A bit of extra-curricula is a must for all Recruitment Consultants.

This weeks EXPO was a great success and unlike previous years HR and Recruitment events, attendance or footfall as they call it was impressive. I enjoyed the opportunity to meet more people in 5 hours of coffee and post event beers than I would ordinarily meet in 3 months. Almost everyone will have come away as I did with upbeat feelings about the industry and the people in it.

So what made it a success and what imbued us with these positive feelings?

Simply put: people got involved. Where there’s participation there’s: atmosphere, a sense of purpose, sharing, passion and a feeling of identity.

Those that seek to unify and lead the industry were there: the IOR, TEAM, APSCo, ARC. Sean O’Donoghue of the IRG was spotted. There were some notable absentees including the REC and The Recruitment Society.

However it’s fair to say that even with the impressive effort the organisers put in to making the event a success, the numbers that attended would still have represented only a tiny proportion of all recruiters in London and the South-East. Why?

In all walks of life people are uplifted by belonging to a group that they identify with. The group supports them, offers tangible financial benefits and gives them a voice. This is more relevant in recruitment than in almost any other sector because the industry is dominated by small firms working in isolation.

If someone as cynical as I can go to an event and come away energised and positive, then you will too. But this can’t be just an annual adrenaline shot. We should participate in monthly events at least to keep up to date with news, developments, opportunities and innovation but most importantly to feel like we belong to something we’re proud of.

So join a group and get involved.

It’ll make a positive difference to you and your business.

Note:
Perhaps the groups mentioned above could add a link in the comments section to their membership pages?

Sorry if I missed anyone out!