Most people would agree that 2020 is a year that we’d all like to see in the rearview mirror. Myself included. From wildfires to the tragedy that the pandemic has become, good riddance, we’d say.
I started the year with plans for the Best Year Ever™ - Unemployment was at a record low, my clients were all optimistic about the economy and had plans to add to their team.
As my Army buddies would say, “No battle plan survives contact with the enemy.”
As we all know, things quickly went well beyond the charted waters into the parts that only had sea monsters and dragons.
Companies had pivot to a fully-remote workforce. Revenues came to a full stop. Many of my clients are manufacturers and distributors and they had to figure out how to keep working in this new reality. Many of the managers, HR, and talent acquisition professionals found themselves furloughed, which became permanent layoffs as the pandemic progressed.
I had to switch gears more often than I’d like, teaching groups of people on how to job search during the pandemic, and coaching executives how to find meaningful work in a new and scary job market.
Most days I would end up with my personal “battery life” indicator at 1%. I was trying to throw as many proverbial starfish back in the ocean and it seemed each wave washed more and more ashore.
Being positive and optimistic and convincing people to have hope and keep going, no matter what, is exhausting.
There were many postitives to this year – and not just COVID tests (rim shot) – The bonds between my family have weathered the storm well and are stronger for it. I was able to slow down a bit and spend more time with each candidate I worked with and made connections to many more great employers that will make it to the other side of the pandemic. My dogs had the best year of their lives, having their people home all day.
Being an optimist is a prerequisite for being a business owner and a recruiter, and I did make it through the year with that optimism intact. I’m not alone. While many, many, businesses struggled – 2020 also had a record number of businesses created which will mean great things for the country over time. I’ve tried to convey my optimism with my company’s social posts, and I wanted to share my favorites from the year in this gallery:
As the New Year begins, I wanted to wish you health, happiness, and success in whatever you do. If you are ready for a new role in your career, we’d like to hear from you. If you are looking to add to your team, we would like to help – we have a broad network of high-performers ready to start their new challenge.
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Thanks for reading, and have a happy New Year.
- Ed