His vision of recruitment in 2023
How to qualify the year 2022 for the firm?
Nicolas Puzin: 2022 has been an excellent year. We have gone from 4 to 10 million turnover and have doubled our workforce. All the planets were aligned. That is to say a big shortage of manpower, all sectors combined, a very good rate of employment of executives and increasingly demanding candidates. To find the best candidates, companies had no choice but to go through a recruitment firm.
And 2023? What developments do you expect?
NP: Despite all the uncertainties linked to the war in Ukraine, to the problems of the cost of energy and raw materials, to the increase in the rate of wear and tear, our activity at the start of the year is good. Vacancies are still plentiful. We are expecting another exceptional year.
Future activities
Which sectors inspire you with confidence for recruitment in 2023?
NP: health! We are recruiting caregivers, doctors, nurses, physiotherapists, occupational therapists… for hospitals, medical homes, nursing homes. In terms of performance, this division of the firm was the first in 2022, it will be the same in 2023. The pharmaceutical industry is also looking for specialized skills.
Expectations not always realistic
How will candidate and company expectations evolve in 2023?
NP: it’s a market game. What is rare is expensive, so wage auctions are plentiful. Especially since some candidates are more and more reluctant to leave their jobs. The pro-personal life balance is at the center of their expectations. Their demands in terms of organizational flexibility, telework, 4-day week are strong. For their part, companies have projects full of boxes and therefore need additional skills. But the expected profiles are not always realistic! So we encourage employers to take on candidates who either have skills that can be transferred to their sector of activity, or young people who have potential but who will have to be trained.
Candidates Agent
What are the notable changes in your profession in 2023?
NP: the market is tense and therefore always in favor of the candidates. When they are looking for a new position, they do not always distribute their CV, it is up to us, the firm, to find them. And then we almost become candidates officer.
We listen to what candidates expect from the position in terms of technical skills, organization, management and quality of life at work, in particular work-life balance. And only then do we look for a suitable job for them. And more the reverse.
Nicolas Puzin, co-founder and managing director of Harry Hope
Likewise, we try to reduce the duration of the recruitment process as much as possiblebecause if our clients, therefore companies, hesitate too long, candidates get tired and move on.
More competitive seniors
More open to senior candidates?
NP: it depends on the internal demography of the company. If the average age is 25, the company has difficulty integrating 55-year-old candidates. And the converse is true. If the average is around 35-40 years old, it’s already easier. Before, employers did not want to hire seniors because they were too expensive. Today with the shortage of talent, we are witnessing a wage escalation. The youngest ask as much as the seniors, which can plead in favor of the latter. Especially since they are very experienced and work for the longest term with employers.
Obstacles to geographical or sectoral mobility
More opportunities for executives who want to change sectors? of region?
NP: Gateways between sectors are still very complicated in France. Our clients want “plug & play” candidates, ie candidates who have carried out the same type of mission in another company. In any case, that’s why they commission a recruitment firm. Gateways are more feasible if the mobility goes through the candidate’s network. With the development of teleworking, geographical mobility is no longer really popular. A candidate living in the provinces in a large house will not agree to come and settle in Paris in a smaller and more expensive accommodation. Their comfort and quality of life are now non-negotiable. On the other hand, he is ready for 2 or 3 days in telework and the rest of the time in Paris for example. If the employer does not offer this type of organization, the candidate does not follow up.
The 4-day week in the sights of candidates
What questions are candidates asking that they weren’t asking before?
NP: apart from the interest of the position, the composition of the team and the remuneration, from the pre-selection telephone interviews, they ask us about the flexibility of working time. Especially over a potential 4-day week.
Do you have a favorite question for candidates that you haven’t asked before?
NP: I always ask them to tell me about their dream job.
To earn more, get moving!
What better strategy to achieve a wage gap in 2023? to stay ? leave ? to come back ? form ?
NP: Without hesitation, it’s about external mobility, particularly in so-called scarcity professions. The gap can go up to +25%.
What will emerge best for your job as a recruitment intermediary?
NP: I hope that we will move towards more openness to different profiles, especially seniors.
In summary
After a fanfare year for his firm, Nicolas Puzin, co-founder and managing director of Harry Hope, seems calm for 2023. For him, recruitment in the health sector will obviously continue and strengthen. Faced with a higher salary, especially for younger candidates, seniors should also do well and again interest recruiters. Finally, he never ceases to insist on the pro-life balance that obsesses the candidates. It is up to employers to take the subject seriously, particularly in terms of flexible working hours. Even, by offering shorter working weeks.
The firm Harry Hope in a few figures
- 1350 recruitments in 2022
- 240 consultants in 2022
- 2022 turnover: 10 million euros
