Introduction
You’re listening to the LANCELOT experience, putting the human into tech recruitment.
Jim Kent
The Luxembourg tech sector has grown phenomenally in the last few years, but not always easy to find the right people to do the jobs. Today we’re seated opposite Wassim Azimi from Lancelot tech recruitment. Wassim, Good afternoon.
Wassim Azimi
Good afternoon, Jim. How are you?
Jim Kent
I’m doing well. Thank you. How you doing?
Wassim Azimi
Great. Thanks.
Jim Kent
Now we’re seeing before we took business, you’ve got quite an interesting history. Where are you from?
Wassim Azimi
Actually, I’m from Afghanistan.
Jim Kent
And well, interesting and slightly complicated country. What made your family leave Afghanistan?
Wassim Azimi
Yeah, two words 9 11. Jim.
(Audio from 9 11)
Yeah, it was post 911 context. So the whole of Afghanistan was going to turn, you know, into a whole area of battleground. So we had to move as quickly as possible from there.
Jim Kent
Yeah, really difficult. I can imagine. But which country did your family choose to leave to,
Wassim Azimi
France actually! We’d love France from the beginning and we chose to settle and Metz across the border.
Jim Kent
Absolutely incredible. Now, the culture difference between Afghanistan and Metz must be enormous.
Wassim Azimi
Yeah, exactly. It was pretty much a shock, to be honest. But well, I was so little that I had the time to experience kindergarten, to go through high school and so on. So I had the chance to grow around these folks, you know, and but the first time you see a demonstration of French people, you know, in the streets, you’re kind of you know, started notice the stereotypes. And you’re kind of surprised, of course. Yes. I mean, French people do love to protest. Yeah, exactly. It’s not a stereotype, actually.
Jim Kent
Now, what about French food? Are you a fan?
Wassim Azimi
Oh, really, that’s one of the things that hit me the most, you know, I grew fond of French food. And when you grow older, as you grow older, and you start to travel everywhere, and you taste the local food, that’s where you, you know, start to feel like, yeah, France, gastronomy and food is nothing like else well,
Jim Kent
so better than Afghan foo?
Wassim Azimi
I would probably say they have the best pastries.
Jim Kent
Now, what about Luxembourg? You’re so you’re living across the border? What was your perception of Luxembourg before you ever came here?
Wassim Azimi
Yeah, I would say it was the land of opportunities for us students. When we started to go into higher studies. We heard, you know, debates and discussions around Luxembourg. And people that we know from our network, we’re going to work in this country in this town, which was, you know, an hour, maybe one hour and a half go far from from their location. So we started wondering, how can these people manage? You know, and compromise with that? And, you know, there is there are a lot of opportunities there and a better salary? For sure.
Jim Kent
I mean, it’s kind of known, isn’t it? The money is better here.
Wassim Azimi
Exactly. You know, I No offence to French workers, but we’d like it better here.
Jim Kent
But it’s not paradise, though. After all, the morning morning commute to work is a bit of a drag, isn’t it?
Wassim Azimi
Yeah, it’s a bit of a drag. I take the train, as far as I’m concerned. I don’t
Jim Kent
as long as the train is running.
Wassim Azimi
Yeah, exactly. That’s the problem. You know, it’s always two sides. You know, the guys who chose to go and confront the traffic jam. And we have the problems with the late train. So it’s always two things.
Jim Kent
Now the world of tech recruitment, I guess you are working both with the companies that are hiring and the people who are job hunting of those two groups. With whom are you spending most time with?
Wassim Azimi
For sure, the candidates, as far as we’re concerned at LANCELOT, you know, and the IT sector is built like that, you know, today nowadays, you have a lot of offers, and in IT a lot of requirements coming in now, way. But to the candidates, you know, there is a shortage of candidates, you know, and the market is tense currently. So, it’s even more true right now.
Jim Kent
How are you finding these candidates then? Because surely Luxembourg, it’s quite a small market, right?
Wassim Azimi
Yeah, at Lancelot, we have actually a strong local footprint. So we try to look for candidates locally, but you know, nothing can stop us from finding the right candidates for the right positions, not even the borders, to be honest.
Jim Kent
Very good. Now, if you’re getting to know candidates quite well, I know that they are human beings after all, which means they quit jobs as well, have you heard any surprising reasons why people have quit jobs?
Wassim Azimi
You know what, actually, when I started my apprenticeship in at Lancelot, one of my few first interviews that I that I did, I had this candidate. He was actually from the get-go, he was a bit hesitate hesitant, and I told them from the get-go, why do you want to leave your job while you’re looking for change? And he was still trying to think about his answer. And I understood there was something wrong. And he told me actually, his ex-wife is currently working as at his workplace and he wants to move as quickly as possible.
Jim Kent
I mean, she’s, she’s ex for a reason.
Wassim Azimi
Yeah, exactly. And that’s what he told me basically, he was honest with me. So I appreciate it. I was. I was giggling at the at the moment, but I appreciated the honesty. So what about you guys? As a team at Lancelot? Do you get along? Well, yeah, sure. Mark is really great manager, I don’t want to compliment them that much, because, but yeah, he’s a great manager makes you feel like you’re at home. He trained me. So that’s why I grew fond of this of this job. And here I am with you.
Jim Kent
Okay. Now, I’ve got another question for you. Have you ever placed somebody in a job? And you thought to yourself, well, actually, I would quite like that position myself.
Wassim Azimi
Yeah, of course, many times. You know, as a recruiter, we we are confronted with different candidates and different profiles. And sometimes when you see that salary mentioned, and it’s higher than 100k, it makes you think, you know, you want to change jobs and sectors. But no, I actually love my job. And, you know, I’m not envying any of them.
Jim Kent
And if you place a lot of people, you could earn 100k. Right, in theory.
Wassim Azimi
Yeah, that’s, that’s theoretically possible, of course, but have to do a great job for it.
Jim Kent
Now, we’re seeing about the technology sector here, we seem to be entering a pretty difficult economic period with an energy crisis. And of course, the ongoing conflict in the Ukraine, how do you see the ICT sector responding to these challenges?
Wassim Azimi
I mean, for sure, Jim is going to hit the the tech sector pretty much soon enough, but the IT sector has always always been resilient, I think, when you compare it to to other industries, and I think it and technologies are, you know, essential to us and to other companies? So we’ll try and make it work, you know, as as workers in this in this sector?
Jim Kent
What about on the other side for perhaps candidates who are thinking about changing their job? I mean, there’s been talk in the press about the great resignation. What would you encourage candidates to think about when they are considering their next job?
Wassim Azimi
I mean, there are a few parameters to think about when leaving your current position, but I would say you know, consider and ask yourself the right questions when you’re leaving your job. What are your real motivations and intentions for career plan? What are your growing opportunities in this future company you’re applying to, and see if that makes sense for you? And not only of course, it’s going to sound cliche when I’m saying, Do not think about the salary only and only about the salary, but you have to take it into account but you don’t ask yourself the right questions that that’s what I would recommend.
Jim Kent
Good advice. Good advice. Wassim it has been great speaking to you this afternoon. Thank you very much. Thank you. Nice talking to you again.
Unknown Speaker
That was the Lancelot experience. To discover more go to LANCELOT.lu