Some years ago I was recruited by let’s just say a well a known high street recruitment agency who at the time I joined their sales were in serious decline.
Any way within three years I had helped turn the business around and they were raking a ton of money.
You see I was able to win a number of large temporary contracts.
And set up a business development programme for the ten branches I was director for and within no time at all I had put the branches I was in charge of on an even keel and they were now making a real good income.
To cut a long story short, one Sunday the owner of the company invited me to his house to meet his family for a meal.
The reason for this was to personally thank me for putting his business back in to profit.
Who does that in this day and age?
I must admit I was someone taken aback, but it was a real nice gesture.
On the Monday morning the following day he invited me to head office, which was rather unusual.
We talked for a bit I thanked him again, and then he said Joe I have some good news and some bad news, which would you like first.
I said the good news.
He said the good news is that I have sold the company, I said great, well done.
Well we kept or talking for a bit, but you know when you think there is something not quite right with this picture.
So I said so what’s the bad news then. He said Oh, oh yes, I almost forgot, the bad news is you are no longer working for the company.
So in my ‘igorance’, I chuckled, ‘no longer working with the company really…
…but he was deadly serious, I was so shocked you could have knocked me over with a feather.
I found out a few weeks later that to make the company look more profitable they had to take my salary out of the equation.
Even though, I was the one responsible for turning the business around, but of course the buyers were not aware this was the case.
At this point he could see I was getting someone agitated.
Truth of the matter was to say I was a little peeved was an understatement.
He then went on to say Joe, what’s the problem it won’t take you long to find a job…
And you shouldn’t take it so personally it is just….. business.
Now I must admit, at the time I felt used, abused, confused and a little embarrassed by the whole episode.
I stood there with tears running down my face, a 40 year old man trying not to cry, not a pretty site!
Unbeknown to me my reward for helping to turn this man’s company around was a meal with his family.
And what’s worse, I had spent three years of my life building his business…
…his machine to generate profits.
…his company to sell at whim.
…his pension fund.
Despite my efforts, I was now surplus to requirements.
I’d had to walk away, and everything I had built would be of no lasting benefit to me.
But you know, I thought never again, never again.
In many respects he was right.
He employed me to do a job and paid me a good salary with bonuses.
I did the job. My contract stated he just had to give me a months’ notice which he did.
Never-the-less, I worked extremely hard for that man’s business, but do you what, he just couldn’t careless.
The lesson I learn from this experience, is that it is foolish to rely on anyone to provide happiness in the way of financial security.
He did me a favour as I started my own recruitment business, which I later sold for a tidy sum and quickly started another recruitment business that I still manage today.
However, in my previous role as a Recruitment Director I was responsible for setting up dozens of new specialist niche recruitment branches.
And then it hit me, it was like a bolt out of the blue, one of those light bulb moments.
I realised that I could start a recruitment agency revolution, by giving ordinary people from all walks of life the opportunity to start their own home based recruitment agency and have a slice of this 31 billion industry.
Not only was it easy for me to help a complete newbie to set up their own recruitment agency.
But having people operate their agency from home would enable them to provide a far more cost-effective service and undercut high street recruitment agencies.
And with their high overheads it would be impossible for them to compete.
Thought For The Day
“Never blame anyone in life.
The good people give you happiness.
Bad people give you experiences.
Worse people give you a lesson.
The best people give you memories.”