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Being in the recruitment industry I am often asked for a view as to whether or not small businesses are taking on additional staff or replacing those that they have lost. I believe the recruitment industry is one of the best barometers of how the economy is fairing, in simple terms if no-one is recruiting that would tend to indicate that the economy is either flat or stagnant and if businesses point for recruitment agencies then there is an indication that business confidence and demand is improving.

The latest formal indications from the UK economy issued by the British Chambers of commerce during last week cut the camera growth forecasts for the UK economy from 1.4% to 1.3% and it is predicting that this will carry on to the early part of 2012. In the same week the UK government indicated that some 45,000 jobs had been lost in
the public sector but in the corresponding period to the end of March 2011 some 82,000 jobs had been created in the private sector. This does tend to bear out the current thinking that it will be SME businesses that will bringing the UK economy out of recession over the next 18 months.

There is no doubt that the recruitment of staff, certainly in the current climate is probably the most significant decision a business owner has to make. Choosing personnel with the right skills and the right fit in their team is absolutely critical as all businesses continue to contain their overheads and produce added value to their
customers. Whilst there are many proven techniques is my belief that there is no replacement for meeting and greeting both the engaging client and all prospective candidates, this is essential so we can understand the culture and attitudes of the business and then look for the best people fit for their business.

In some ways the required skills are a bit of a given and in the current climate easy it is critical to focus on person fit so they can make a contribution to their new employer from the very start.  Personal service? Maybe it's just plain common sense that getting the right people at the right skills at the right time is in our book the single most important factor in the current climate.

Ruth Goodmaker-Brown is the owner and managing director of The Perfect Team,  a specialist SME recruitment business based in Watford,Herts.The Perfect Team has over 11 years experience in finding the right people for small owner managed businesses.

Posted on: Monday, 13th June 2011
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