Overview

Much has changed since our last commentary in January. Bushfires were finally extinguished but then a dramatic change with the COVID-19 pandemic with resulting social distancing, self isolations and lockdowns. From a duty of care perspective we have been extremely busy ensuring that our ~400 on-hired employees and all our internal staff were safe and supported. We have been working remotely since mid March and have adjusted with zoom, facetime etc. becoming important elements in order for us to stay connected and productive. Our clients are doing likewise and there are pockets that are still hiring – healthcare, FMCG, parts of IT, call centres etc. Another phenomenon we have seen is manufacturing companies changing tack and showing resilience by changing their product mix to one that matches the current health needs. Demonstrating agility and nimbleness are qualities that are shining brightly. We continue to place quality engineers in interesting positions, albeit at a much reduced rate. We are also taking advantage of the current opportunity to update our database so when normal economic conditions return we are ready to quickly fill our clients’ assignments. Should your circumstances have changed, we would encourage you to contact us so we can try and help you. And even if your status hasn’t changed, please feel free to contact us should you require any assistance with potential repositioning and/or developing your career. We encourage you all to stay positive, adaptable, connected and together we will get through this.