A long-established island employment agency is moving location to spare the blushes of people looking for jobs.
Hamblin Employment Group is quitting its Victoria Street, Douglas, premises because folk are more and more embarrassed to be seen walking through the doors.
The firm says that in years gone by potential clients walked through the doors without fear of being seen by passers-by but attitudes seem to have changed in recent times even as the island’s employment situation appears to have improved.
Boss Emma Allard has completed a year-long hunt for a new base and in a few days time she and the rest of the staff will be moving out to the new base which is nearby but is more tucked away.
Chief executive Emma told Business News ‘the honest truth’ is that ‘it makes people uneasy’ to walk through the doors of the recruitment agency because they are afraid of folk seeing them and wondering what they are going in for.
She said: ‘Even though we love these premises it is becoming a hindrance.
‘We have noticed a change in the last 18 months because we regularly monitor footfall. And there has just been a decline, decline, decline.’ She even told of one of her business account managers, who, as he was seen leaving the office, faced comments such as : ‘‘Oh yes, looking for a job, then?’’
A few months ago Emma placed some coffee cups in the window to put the idea out that staff were prepared to meet clients in a coffee shop. But this did not seem to work as well as they hoped.
Colleague Rebecca George, learning and development manager, said the situation was so bad that even friends of hers did not want to be seen standing outside the premises waiting to meet her to go to lunch.
Emma said another factor was that the road was becoming more and more retail in appearance.
‘It’s coffee shops and wine bars, it’s pretty much becoming more retail,’ she said.
‘We are moving to larger premises because we are looking to expand as well.
‘There is parking right outside and there is a very discreet entrance .’
The business is planning to move on Friday (Feb 14) to a place called Chapter House in Upper Church Street.
It will eventually be renamed Hamblin House.
Rebecca said: ‘We will still be in a good spot, just off Athol Street.’
Emma said: ‘It will not be on a busy road.
‘We’ve been thinking about this for a while. We have the best interests of our customers at heart. Our customers are very important to us.
‘We have been been here in this building for 14 years.’
She said that ironically before moving to Victoria Street the business was in a quieter Nelson Street.
‘Funnily enough we moved from there because we were tucked away then and people were not coming.’
So why the change in people’s attitudes?
‘Times have changed. I think there’s a lot more web activity now and before, you could literally go into a job.People felt they could go to Hamblin and get another job.
‘Now they think, times are harder and people feel it’s great that their boss has kept them on even through the tough times.’
Emma said the window, where jobs are advertised, was also lacking the same pulling power as it used to. She said people used to stop and look and see what was happening. ‘It used to be a massive bonus for us, now it’s a hindrance.’
The Hamblin team are excited by the prospect of moving and feel they are acting in the best interests of their many and varied customers in mind.