As 2016 marches on, so does our usage of what will surely be the word of the year – 'Brexit'. The knowledge and information profession is in an interesting and exciting position as every sector seeks certainty and needs accurate information in order to adapt to the changing environment.
Uncertainty brought on by the Brexit vote has led to longer recruitment campaigns and delayed offers, possibly due to hesitation in committing to permanent appointments. The upside of this for contractors is an increase in temporary roles, particularly in the legal sector, filling gaps whilst decisions are made about replacement roles or restructures.
We reported last year on the huge rise in overseas hires and highly sought-after language skills. How will this be affected? When will we see the impact? Where will we find these skills? What does this mean for knowledge and information teams in the UK in their service of international colleagues and clients? Attaining stability is essential right now but there will continue to be questions about how we are all affected by the impending changes. Key for us is understanding the challenges facing our clients and collaborating with them effectively.
On the commercial side Analysts and Knowledge Managers with sector expertise, proven experience and credibility are much in demand across the commercial market, commanding high salaries reflecting their standing.
Academic libraries are addressing new challenges; increasingly they are expected to provide diverse spaces for the student experience, from cafes to indoor natural green spaces (when you can’t take the class outside, bring the outside in)! Conversely academic libraries are also faced with the demands of more remote learning and the rise of massive open online courses (MOOCs), both of which require adaptations to service delivery.
An interesting trend has been a tendency for RM teams to rebrand and remarket their services to demonstrate the breadth and value of the department's remit. No longer the dusty deeds clerk, but instead the technical expert that can help users save time and ensure organisational reputations are not tarnished by high profile data breaches.
We spend time getting to know the next generation of knowledge and information professionals. What has emerged from these conversations is that higher salaries are no longer the main draw. Instead, information professionals in their first or second posts tend to look for benefits around career development. They want to work for an organisation which values knowledge and information and a manager who will mentor, nurture and encourage their development. This in turn will inform
Our knowledge and information recruitment team here supports the commercial sector under the TFPL name and public and not-for-profit world as Sue Hill Recruitment. The benefit to clients and candidates alike is the collaborative approach of the team, sitting and networking together, going out to industry events across sectors and sharing knowledge and expertise to support effective recruitment and career development.
What do the next 12 months have in store for us? We predict an overwhelming need for adaptable, flexible and resilient knowledge and information professionals who will, as always, be at the forefront of change.