Empty chairs
Recognising and nurturing talent has been a key focus of all my working life, but especially in the past year. The Harvey Nash Group is a people business. We do not own properties, or machinery or manufacture things. Everything we do is through our people and the quality of what we offer, and the experience we give to clients, candidates and contractors.
I believe that to grow a business you need a good mix of both long standing colleagues as well as new talent. Long standing colleagues know the history of where the business has come from, where it is going and all the stories of how it has done that. That is the experience that will help us know what works and what we have tried but been less successful with in the past. This experience helps us to understand where best to invest and equally importantly where not to.
At the same time I believe that a business also needs new talented colleagues to join and come with their experiences gained elsewhere - this brings new ideas.
The fusion between experience and the new creates the perfect conditions for innovation.
We have some empty chairs at the moment which colleagues are focused on filling. Finding the perfect mix of knowledge and skills and experience in the role sounds easier than it is. But then, we are recruiters and we are fantastically good at doing this. It’s exciting to think of new colleagues who are yet to join us and fill these empty chairs with energy, enthusiasm and ability.
We are also bringing on board colleagues at the very beginning of their careers and that too is really exciting for us. To help people acquire the skills that make them excel in their roles is a wonderful thing to be part of. I think back to the start of my working life and remember fondly the people who helped me in those early days to learn my work craft and set me on the path I am on now. You will never be forgotten if you have been part of helping somebody on that journey. It’s part of your legacy.
I also think of the empty chairs that we left behind us when we moved to join the Harvey Nash Group. Those chairs are a reminder of what we did in those businesses, how our work and the way we showed up helped them become what they are today. Another example of building a legacy. Those chairs will have other people sitting in them most likely but they will be aware of the big shoes they have to fill.
I feel very lucky to be surrounded by so many talented and inspiring people. It’s what encourages me every day to aim to be a little better than the day before. I am excited by our future and the strategy that we are all working towards. We will keep on achieving the great things we are doing because of all of you.
As we go towards the weekend I wish you rest and relaxation. Keep safe and well.