Brussels Stays Resilient, Bucking Global Trends
In recent months, stories of mass lay-offs affecting US companies have made headlines and rocked markets. Although largely limited to the technology sector so far, the phenomenon has fuelled concerns in Europe that a potential spill-over effect might soon be seen on this side of the Atlantic.
“In Brussels, we haven’t witnessed anything similar to the economic slowdown seen in other places — rather the contrary,” said Kristof. “Companies are more serious about the EU affairs function than ever before, and are spending more money on consultancies and/or investing in their own teams. Demand for good professionals is at the highest we’ve seen for the past 10 to 15 years.”
So, what makes Brussels’ job market different? On one hand, organisations are increasingly aware of the general tendency for regulatory initiatives to impact one sector first, before expanding to others within a few years — meaning it’s vital to build out a resilient public affairs team. On the other hand, Kristof points to the specificities of the von der Leyen Commission to explain the increased demand.
“There is an extremely ambitious Commission President. She put together a very dynamic College of Commissioners, each working in their own area of expertise, and they’re producing regulatory proposals at an unprecedented rate. Because of this, companies are really confronted with the need to hire.”
It’s What You Know, Not Who You Know
This explosion of files coming out of the current Commission is not only impacting companies, but also candidates looking for a new role.
“The biggest challenge for candidates at the moment is to keep up with everything that is relevant,” Kristof outlined. “Employers, team leaders, and heads of office are asking me whether the candidates I propose have a feeling for this increased pace of regulatory initiatives.”
This trend is even beginning to reshape the nature of public affairs work. Solid analysis and rational argumentation have always been core to the profession — but a tenacious grasp of the relevant subject matter is more important than ever.
“There’s now a higher degree of specialism and professionalism in the industry. Many lobbyists have had to develop a specific area of expertise — like sustainability, healthcare, environmental topics… It’s making the jobs more interesting, but also more demanding,” said Kristof.