Do You Have What it Takes to Become a Recruiter?

A few months ago, I made the decision to begin a career in recruitment. Along with many other people, I found the prospect of rapid career progression and high potential earnings enticing. As is the case with other fast-paced jobs such as estate agents and stock brokers, the recruitment industry is often a popular choice for young people entering the working world. Unlike most roles in an office-based environment, you do not need to have past experience to be a recruiter, add in the very attractive potential earnings, paid holiday time and “on paper” 9 – 5 working hours and you have many of us asking “Where do I sign?!”

However, if these jobs were really that simple everyone would become a recruiter or an estate agent! Unfortunately, this is not the case. The main reason that recruitment has such a high staff turnover is because not everyone is able to cope in a sales environment, in addition, it takes a certain type of person to succeed within recruitment.

Life of a recruiter

When I asked a friend about the world of recruitment he said to me, “Recruitment is a full-contact sport and not for people who seek an easy ride. Get it right and it’s the best job in the world, get it wrong and it can eat you up.” This speech put the job into perspective for me, and made me want to challenge myself further within this field. My friend was right when he said that recruitment is full-on!

Despite the challenges, it’s all worth it in the end when you help a candidate progress to the next stage in their career. A strong sense of achievement, the chance to help candidates find their dream jobs and the opportunity to develop professionally are just a few things that keep myself and my fellow recruiters motivated to stay in the recruitment industry.

Since starting work at Cavendish Professionals, I’ve learnt a vast amount about recruitment. My colleagues have taught me a lot about how to succeed within this industry, and what they haven’t taught me directly I have learned just from watching them work.

Here are some of the qualities which I have observed in good recruiters:

They Listen

What can seem the simplest action – actively listening- can sometimes be the most difficult! Most people in a conversation are not truly listening, rather they are waiting for their turn to speak. However, as Richard Branson once said “Listen more than you talk. Nobody learned anything by hearing themselves speak.” Within recruitment, it’s paramount to ensure you listen to candidates, clients and colleagues. The recruiters that listen attentively know exactly what their candidate is looking for and what’s important to them. The same is true when speaking with clients as well, the best relationships between recruiter and client are usually forged when the client does the majority of talking and the recruiter listens and takes note. This way recruiters can understand the business and its culture, ensuring that they find a candidate who fits the job description and will also fit in with the company culture. A good recruiter will ask more questions than they answer, so that they can learn as much as possible about the person/client they are representing.

They Remain Positive

There is a statement that is often made in recruitment “Positivity breeds success”. This phrase may seem cliché, but a positive attitude can definitely lead to success in many different forms. Whether in the working world or socially, we naturally gravitate towards and trust people who are positive. Unfortunately, the recruitment process can sometimes involve disappointment, which can be upsetting for everyone involved. Sometimes candidates drop out last minute, sometimes the client decides to hire a different person.  Those recruiters who are positive have the ability to “dust off and try again” and will be able to assist a candidate with the next step. The ability to share positivity amongst others, whether that be candidate, client or colleagues is invaluable in this industry.

They’re Honest

It can be easy to forget the high level of responsibility involved in being a recruiter. A person’s career is not to be taken lightly, and when someone is trusting you with their livelihood, it is important to maintain an honest relationship. This becomes even more important when a candidate is relocating, because you are their first port of call to understanding a new culture and integrating into a new way of life. In all cases, maintaining honesty and integrity when dealing with all parties leads to trust, which in recruitment is vital. Successful recruiters will ensure their candidates feel respected by being as open with them as possible; from advising on interview feedback to stating whether an applicant is suitable for a role or not. Whether the result is positive or negative, being forthright will always be appreciated.

They Have a Strong Work Ethic

Successful recruiters work hard, unsuccessful recruiters do not. However, working hard doesn’t always mean spending long hours looking at the same computer screen, it means working efficiently or “working smart”.   Organisation is a key factor in this industry, because timing is everything. For example, when recruiting internationally it is important to work around different time zones.  If you have a candidate who is only available to speak at 7am UK time, it is important that you organise your day around that. Recruitment is essentially a 24/7 industry, and successful recruiters accept that this is simply another aspect of the job. A good recruiter will make themselves available at all times, which ensures that candidates and clients feel they can rely on them.