18 Jan Recruitment Consultant, A Day in the Life of

Kiwi Recruitment Manager Jenny tells us what a typical day in the office is like, the opportunities, the challenges and unwavering determination of a Consultant.

The Recruitment Industry can be a tough one. As soon as a CV is submitted online, thousands of recruitment consultants across the country are up against the clock to contact the job hunter and place them in their perfect role.

Morning:

At around 8.15am, my day starts with a cup of coffee and a flick through my emails. The majority of them are job applications, but with the odd head hunting email and an invite from LinkedIn.

Every day, I’m hopeful a ‘shining star’ has applied to one of my job adverts, one that will exceed my clients’ expectations. Someone who really stands out from the crowd.

At 8.30am, we have our morning meeting. This gives us the chance to discuss the day’s events, (i.e. interviews, client meetings, appointments with candidates, and so forth). We also exchange ideas and brainstorm candidates. I try and share as much knowledge and past consultant experiences with the rest of the team, to help them develop.

By 9 am the phones have started ringing, the cancellations and the no-shows are calling in. All hands on deck to ensure the placements are filled and our clients continue to receive exemplary service. Always have a plan B in this industry!

Time management is absolutely key to recruitment and I need to make sure that I structure my day appropriately. First I plan my day around which clients and candidates I need to speak with. This allows me time to complete a whole load of administrative tasks and any ad-hoc applications I may receive.

As the ‘middle man’ and facilitator between jobseeker and employer, I make certain that I build solid relationships with both. This means they are completely open and honest with me and we can fix any issues there and then.

Call me old-fashioned, but I like picking up the telephone and speaking with people. It is a million times more effective than sending an email. Sadly, this is all too common with recruiters these days. It’s actually quicker, easier to get your point across and, most importantly, encourages relationship building. I have a personality – they won’t know that from a generic email! If I haven’t personally spoken with a particular client before, I am confident in my reputation and profile, so I often only need to introduce myself, rather than the whole company.

At around 11 am I start working on my candidates. The market is very candidate driven and highly competitive. The moment a new vacancy comes in, suitable candidates flood to mind. I have a robust database which allows me to search for specific candidates based on the required criteria. This makes it a lot easier to condense a list of applicants I would feel proud putting forward for the role.

Afternoon:

I also use this time, through until around 3 pm, for interviews, with a bit of lunch and a lot more coffees in between!

I aim to interview at least 5 or 6 candidates per week, … ‘6 candidates interviewed, equals 1 candidate placed’.

Interviewing candidates can be a lot tougher than people think. During this process it is my responsibility to gauge if a job hunter is really focused on the job role or if they are just looking for any old job. I have to dig deep and find out the real reasons they are looking for a new role, after all, nobody likes to do all the hard work to be met by the dreaded counter offer.

My 18 years in recruitment means I can swiftly pick up a position, source suitable applicants and because of my expertise, make an informed decision on who to approach.

My candidates’ needs are just as much of a priority to me as those of my clients. By personally meeting candidates, I can determine which companies they are best suited to, which works to save time all around. It is not just about the skill set, I have to match the right personality to the client. I could have 10 CV’s with the required skills and experience so my job is to shortlist the candidates I feel will be the right “ team fit”.

I use my afternoon hours to follow up with clients, provide CV feedback, arrange interviews, meetings … and even negotiate job offers!

Final Thoughts:

Every day is completely different and presents new challenges. Recruitment isn’t like most other jobs; you need to be flexible and adaptable, there are many factors out of your control. For example, you might have a job offer for a candidate who has 3 other offers, how do you show the candidate that your offer is the best suited for them?

This is very much a sales role, and it takes a great deal of work to reach targets. It is not just about helping someone to find their dream job, but when you do it’s a fantastic feeling! Things will go wrong, but tomorrow is a new day, offering me new opportunities and fresh successes.

Recruitment is a tough job, it’s very much champagne and razor blades. We work with one of the most unreliable products “ People” but to summarise, I absolutely love my job!

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