Lloyd Banks, Owner and Managing Director, Rubicon Recruitment Group, answers your questions.

Q: The current pandemic has some staff members fearful of returning to work and many worried about the future economy. What would your advice be?

A: The virus/pandemic hasn’t caused the economic meltdown, it’s our collective response that’s to blame. Similarly, in my opinion our collective fears are being driven irrationally. The answer, as with most things, is making informed decisions based on facts based knowledge. If you would like to view a presentation of several facts that aren’t generally being focused on in the media around this virus, then I urge you to view this Covid presentation.

Q: With so much immediate and imminent unemployment surely the candidate shortage is now over and businesses will be able to hire easily?

A: Rubicon are seeing an increasing availability of people entering the marketplace at several levels. However, talented people, in almost every industry, remain in high demand because of their rarity and seeking out talented people, to consider for appointing into suitable job vacancies remains difficult.

The professional and efficient handling of larger numbers of job applicants is time consuming and often a difficult process that requires careful management to avoid a lot of wasted time and damage to an employer’s brand.

Q: How optimistic are you for the UK’s economy post pandemic?

A: Very optimistic. Despite: the significant damage that’s been done to our economy, the pending worldwide recession, Brexit uncertainties… we’re a nation of innovative adaptors who often perform best when our backs are against the wall. We’re more aware than ever of our dependence on certain parts of the world that are insecure and this will further trigger positive inward investment into sectors of business that will help safeguard our economic future. There are long-overdue infrastructure projects that will now see focus and investment plus people have had a taste for the positives of working from home as well as the negatives of social isolation. There’s nothing quite like personally experiencing the impact of things, both positive and negative, to galvanise positive change.

These are exciting and opportunistic times for those with positive mindsets but likely to be daunting and scary to those without.

• Rubicon continue to support a wide range of businesses with their immediate recruitment needs as well as providing permanent staff, Contractors and Temps to a wide range of business in and around Dorset and Hampshire. If you need help, as an employer, a Temp worker, a Contractor and/or as a potential applicant for a permanent job, then please get in touch by calling 01202 680311 or emailing [email protected]