David Barr: Banking and finance was ‘public enemy #1’.

Very few people regardless of their title, level or role can say they have enjoyed the last 12 months. And even fewer could currently tell you that they love both their job and their employer.

The once dynamic and lucrative banking and finance sector became ‘public enemy number 1’ at the start of the GFC which was further compounded by the global press seemingly apportioning total responsibility of the world’s economic demise on a sector that up until then afforded a relatively solid reputation after years of good economic news.

It was September last year when the shockwaves of the GFC started reverberating around the globe. Swiftly, every business became affected, be it directly or indirectly, and as cost management became the ‘Management Mantra’ of 2009 the market witnessed widespread redundancies as the financial services sector fought for its very existence. Whether you lost your job or not in the last 12 months, nobody was spared from the considerable torment as futures and careers hung in the balance at the mercy of management, management which on many occasions presided overseas - making decisions even harder to swallow. 

Engaging with your staff when you only have bad news to deliver is extremely tough, unfortunately the market saw evidence of many management teams avoiding communication based on the false assumption that people only want to hear good news. This misconception led to employees making widespread assumptions and as they became paralysed by fear, the very jobs they were desperately trying to retain came under more and more pressure.

Lack of communication and all the problems that stem from it, is one of the primary reasons people are looking to move jobs now that the world is starting to show signs of recovery – workers are disengaged with their current employers…

Is it too late for employers to re-engage their staff? Not necessarily, if employers are open and honest with staff it is likely they can win them back. The aim now is to re-build staff confidence and commitment to the company and create buy-in through reaffirming the company’s short and long-term goals, displaying corporate commitment to not only their people but also to achieving success. 

As an employee, think seriously before you leave your current company, times may have been bad but rest assured they’ve been bad for almost everyone. It is unlikely that you’ll find many people in a comparative role that have had a dazzling career in the last 12 months and even less likely that their engagement with their employer has improved. Ask yourself how you felt before disaster struck…

About Robert Walters

Robert Walters is a leading global recruitment consultancy, specialising in placing high calibre professionals into permanent, contract and temporary positions at all management levels.

The Group specialises in the accounting, finance, banking, information technology, human resources, legal & compliance, sales & marketing, secretarial & support, engineering & operations, general management and supply chain & procurement industries. Robert Walters’ client base ranges across both multi-national corporations and SMEs and covers all market sectors.

Established in 1985, Robert Walters has built a global presence with 38 offices spanning five continents and employs over 1400 staff worldwide.