While 2023 was characterised by economic uncertainty, this was a dynamic year for BrightSide Executive Search, with a new hire taking the current team to six nationally. The rising cost-of-living pressures did affect the recruitment market, but BrightSide Directors Amber King and Sue Lauritz are optimistic about the year ahead.
“We noticed that there was a slowing of recruitment activity as people tightened their purse strings. Fortunately, this didn’t last long and although the market is highly competitive, many of our clients saw increased sales activity leading into Christmas and are mostly feeling positive about 2024,” said Lauritz.
BrightSide has also expanded its service offering, now fulfilling roles in finance, HR and operations alongside the sales and marketing recruitment the company has become known for. Additionally, BrightSide now provides psychometric testing and HR Consulting services.
“Members of our team have completed the master course for the Reiss Motivation Psychometric Tool and are now qualified assessors enabling us to offer inhouse solutions to our clients,” King said.
The candidate market continues to be risk averse, and King and Lauritz explain how this will affect recruitment.
“In today’s climate, don’t waste your time, money or people resources on trying to recruit yourself. It can set you back by months if you don’t find the right person, meaning you could have an internal vacancy for a significant period. This of course puts extra pressure on staff who are often required to pick up the slack,” Lauritz said.
Coming into 2024, BrightSide identified the rising cost of goods, changing consumer behaviour and industry consolidation as potential challenges.
“This may impact on decisions to hire and could delay recruitment activity,” King said.
In terms of employment trends, there continues to be a high demand for sales staff who are customer facing and also in digital and e-commerce roles.
“There’s still a strong demand for talent across insights, analytics, digital, social, and general e-commerce related roles. With the growth and profitability of the direct-to-consumer channel, these people are in constant demand, and we’ve been able to source people from outside of the industry while we build this capability across drinks, which is a great outcome,” King continued.
Additionally, employees are seeking flexibility and attractive salaries. BrightSide advises employers to focus on career progression opportunities to retain talent in 2024.
The importance of flexible work
BrightSide advises employers to ensure that they are providing the flexibility that today’s employees are expecting.
“Working from home is still the number one asked question when talking to candidates. Don’t lose talent, new or existing, on this basis. Be as flexible as possible. It’s proven that the hybrid model works.”
When managing a flexible work environment, BrightSide emphasises the importance of maintaining motivation among employees. By focusing on team collaboration and identifying what motivates their staff, employers can make the best out of a hybrid workplace.
“People that are trusted and empowered to do their job will deliver for you,” said King.
BrightSide is the only dedicated drinks specialist agency in the country, they have been connecting the drinks industry for well over a decade. If you are looking for talent, they are the best in the business and have the resources to deliver the talent you need in a timeframe you want.
This article originally appeared in the 2024 Leaders Forum issue of National Liquor News.