In this blog series, we are going to interview all our Partners and learn how the pandemic is affecting different countries around the globe. 

Granit RH joined InHunt World in December 2017 and has been Partner of InHunt World almost three years now. GRANIT RH is formed by people who share the pride and enthusiasm about recruiting high-impact profiles for new roles and observing the successful influence of those people for our clients’ business.

Last week, we had a chance to talk with Xavier Simon (CEO of Granit RH) and we asked him few questions:

First of all, how are you? We hope that you and your family have stayed healthy during this pandemic.

Thanks, we are all doing well!

How’s France at the moment or how has it been the last 6 – 7 months?

Until now, business has been quite good. In March, we started many searches. Investments were running well. Our job is easy to transfer to the home office. It took us only a few days to keep on working as usual from home. When the lockdown was over, some of our clients had to face a hard time, and some others had to face a booming demand. All businesses were not impacted in the same way.

And what about business and the general atmosphere? How the companies are holding up, have there been lot of layoffs?

The crisis puts everybody in a positive expectation attitude. We are all looking for better times.

As per now, the business climate is down; we hardly see how the COVID story will end. Clients and candidates are refraining their projects. France government has been pretty helpful. We are afraid that the worst is yet to come.

How do you see the end of 2020? And what about 2021?

We are all looking for positive news that would give us more trust in the future.

We were happy to see the Finnish dogs detect the virus with ten seconds with 100% success in Helsinki Airport. The issue is maybe not where we thought it would!

What do you think about the future? What is going to be the biggest difference in France if you compare the situation before the pandemic and the possible situation after?

In the previous crisis, we were worried about our jobs and our money. This time, we worry about our lives. The sanitary crisis started from one day to another.

People will be much more concerned about life quality and long term decision. This is important for business and career management. After this lockdown, we got used to digital communication tools, we turn to a greener attitude, and we will travel less: less car, less train, less plane…

What kind of roles do you think companies are going to need the most after the pandemic? Do you think there’s some big difference before and after COVID regarding recruitment and headhunting?

First of all, digital tools are accelerating the time required for a search. Head hunters and recruiters are delivering quicker than ever.

More generally, the HR concerns and HR positions will be valuated in top management. What we call human capital management will become really relevant.

The perception of time is changing; long term is getting more important. Making cash at the end of the quarter matters, but building something that goes far, lives long, and gives sense is getting central.

What tips would you have for foreign job seekers who would like to come and work in France?

Today, we would say to a foreign job seeker: “don’t rush”. As a tip, we would advise looking for a nice position far from Paris and outside big cities. There are plenty of nice places to live in France and a great network of medium-size companies, subsidiaries of bigger groups that can offer nice career opportunities and excellent life quality. At last: do remember that after winter comes spring!

InHunt World is a Global Headhunting Network that connects the best local headhunting companies around the world. Our Partners are always carefully selected and tested before joining InHunt World so that our Customers can trust that they will receive the best headhunting service every single time, no matter where in the world the need is located.

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