A theme kept following us throughout May. It appeared in client conversations, networking events, presentations and even a discussion at the House of Lords. The question was simple: are you trying to fill a job, or are you actually trying to solve a problem?
It is something we are seeing more and more in recruitment. A vacancy appears and the immediate reaction is often to replace like for like. The old job description is pulled out. The recruitment process begins. The role gets filled. But what if the vacancy was never the real problem?
Looking beneath the job title
This became the focus of my presentation at the Midlands Business Network Expo. What made the event so special was not just the number of people we met, but the quality of the conversations. We spoke with business owners and leaders who were genuinely interested in doing things differently and understanding the challenges sitting beneath the surface.
During the presentation, I challenged attendees to think differently about recruitment. When a business says "we need an administrator", do they? Or do they need HR support? When they ask for an industry expert, are they actually looking for stronger leadership? When they advertise for a creative marketer, is the real need strategic direction and commercial focus?
Too often businesses recruit based on symptoms rather than causes. The result is a new employee walking into an old problem that nobody has actually solved.
The response from attendees was incredible because it resonated far beyond recruitment. It became a conversation about leadership, growth and understanding what is really happening inside before rushing to find a solution.
Practising what we preach
The timing of our own team changes could not have been more fitting. Whilst working with Thomas Flude on a Marshall Harmony marketing audit, we took the opportunity to step back and ask ourselves some of those same questions.
Rather than simply looking at roles and responsibilities, we looked at strengths, enjoyment and where people create the greatest value. The outcome was a number of positive changes within Team Marshall Harmony. Cat Whelan was promoted to Personal Assistant to the Managing Director. Jess Gregory was promoted to Lead Recruitment Partner. And we welcomed Lois Barber to the team as Recruitment Partner, specialising in commercial recruitment.
The exercise reinforced something we often tell our clients. The best solution is not always adding people. Sometimes it is about understanding the problem properly and restructuring around the strengths you already have.
Supporting something bigger
This month also saw us attend an Acorns Children's Hospice partner event hosted by Lucy Goodway and Abigail Coulson. The evening provided an opportunity to hear more about the incredible work Acorns does and the impact it has on children and families across our region.
Earlier this year we presented our first donation cheque following our commitment to donate 2% of every placement fee to Acorns. Every successful placement now contributes towards the Acorns Time Machine Appeal. It is a reminder that whilst recruitment is our profession, people have always been our purpose.
A room full of allies
The Women With Metal Summer Social was another highlight of the month. What stood out most was the sense of community. A room filled with talented women, supportive male allies and people who genuinely care about the future of manufacturing and engineering.
The conversations were honest, encouraging and focused on overcoming the challenges facing our industry together. Events like these remind us that progress rarely happens in isolation. It happens when people come together, share experiences and support one another.
Taking the conversation to Westminster
Later in the month, I attended the Enterprise Vision Awards Westminster Reception at the House of Lords. During one discussion, familiar phrases surfaced. "There's a skills shortage." "Nobody wants to work." "We can't find good people." But the more I listened, the more one thing became clear. There are talented people out there who want to work.
The real challenge is often understanding what problem a business is actually trying to solve before attempting to hire someone to fix it. And so, I found myself getting thoroughly involved in the panel discussion. The conversations afterwards confirmed that this message resonated with many people in the room.
Because recruitment is rarely just about filling vacancies. It is about understanding people, businesses and the challenges sitting underneath both. And perhaps that is the question more organisations need to ask themselves.
What's ahead
June is already shaping up to be an extremely busy month. We are attending events such as Smart Manufacturing Week 2026, Business Icons Live with Dragon Sara Davies and Apprentice winner Sian Gabbidon, and our very own Marshall Harmony team retreat.