devastation for many small and larger businesses with mass redundancies, closures, stop start, stop start, stop start … and just uncertainty for all. Particular industries hit hard of course and still are, have been hospitality, high street retail and aerospace, travel, some parts of Manufacturing too dependant on the supply chain! Everyone needed and continues to adapt – including ourselves…..
As we enter 2021 full of a little more hope with multiple vaccines and a deal with Europe, we can hopefully all keep positive and get through this tough winter ahead, with a huge light at the end of the tunnel! Even with the news of a third lockdown looming, there is hope and we all have the benefit of being there before and with a lot more experience of how to handle it all ….
Cooper Golding like most businesses, certainly had a very different year with lots of ups and downs (a wild ride), when this all happened back in March last year, recruitment got hit and it got hit hard! Many companies, started to let go staff, I am proud we didn’t make any redundancies due to Covid.
I remember trying to set up at home, trying to understand furlough, running the business with just two in it and different people doing payroll, were all things that the team just took on and well… got through. I as probably most business owners genuinely wondered what an earth was going to happen and whether we could ride the storm of what was about to come :-
I am proud to say that due to an amazing team here at Cooper Golding, our clients, candidates and suppliers, we not only survived the main storm – (we know there a few more storms to get through), but now we are looking forward to building on what we have already, to what should hopefully bring a successful 2021! Below are some of the things that got us through 2020 :-
THE AWESOME COOPER GOLDING TEAM
What can I say…..from sitting everyone down going through a worse case scenario for the business, EVERYONE of the team were just absolutely brilliant.Not one murmur of discontent, just a heads down, sleeves rolled up, what ever it takes to get through this mentality.I am proud that we didn’t make any redundancies due to Covid and I can’t express enough how grateful and how just how hard the team all worked to help us through the year.Adapting to working from home, the whatts app group celebrating any ounce of good news, the flexibility of all the swapping and changing as the situation evolved. There has been no time for strict rules, what with home schooling, partners, and pets! It was just a case of get the job done, it doesn’t matter if that is at 0600 on a Monday or 8.00pm on a Sunday night watching the TV. We became truly flexible in terms when people did their jobs!
This is something that we will definitely keep – life comes first! Mental well being is key for us all …. We kept it all positive, everyone pulled together and is very much about the Team.Team CG!
OUR VERY SPECIAL CANDIDATES AND WORKERS
As communities came together and our permanent pipeline halted with a big jolt! We have been exceptionally thankful to the workers who still went to work, when no one really knew how things were going to pan out, assisting our clients who were supplying the NHS, it really felt like everyone was pulling together.We had people who had been in almost suspension as permanent jobs freezed and redundancies ensued, who would and did put their hands to roles in order to be working.EVERY candidate, got on with it and for one of our clients, they worked so well that they took all 15 or so of them on to permanent contracts, which was great for the individuals involved.
FANTASTIC CLIENTS
Many of our clients needed to halt on recruitment both temporary and permanent but we always kept in touch and they have been fantastic at letting us know, what is happening to their businesses, whilst we gave information about us of course, helping each other out as best we could.As things started to open up more, clients who we have worked with started needing people and as a huge thank you, for those that needed to, we offered longer payment terms, payment over several months, try before you buy options. We wanted to just try and help out where we could, as we were grateful for the business and being able to help people get back into work if they had unfortunately been made redundant.THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO HAVE WORKED WITH US!
WE AUTOMATED MORE – CRM, REGISTRATION, MARKETING -
We already had the basics to be able to work from home, for the most part as most of our tools are on the cloud.With the support of our IT provider, we quickly got phones and apps so we didn’t have too much disruption. WHatts APP kept the team in fun and positive mode and many zoom and Teams meeting with clients, setting up interviews remotely.We bought some technology which meant we could completely register candidates compliantly and remotely for temporary work and of course the infamous Friday pub Quiz was and still will be a way to relax and get ready for the weekend.In 2021 we will be looking at more technology with a new CRM. Tech is great of course, but never losing sight of building close working relationships for all involved.
SUPER - SUPPLIER RELATIONSHIPS
To work a business in its totality we understand the importance of supplier relationships, working with our partners in a mutually beneficial way. Our suppliers have shown great support of which we have been eternally grateful for from our Management Accountant, to Job boards, to the afore mentioned IT supplier, to some advertising mediums, it helped to keep us going more effectively and in turn meant we could help our clients and candidates… Push forward and all of that!
MOVING FORWARD INTO 2021!
- We are all super excited in respect of continuing with the efforts and inroads we have made and we are keen to progress in all areas of the business. We have re-signed a major contract for 18 months and worked with other existing clients to fulfil many different roles, from temporary, permanent and contract, predominantly within the manufacturing sector from senior level roles, Engineers to Business Support and Technical vacancies. We are able to develop a wider scope in terms of geography and continue to see success as we work very closely with our clients.
We are delighted to expand our offering into Supply Chain and Logistics over a vertical market and recruited ourselves an additional Consultant and very much looking forward in being able to assist in this area too!
We have also partnered with a local Marketing agency and working with them to enhance our marketing with SEO and other projects to expand the brand, always putting people first. We will continue to work with our valued partners and suppliers and strive for exceptional customer service as we are passionate about linking great candidates with employers of choice!
We don’t always get it right of course and certainly don’t know all the answers, but we are all very much looking forward to see what 2021 delivers, with our existing friends and colleagues in business in addition to working with new clients and candidates. We will continue to learn and adapt, change and strive for improvement, as necessary and as the fluidity of the situation develops of course!
On a final note, thank you for taking the time to read this and from myself and the all of the Cooper Golding team. We do hope you all have a prosperous, happy and most of all healthy 2021!
Paula Golby
