Our vision for Zoom is to be the market leader in the provision of labour and labour services. An innovator in digitisation, service delivery and value-added services. We don’t just put bums on seats. That’s why year after year, we strategically move our chess pieces to making this vision a reality. At the beginning of the year, we had big plans on how we were going to take our business to the next level, make a big impact on the recruitment industry, and challenge why we do what we do.

Then COVID-19 happened.

Luggage carousels in airports stopped moving as the pandemic turned transportation hubs to ghost towns. Construction cranes were lowered down as tradies started loading their utes with tools to park at home, without a definite date of a return on site. Empty streets produced empty offices, cafes and restaurants and turned our once vibrant cities to a complete standstill.

The initial impact to our business was losing clients, ones that we have held dear and as equally painful, losing new companies that we were nurturing for bigger demand. Then one of our biggest mining clients halted their requirement for workers. Warehouses where we thought placements may experience minimum reduction would suddenly have COVID-19 positive cases and had to order all workers to go home to isolate.

What could have been our natural response because the demand is slowly reducing, is to also hold off with human resource activities. The call to retreat could be a logical solution as some companies have done so.

We thought, not with Zoom.

The name of our company means a relentless move forward, not to cower back. We were convinced that we had to hold our ground and that we had to become that company that will be ready to respond to clients who also share the same sentiment of moving forward instead of taking a step back. So we gathered all branch managers to stand our ground. There was an initial shock of how, then why, and with what. At one point, you could hear a pin drop. On a cricket. But in true Zoom fashion, our leaders stood up to the challenge. Standing our ground became the company’s rally call. This echoed back to our clients as “We are here. We are not retreating or going into hibernation. We are ready to provide whenever you need us.” We met with our clients and provided new and flexible staffing solutions to a new challenge no company has ever faced yet. This gave our clients the confidence that if they mobilise, we are there to oil the gears, turn the levers, carry the load and deliver the goods to their customers. In a surprising turn of events, for some companies, Zoom became the catalyst to bounce back and resume business.

In a year where the call to fall back seems to be the best way to survive, we leapt forward and thrived. As a result, we gained more clients. Our casual staff count has increased from 2300 to 3600. Amazing work that only a well-oiled, committed, and loyal team could achieve.

What I find most valuable is the thought of everyone in our company standing beside each other working towards making this year a success despite all the challenges. This year is indeed unforgettable not because of the difficulties but because of the hard-fought battles and the victories.

This year we are excited to do more for our clients and staff. We are rolling out our new Zoom Automated Workforce Management System. No more paper timesheets. Partner with us now to take advantage of this new technology.