Do pandemics and recruitment go together?

For BENK PROJECTS I am working as a recruitment consultant oil & gas.
Within this small and highly competitive market, personal contact with (potential) employees and customers is invaluable.
Before the pandemic, much of my work week consisted of face-to-face meetings in the office, on-site at a client's location or in the hospitality industry. I am busy recruiting new candidates and maintaining existing contacts. The variety between working in the office and on location make my job fun and challenging! From BENK PROJECTS I get all the freedom to perform my work independently, which allows me to build and maintain a strong network; after all, this is the basis of our success.

Recruitment in corona time

And then there came the lockdown, never imagined, much feared, happened anyway. Clients shed part of their flexible workforce. People ended up sitting at home, there were no more vacancies or there was a general hiring freeze. Many people became available and there was a strong level of stress and uncertainty.
Especially in such a situation, you would like to connect with people, hear their stories and be there for them as best you can. But how do you do this when you can't see them in real life?
Fortunately, we live in the 21st century and (almost) everyone can use an online platform. These days, we FaceTimen, Zoom and Team some so we can continue to meet professionals virtually. Of course, getting to know someone through a screen takes some getting used to. Shaking hands is no longer an option and an informal conversation is different. During an intake it is always important to know not only what qualities someone has, but also their attitude and personality. This contributes to making the right match, but practice makes perfect and we have had some great successes.
It takes a bit of switching, but despite it all, we know how to find new professionals, maintain existing contacts and speak to our clients about new projects. Just a phone call, heads up, app, virtual meeting or card is a small effort, but worth a lot.
So yes, the contact is different, but still as personal as one has come to expect from BENK PROJECTS.

Looking to the future

I look to the future with a positive mindset. In the upcoming period I expect to contribute again to new construction projects and turn arounds within the oil & gas together with my colleagues.
I expect to reschedule face-to-face introductions with a good cup of coffee or over a good lunch after the summer and to eat the annual cake with employees and clients on location.

If you are interested in what BENK PROJECTS can do for your career or organization, my colleagues and I are always ready for a virtual or personal introduction!