I say that it has been a pleasant surprise not because we expected a drop in demand, not for a moment did we think there would be a shortage of requirements.  We were however surprised at the nature and reasons behind the requirements that we were instructed on.  Whilst we were busy with recruiting a number of contingent positions we also found ourselves working with our key clients to help with their resource plans for the forthcoming year. 

In 2008 when the global credit crisis hit home the interim market was stable – in fact some would have described it as buoyant – the nature of most of the programmes we had worked on were in the cost rationalisation space and programmes designed to help clients consolidate what they had to ensure they could get through the worst of the recession.  There was certainly not much talk of transformation and pushing through the ‘nice to have’ projects completed. 

At the end of Q1 –2012 we see ourselves recruiting for many of the same firms but instead the requirements seem to be designed to allow companies to seek out a competitive edge over their rivals.  In some ways, we are seeing an increase in business transformation interims being recruited for longer periods of time.  

Whilst there is still talk of a sluggish outlook within the FS sector for permanent hires, there are no signs of a dramatic slowdown for contractor resource – what with new regulation coming into force and the constant ambiguity around existing regulations this has only fuelled the need for more interim support in this space. 

We have seen an increase across our core sectors as Retail, Oil & Gas, FS, TMT all show signs of life and an increased appetite to deliver better ways of working for both the customer and ultimately the shareholder. 

In summary, we feel that Q1 has set the tone for what we can expect throughout the year and this has filled us with quiet optimism. 

We look forward to working with you throughout the rest of the year.

If you have any comments you would like to share, please feel free to contact us on info@deltragroup.com

It’s fair to say that 2011 has been a year of mixed news and reviews as I am sure you will all agree.  We saw a surge in demand in Q1 with signs of economic recovery across all of the sectors and client base that Deltra work with.  We found that our larger clients whilst being wary of costs were still pushing ahead with their big programmes of work and transformation exercises and the need for resource was still very much high on their agenda. 

The remainder of the year brought about mixed messages however.  At no point in 2011 have we noticed a decline in number of requirements but we have seen a change in the way our clients approach the job market.  We have often used the term ‘glove fit’ when talking to candidates and 2011 was certainly the year of the ‘glove fit’.  We saw clients moving away from working with interim resources with a good generic fit and they took on more of a selective approach to source candidates who met nearly all of the criteria set before them.  Whilst this was and is an acceptable ask – given the current conditions it meant the availability and subsequent rates for candidates with these specific skill sets had increased somewhat. 

Toward the end of Q4 we have also seen a large number of our clients take stock of their current resources and begin their planning exercises for 2012.  With a large number of transformation Programmes due for delivery next year there has been a real push on ensuring strong delivery experience is at hand.  The vast majority of the requirements we have taken on recently have all centred around our candidates ability to deliver complex projects on time and on budget amid increasing pressure and expectation from senior stakeholders and shareholders. 

Despite the gloomy predictions in the press of a double-dip recession and the impact this will have on the job market, at Deltra we are confident that the interim market for Programme, Project and Change Professionals will remain strong if not stronger than 2011 and that 2012 will be a bright year for us.  The need for change and transformation will be greater than ever and even though the focus of the programmes may be on cost reduction and ensuring a more ‘lean’ approach is taken we feel there will certainly be a high demand for both interim and permanent resources. 

We would like to take the opportunity to thank all those we have worked with in 2011 and we look forward to working with many more of you in 2012 and beyond.

If you wish to contact Deltra Group – please feel free to call on 0207 747 5399 or email info@deltragroup.com

It’s strange to think that some analysts are predicting that we are about to enter tougher economic conditions as 2011 draws to a conclusion and that the emergence from this state of depressed growth will take many years to reach the 2008 growth figures.

The reason this is so strange is largely down to buoyant market conditions and a continued need for strong interim resources despite all of the negative press.  We have seen a number of organisations push ahead with vigour as they attempt to continue their transformation and change agendas (many of which were abandoned in 2008). 

It’s fair to say that the PPM space has largely been recession proof over the last 3 years as organisations seek to gain competitive advantage at a time like this.  Cost reduction and operational efficiency seem to be the key objectives that many firms are pushing ahead with and this has led to an increase in demand for very strong and versatile interim managers. 

We are still seeing the need for the ‘glove fit’ dominate the majority of requests and there appears to be no sign of this changing. 

At Deltra we are keen to hear your thoughts on the current economic climate and keen to see what you are seeing.  If you have any comments on this please feel free to email info@deltragroup.com

We are looking forward to having a presence in the city once more and we look forward to welcoming our clients and candidates to our new offices over the coming months.  The contact details will remain the same – for those that need it, our central number is 0207 747 5399.

The start of Q2 has left us thinking that there is certainly no let up in the desire and ambition of our clients.
Here at Deltra we have seen a surge in activity over the last 8-10 weeks as our clients gear up for large scale change programmes to take effect. Signs that the UK economy slowly stabilises has greatly helped and we are seeing continued signs of confidence in the market place.

We have found a number of key clients focusing on Shared / Customer Service programmes and initiatives as they seek to gain competitive and cost advantages. Whilst we are seeing this surge in activity this has been twinned with an influx of candidates into the Programme Project and Change space and this has resulted in clients being very selective of the type of candidate they wish to bring into their programme teams. This influx of candidates has largely come from the troubles faced by the public sector in light of the recent budget cuts and made for a very competitive market place.

We are finding that clients are still looking for the ‘perfect’ fit for positions in spite of increased competition from their rivals. One of the main areas affected by this are regulatory programmes that are now becoming more of a priority and no longer can clients push this work back. This has led to rates increasing for specialist positions such as Solvency II and Smart Metering Project Consultants as there remains a small pool of professionals with ‘specialist’ skills in this area.

There looks to be a mini backlash on the horizon with certain insurance firms opting to stand firm and use the experience of mainstream interim professionals to avoid paying a premium.

The outlook for Q2 remains upbeat and we are very confident about future programmes penned for 2011 and 2012.

Should you wish to ask any questions or should you have any comments on the above, please do not hesitate to email Deltra on info@deltragroup.com or call 020 7747 5399

Candidates who are on the market and interviewing with clients are experiencing slow turnaround times from first being spoken to about an opportunity to the recruiter making a decision and bringing them on board. Recruiters are still looking for a ‘glove fit’ for every role and therefore taking more time to recruit whilst they wait for the perfect candidate. 

Due to the recent Government cuts there has been an influx of ‘available candidates’ from the public sector. These candidates are finding it very hard to move across into the private sector due to the reasons discussed above.

We are expecting a healthy Quarter 2 with budgets being signed off from the beginning of the new financial year in March/April.

We welcome your thoughts and comments on any of the topics mentioned above.  

Kind regards

Deltra

0207 747 5399

We are looking forward to a bright start to the year with lots of activity planned across our client base.  We saw a strong finish to 2010 and have noted the following observations that we wanted to share with you for 2011:

• A number of our clients particularly from the financial services sector have identified 2011 as the time to make some unique changes to the way they work with their current customer base.  They are introducing a number of programmes to address the current customer experience and to ensure their customer proposition will give them a competitive advantage over their rivals.  This has been particularly prominent within the Insurance market.
• Utilities has been a sector that has been largely unaffected by the economic downturn.  With new government targets coming into place soon affecting a number of ways of working, we see this as a sector that will continue to experience transformation once again in 2011.  Deltra are already working with a number of large utilities firms that seek not only to meet the new government legislation but to use it as a chance to change the way they operate and to achieve greater efficiencies. 
• Overall we have noted that the start to 2010 was very cautious due to speculation of a double dip recession heading our way.  H2 of 2010 saw greater optimism return to the market place with companies seeing that the programmes they had postponed in 2009 being kick-started once again. 
• Q3 of 2010 saw frenzied activity levels within the banking sector and whilst the public sector took a hit due to the impending budget cuts there seems to be a renewed energy and vigour for the private sector to really bounce back in 2011. 

At Deltra, we see 2011 being full of opportunities and we are interested in speaking to candidates who are keen to hear about future opportunities.  Should you have any questions or queries please do not hesitate to contact the Deltra team on 0207 747 5399 or email info@deltragroup.com

We are very excited and passionate about this new venture and are looking forward to working with top quality interims in the future who share the same core values that underpin our organisation; Quality and Integrity.

The team at Deltra are looking forward to working with you over the coming months and years and hope to develop strong and meaningful relationships. 

Our outlook for 2010/2011 is bright, having seen a demand for interim resources across a number of sectors.  We anticipate that this will rise steadily throughout 2011 as a number of our clients seek to address the impact of the recent economic downturn. 

If you are in the area and fancy meeting up with us please do let us know.

Minesh & Julian