I’ve been hearing very mixed reviews regarding the “state” of the IFS contracts job market at the moment, and contractors have been asking me what they should do and how they should approach business now the majority of us are back working, or have been working through the COVID-19 lockdown period.
Since June, we’ve seen a meteoric rise in interviews, placements and general conversations with customers planning the next resources for their ERP programme. So much so, we have just seen our single biggest month ever here at IT Works. So, the message is that there is, and continues to be a strong marketplace out there for people looking to move in the IFS arena. IFS recruitment is strong customers are hiring, consultancies are hiring, it’s a good time to be in the market! In one of my earlier blog pieces I talked about negativity spreading, and it’s still very true. There seems to be a lot more uncertainty about career moves, which is understandable, but the surrounding circumstances should not be dictating your personal life and business decisions.
I’ve seen businesses deliver projects 100% remotely during lockdown, successfully getting through intense go-lives and I’ve seen brand new customers purchase and kick start IFS projects in the middle of lockdown. So, if your business is financially capable, what’s stopping you from moving forward with your pre-lockdown approved project? There are more people available now than ever before, offering you immediate remedies to your resource requirements and needs, something I’ve not often seen, working in a candidate-short, niche marketplace!
Recently a client contacted us, someone we’d never worked with before, searching for people for a Monday start, to make it more problematic, the call came through towards the end of day on the Friday. Pre-COVID, there is no way that the customer would have had the people they needed with such a tight turnaround. so make what you want of it. The market is moving again, some individuals and organisations are remaining secluded from it in fear of things changing for the worse while others are making things happen, pulling up their sleeves and cracking on with projects.
The increase in remote working, across the board, has been a huge bonus. As many of us had been forced to work from home almost overnight, shining a spotlight on the possibilities of remote working for many companies, even if just as a part of practises.
This change was especially beneficial for customers in more rural areas where, before lockdown, they would never have entertained the idea of someone working the majority of their week remotely. Often this was in the belief that everyone needed to be on-site, hands on and physically involved within the team. I totally agree, you want to see someone’s face, but be realistic if you’re in an area that’s stereotypically out of the way, don’t expect there to be a perfect candidate within commutable range. Otherwise, another customer could be more flexible and they’ll get the resource that could’ve been perfect for your business needs.
This applies to both IFS contract and permanent positions. I personally can only share experiences from the contract perspective, however, my colleagues will be the first to tell you about their experiences with IFS permanent resources. The IFS future is looking bright for those looking for another customer, trying to move into consultancy or even looking to transition from a permanent job to a contract role. We’ve supported several people making that move during Covid so don’t think twice or hold back for the right time to approach you. We’re in a proactive marketplace and the majority of the placements we make are from talking with customers and mentioning newly available resources, often resources they assumed would not be available. When they hear about someone who is looking, the process can often snowball from there to the point of placement.
Whether you’re an IFS Contractor, an IFS Systems Analyst or an IFS Implementation specialist; searching for a permanent opportunity, a contract role or looking to start your own Ltd company, we have opportunities nationwide. If you have recent upgrade/project/implementation experience with IFS Applications (versions can range) I would highly recommend you talk with one of the consultants here on the IFS team at IT Works.
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We are the experts in IFS recruitment so get in touch if you are looking for any of the following roles for your next IFS implementation: IFS Contractor, IFS Technical Consultant, IFS Functional Consultant, IFS System Analyst, IFS Software Consultant, IFS Consultant.
