​Cast yourself back to January & February 2020. We were all networking, doing business in person, meeting candidates - normal things we took for granted. Then March 2020 happened and lockdowns ensued. There was no social contact, let alone networking. The virtual world became our only way of meeting and developing relationships with people.

Since March 2020 I have networked virtually, been interviewed via video, and participated in Zoom or Teams-based forums which I am forever thankful for. Imagine having all that time without learning?

The world of Microsoft Teams and Zoom (or whatever your platform of choice – remember House Party!?) kept us going. However, from my own experience I can honestly say, there is no substitute for meeting someone in person or delivering or receiving training in a room full of people.

Recently we have been to the People Power Event in November, the YHN Jobs Fair and many North East Chamber of Commerce events of which we are a member. Considering our candidate-led market right now, the jobs fair was a fantastic piece of PR for NRG, and it meant my colleague Anne White and I managed to have wonderful face to face conversations with job seekers.

Though the experiences from every event are different based on the theme, whether that be talent acquisition, networking, or general brand exposure, all of us who have been attending these in-person events again can say we have missed them and got the bug all over again.

Anne White, Business Support Recruiter at NRG said “It was great to be out and about again, meeting businesses and candidates at the YHN Jobs Fair. I had some interesting conversations and it was fab to see so many companies currently hiring.”

Ollie Jobling, Tech Recruiter at NRG spent time at our Chamber events and said “It has been so good to meet people again, and really interesting getting to know new organisations and the individuals working for them. I also liked seeing new charities networking at the events to promote their services.”

One big question from me is - do we handshake now?!

I guess it falls to whatever you’re comfortable with, and a lot of the events operate a traffic light system to show whether you are happy to have a handshake or would prefer to keep your distance. The choice is yours!

Whether you are an introvert or an extrovert, it’s easy to see we’re all social beings who love to connect – the more you connect the more exceptional talent you will meet, the more business interest you will develop and the more accomplished you will feel!

It’s been a great couple of months of getting back out there and attending some fantastic regional events – here's to many more!