The shocking truth about recruiters

As an experienced recruitment professional with 25 years UK experience, I am well qualified to comment on the recruitment industry.  This is the shocking truth, so be prepared to be stunned

We are a Profession

We are consultants with market expertise and what we do is not purely fulfilment of headcount or in putting  “bums on seats”.  boycerecruitment has worked with many firms over long periods of time and consequently we have a keen understanding, and interest, in what the hiring managers need and what may be missing in existing teams.  Our role is not just sending CVs but to understand and then translate this into reality by finding the people they want.  We take pride in our fees and we are paid on delivery. We don’t charge just for talking about what might happen, we are paid for results.

 We offer consultancy services 

I recently went with a colleague for a service review meeting at a large client we are proud to recruit for.  Rather shockingly, the procurement professional we met suggested that the introduction of an online portal that limited each recruiter to submit their best 3 CVs would be something that would focus our minds and ensure we sent the best candidates for the role.  There was surprise when we explained that we may not even send 3 CVs for some roles if we did not have the right candidates.   We were appalled, they had not only misunderstood the valuable role of recruitment consultancies but had homogenised the company’s hiring process into a commodity.

We deliver quality to the hiring process

Recent times has seen many firms keen to reduce hiring costs and using an internal recruiter has been viewed as an efficient and cost saving recruitment option by firms with multiple vacancies.  In some instances this strategy has paid dividends and many specific aspects and logistics of the recruitment campaign are streamlined if they are in-house.  However, internal recruitment functions are not always managed and tracked in the same way as an external supplier with the SLA criteria. Recruiters have a vested interest in matching the right candidate to earn a fee but also because of our reputation.    Typically many internal recruiters have an agency recruitment background and leave an agency environment because of the constant measurement of success and quality; targets of activity and revenue.  They tire of being constantly appraised and judged on their results and do not enjoy the highs and lows of working in this way.   External recruiters strive for quality as they need the endorsement of their network of clients and candidates to ensure they achieve their goals.

If we are still in the job; it is because we love it AND we are good at it

Recruitment is a marmite job; you either love it or hate it.    Chances are that if your recruiter has over 5 years’ experience and a steady work history they are doing it because they enjoy it.  Like all jobs enjoyment and success go hand in hand.

We know who you are. Sorry! 

Oh yes, there it is, that misnomer that recruiters do not know who you are when you call.  The very fact that we are recruiters and we have survived in our industry is because we are good with people and have great memories for names, faces and CVs.  Additionally, in many cases we are able to map and link you with not only suitable potential jobs but also know when you last interviewed with us and where you have worked over the last 10 years. Yes, our database does help us at times, but because we are constantly learning, questioning,   and building links and networks our understanding of you helps us determine the type of job and firm that will suit your aspirations as your career progresses.

We fill vacancies faster

For each day a role remains vacant a team suffers and the company loses money.

Recruiters usually fill positions faster than internal recruiters and this is the reason why.  We have a large candidate pool and network already in place.  We have built this over many years and across all sectors of our recruitment company and its’ various specialisations.  This means we can tap into resources and contacts that onsite recruiters cannot.  Internal recruiters are tasked with filling jobs by managing ad response and headhunting for specific roles.  Agency recruiters of course do this too, but crucially we build long term relationships with candidates.  We understand who is relevant to our clients business and because we probably recruit for your competitors we can add value across a range of levels and job functionalities.

We reach a wider audience

Our job is to meet and brief a multitude of people. We constantly promote the clients that we work for, even when we do not have a live vacancy or the right candidate for a job.  The point is that we can’t help ourselves matching people to firms and jobs to people so we are helping your brand equity and profile even if we are not actively hiring.   In other words; we are always pipelining for our clients and this helps you fill roles faster.

 

Our knowledge adds power and value to your interview process and experience  

How many times has a recruiter asked to meet you?  Hopefully every time you place a vacancy with them or you start to look for a new job.  Ever thought why we do it and why it matters to us?  It is because we know that by meeting people face to face we can really understand what is important for them and what you are looking for next.   As part of us winning the business to recruit for global brands we are required to  meet and be vetted by HR, Finance, Purchasing, Legal, Directors, Line managers and Assistants and all of these departments require us to demonstrate or expertise and knowledge.

Our role is to offer a unique insight into a wide range of nonverbal indicators of what you should expect from  interviews and the job offer process.  This includes; top tips for interviews, dress codes, personality tests, negotiation and career development.     So, when you start to total this up, every time you meet a recruiter they are imparting knowledge about interviews and job roles gathered from meeting many similar people in the same situation.

 

We don’t like it too easy

“The arrogance of success is to think that what we did yesterday is good enough for tomorrow.”
― William Pollard

Complacent is not an adjective which describes external recruiters.  We know we are only as good as our last placement because we are constantly reminded of it.  We know that the best of breed will never presume, assume or rest on their laurels.  Business is dynamic and this change means that we have to constantly review the service we deliver to our clients.  We only bill you for success.   We don’t cost a thing until the person starts working for you.  Yes, that’s right. No charge for all that network, expertise and hard work until you have the right candidate in the job.  No wonder we……

 

…….work hard

The nature of our work means that we need to be accessible to candidates out of standard office hours and therefore we do not work standards office hours.  We eat lunch at our desks because we know that others will be able to take a break and call us at this time and we answer emails, texts and calls at most hours of the day.

Our job requires us to be able to work to deadlines and to strict legal guidelines and we are constantly and publicly measured and appraised on our performance.  Each day, week, month, year we are set a new raft of targets and failure is not considered an option. Time management is key to staying on top of our workload but also we need the energy and drive to keep going and stay that extra hour to reach out to an extra candidate.

   

We are a proactive resource not a reactive back office

Success only fees, (aka contingency recruitment), is the life blood of the UK recruitment market.  We are only a cost at the point that you have selected, tested, interviewed, referenced and hired someone.  We supply all of the extra service strands; salary surveys, benchmarking, testing, pre-selection for free.  By constantly pipelining candidates for our clients based on what we have learnt we deliver true short lists quickly.

We are not a constant cost on your balance sheet we are an agile, vibrant and consultative industry and we are proud of what we do.

 

by Samantha Judd