Updates

Back into recruitment, my views so far…

Posted on 03-08-22 by Jack Woolsey

Let me set the scene. I am sat at my desk on a Tuesday afternoon. I’ve had a cup of coffee and I absolutely hate coffee. My to do list for the day almost checked off. LinkedIn has blocked me from making any more connections to grow my network as networking for them is adding people you should already know. I am craving dark chocolate digestives.

Recruitment is nothing like how it is portrayed in Wolf of Wall Street or even how it was before the pandemic. There are no dwarfs being thrown at a dart board or women being asked to shave their heads for entertainment and a couple of hundred pounds.

I remember the 8.30am power hour, where you had to stand for an hour and you just had to make call after call to just get through to somebody… anybody! If you didn’t you lost your chair for the day. Targets were measured by pointless numbers. How long have you been on the phone? How many candidates have you called? How many cold calls have you made? How many emails have you sent?

The world of recruitment has changed. Long gone are the days where it’s a shark world. Everybody for themselves. On your first day, being thrown in to the deep end and only the strong learned to swim or at least float. If you weren’t making money you were tossed out quicker than smelly rubbish on a hot day. I can’t say I miss it but there was definitely a certain appeal to it. Don’t get me wrong. There are still some recruitment companies like this but we have moved on as a society and this generation of businesses has moved to a more inclusive approach with a large emphasis on the wellbeing and mental health of their staff.

I decided to go back into recruitment as I was one of the lucky ones who had picked up a few tricks to stay paddling. As they say you either have a knack for it or you don’t. Persistence is key. I am not going to spread the cliché told by some recruiters that they wanted a career within recruitment as they wanted to help people and make the world a better place. What a load of boll*cks. I will happily say it’s for the money (also the career progression) but predominantly the money you can make. Its an easy science, the more work you put into it the more you will get out of it. The extra company benefits you get each month that motivate you to keep going aren’t unwelcomed either.

I do feel there is a stigma on recruiters and it is one of the biggest challenges we face. I genuinely want to make strong relationships with both candidates and clients, where I can sincerely help both parties. The positive personal relationships are just as important as the commission cheques. It isn’t always smooth sailing and the first few months can be the hardest but having resilience and knowing that there is always more to life, no matter how addictive the success is, will get you far.

So here I am. Exactly a week after starting at Clear Edge, with a different outlook on the role.

I work for a company that cares about getting you started on your best foot, with ongoing training, but 2 weeks intensive when you start. A manager that wants me to grow into my own style of recruiting but supports and guides me. Team members who are willing to help and are happy to answer any questions I may have.

I have to remind myself to slow down, there is no need to rush through, everything will work out. I am just a very proactive person, wanting to get on the phone and send out emails, but not for fear of losing my job, due to them investing in me and creating a perfect work environment. Okay maybe it isn’t perfect but its a great start.

I am ready to start my career showing the best representation of me, not every recruiter is the same.

Huda Altaee is a Delivery Consultant in our Technology Division, focusing on roles in ERP systems.

Clear Edge is always on the look out for talented, ambitious individuals to join our growing team. We have opportunities for new and experienced Consultants. Previous recruitment or sales experience is beneficial but not essential. Key requirements are a hard work ethic, excellent communication skills, an ability to quickly build rapport and form relationships, and strong organisation skills.  Click here to find out more.