What's up??

"What's up?? Don't see you in person these days?", asked Ravi-when he met me an hour back. Ravi and I live in the same neighbourhood-and played tennis every morning -not too long ago! We usually compare notes, on each others progress occasionally-and I keep pinging him (rather used to, as I reflect now, ..) for some good candidate he could refer for my mandates.( I could see we haven't exchanged any correspondence almost for a year now!)" Are you doing any other business?"

I laughed at it, and since I could see Ravi being summoned for his haircut, crisply summarised my progress report;

1. "Have been trying to change my business model as a recruiter. Some of my time is now paid for -by some clients-as a retainer-and so I have to upgrade my offerings. More research. More networking.

2. Have recently become an affiliate of a worldwide recruiting network...and so trying to figure out what 'international partners want'!! And yes, have made three trips abroad in the last 3 months..Nashville, Sydney and London...cutting into my regular work.

3. ie continue slogging on the usual 'contingent search assignments'-for that has been my bread and butter for the last 15years.

Guess, I shall need to clone myself into three different guys in order to do all these equally successfully"

Hmm, for an instant -I felt good I could highlight some of the work that has kept me busy. I have always been accused of being too verbose. Coming to think of it, there are a couple of other things that have been taking up my time:

1.Implement the 'application tracking system" -and now, after 8 months, realise the data migration has created another issue..most of the resumes may not be relevant -if Options truly changed its business model *!&&!

2. Searching for technological solutions- that could help collaboration among recruitment firms-that could enable us to leverage technology and the combined reach of all the members in the 'closed user group". It is reassuring that both the associations NPA and ERA, that I am part of, are thinking of building online platforms..and perhaps provide solutions to aid sharing of mandates, some hot candidates-and maybe -even a job portal.

However, once my haircut got underway, a scary thought just flashed...What am I trying to do? Change a business model? Based on the emerging trends??

Btw..what are the trends??In the last few months, I shudder to see all the predictions of pundits going wrong about different economic indicators:

1. Barrel prices of oil shooting up -and seeming to go higher every week!!

2. dollar vs rupee-did I hear some one say it would be 35? Its going the other way...

3. Inflation in India touching 11% from something around 7% -and even this doesn't include the impact of rising oil??

Would not each have an impact on the way companies manage their business? Certainly it should effect their hiring ??

Am I being foolish to invest in a future -which even economists are failing to comprehend? Do I instead decide to keep plucking the low lying fruit..till it lasts? Am I missing the wood for the trees....

I look forward to comments from my usual offline pals...