Times are Changing

I've been finding it difficult to focus on the IT market with the recent election and it's ramifications. The general election results were predicted well in advance. We were ready for a hung parliament, even if the numbers worked out a little differently than expected. But the result, a Lib-Con coalition, still prompted amazement and ensuing confusion in Westminster.

However, we live in interesting and unprecedented times and I feel a positive change has occurred. The county can move forward, and business can start to trade with confidence as a new fiscal policy comes into play. This is surely good for us, the people who are at the coal face and feel the direct force of economic shift. Undoubtedly, we're not out of the woods yet and there will be hiccups over the coming months but on the whole I feel buoyed about the coming year and the next.

Bringing it back to here and now, the question I find myself asking is, have the last few weeks affected the IT industry and the recruitment process? The answer, I believe, is YES. The last few months had seen a real upturn in the market place, a number of large programmes and projects commenced and money was being invested in IT with a real noticeable shift from caution to commencement. However, in the weeks leading up to the general election we saw a slow down in this trend and the only conclusion I can draw is that companies were waiting to see what the outcome would be. This lead to uncertainty in the business community and has affected the decision making process.

The weeks in the run-up to the election saw the same problems that dogged the latter half of last year; companies drawing out the recruitment process, slow down on interview arrangement, slow down regarding feedback and ultimately projects being offered. We now have a new government and the indications appear positive, with major players in business and the Governor of the Bank of England endorsing the current stance our new coalition government is taking. I for one am hoping that there will be a steady surge of confidence from this that will allow our industry to grow.