A Year Since Lockdown - Diana Campbell

Today we're talking to Diana Campbell, who is the managing director of Zoek, the world’s fastest-growing online job board. The company is based in Cheshire and currently operates in the UK, USA and India.

March 23rd marked a year since lockdown began and the reality of the pandemic hit the UK. What are your memories of that day? 

I got the whole team together in the morning and told them we would all be working from home from the next day. I remember telling everyone not to panic, whilst deep down already beginning to worry about what was happening, both for the business and all of us. I also remember rushing to order laptops for the sales team, thankfully we did this just in time.

What actions did you take to save/change/pivot/support your business?

The first thing we did was slightly reduce staff salaries for a few months. Thankfully, this was only temporary, and everyone has now been fully repaid. 

We also decided to push forward with planned overseas expansions. Believing in survival through growth, we now also successfully operate in the US and India, with plans for more countries later in the year.

Name up to three positive outcomes of the last year for your business? 

Despite such disruption, Zoek saw its biggest turnover in December 2020. Our successful expansions in the US and India have also proven to us that we can help hirers and job seekers whatever the country or sector. 

Finally, I have taken great pride in how my team has switched to remote working and believe it has improved trust and support on both sides.

What do you most look forward to doing IN BUSINESS as we slowly move out of lockdown? 

I am looking forward to further growing our presence in the US and India, as well as moving ahead with launches in new countries later this year. 

From a more personal point of view, I cannot wait to see people back in the office. We have performed fantastically but I do miss being able to see everyone face-to-face.

What are your predictions for business generally in late 2021 into 2022? 

I believe we will see more spending and jobs as society slowly returns to normal. 

As a company, we continue to see huge disruption in the UK recruitment industry. Whilst there are signs that things are recovering, I do not believe the recovery will be the same for all sectors, with some doing much better than others.

Name one person who has been a lockdown hero for you over the last year? 

Like many people, it is not really one person, but my family as a whole. I'd like to thank everyone for their support both within Zoek and at home. 

For more information visit https://zoek.uk