Diary of…
Sharon O’Mahoney
Director, P&S Personnel

Monday
My day begins with staff calling in sick and reassuring clients that their much valued temps should be back tomorrow. Then chase timesheet upon timesheet and look to see who owes us money. Many conversations with banks, checking credit limits and cashing for payments. Team talk at 12 to hear mixed reports of the previous week — but also some great things in the pipeline.

Tuesday
Oh dear — more bad news… yet another company has been hit by the recession and are letting the temps go. It appears they have lost a contract and I am urgently called to attend the premises to help out with redundancy talks to their own staff. Every week we are being advised of company closures. Depressing. Out door-knocking this afternoon and everyone is miserable!

Wednesday
Start the day on a more positive note. Our sales calls and dedication is starting to pay off. The jobs that clients have placed with us are starting to move — hallelujah! I have five interviews to arrange and clients are actually returning calls and emails. Tender on a new project and it
looks really positive. It’s slow, though, and things are taking longer than ever.

Thursday
Just been told that a large company has made mass redundancies in the recruitment industry - ugh! Good conversation with our bank; need to make sure I spend some time assisting in credit control today. During our Power Hour this morning, I need to keep my motivation up for the team. A final note. A long-term staff member has decided that eight years in recruitment is enough — she leaves us to take up an admin position. Here we go again!

Friday
What a week — I can’t wait till the weekend! Then I remember that running my own business does not stop Monday to Friday and I will need to be in both Saturday and Sunday to do the financials and the P&L for the team with the FD. In all my years in this industry I’ve never known it so hard.

Saturday
Some good news. As an independent agency our rewards are paying off and things are not so bad after all. Year three we have seen a large growth area as much as year two and we have also recruited a fantastic consultant who is about to take our Thetford location in a completely
different area — how things change!


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