As a specialist in supply chain and procurement recruitment, Martin Smith saw demand for his services slump as the coronavirus pandemic took hold.

“It was sudden and pretty dramatic,” said the 32-year-old Managing Director of Poole-based Talent Drive.

“The recruitment market just nosedived.”

Martin launched Talent Drive in May 2019 after a decade of in-house and agency experience hiring supply chain and procurement professionals across the UK and Europe.

But with business drying up as a result of Covid-19 Martin was left with a choice.

Go into hibernation or stay visible and do his best to offer free support, and the benefit of his experience, to people affected in the workplace.

Martin chose the latter with several initiatives under the banner #projectprocurement.

“I’ve been offering free CV advice, webinars every other week and my podcast, Talent Talks, every other Friday,“ he said.

The podcast, in particular, has gone down well, providing regular insights and guidance to procurement and supply chain professionals.

The first Talent Talks became available last November but, since mid-March, four have gone live with Martin interviewing Chief Procurement Officers from large corporations and brands in the UK.

They include John Lewis, Mars and Babcock International as well Managing Directors of procurement specialists and thought-leaders and authors from the sector.

The latest podcast – the eighth in the series – features a full interview with Peter Smith, former President of the Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply (CIPS) and with 30 years’ experience in procurement,

“It’s so important to stay active and be visible – that goes for me just as much as anyone else,” said Martin.

“Without doubt the future will be challenging but I can see myself pivoting into markets where there will be a demand such as healthcare, supermarkets and the public sector.

“I’ve got a lot out of #projectprocurement to date and if it can help others as well then I consider that’s a good result.”

The Talent Talks podcasts can be found here.