The World Needs Recruiters

Last week I celebrated my 16^th year of being a recruiter, which led me to reflect on what a journey it has been. Starting in London (and yes I stumbled into it like most  wayward grads with 2:2’s in home economics and all failed estate agents) –  doing the standard London boiler room initiation (100 BD calls a day, 100 CV’s out a week, 12 hours on the phone or you’re fired etc etc) – not particularly scientific but at the time it was enjoyable and it seemed to work. 

Over  the years the frantic energy I used to apply has somewhat dissipated, partly through moving to Asia (yes it is a bit easier over here), in large part due to the exhaustion that comes with middle age and parenthood, but also through honing my craft and defining my niche in the market and enjoying  the value I can bring to both my candidates and clients. It has also led to business  ownership (The Edge Partnership) which has been an incredible experience and an opportunity to work with some of the best in the industry, but first and foremost I see myself as a recruiter, helping my candidates find great jobs.

The market has also changed significantly and undoubtedly the blind reliance that large firms had on recruitment firms has gone. Companies have become much more strategic with their hiring and now tend to use a smaller number of recruiters, typically for niche or sensitive hires. Therefore the volume of roles being given to recruiters has decreased and it’s likely that as a result some recruitment firms will have gone out of business, or changed direction in terms of their area of focus.

Most of the teams at The Edge are highly specialized – however my area of focus isn’t particularly niche and some might say it’s over broked from a recruitment standpoint ( Accounting and Governance into Financial Services ) but despite this I’ve never felt like our candidates and clients have needed us more, despite the GFC, offshoring, on line accessibility to candidates etc and for those still reading, I’ve listed a few of the reasons ( in my mind ) why this is still the case :

Lots of Good Candidates Are Not on Linkedin

When it boils down to it, many firms hiring strategy will revolve around teams of junior resourcers scouring Linkedin all day, every day. I’ve fallen into that trap myself, searching endlessly and probably coming up with the same results. Generally response rates from Linkedin invites / Inmails are low and over time we’ve been using it less and less. Most of the candidates we are placing aren’t on Linkedin, Facebook or social media generally but are just people who we’ve known for years, who we know will take our call and listen when we present an opportunity to them. Using The Edge gives our clients access  to a whole new field of talent, purely through our time in the market.

Candidates Are Increasingly Wary of Applying to Companies Directly

A lot of the time, recruiters get calls from candidates saying “I’ve seen XX job being advertised by XX company – I don’t want my CV to fall into a black hole so it would be great if you could put me forward”. Nothing is more depressing to a job seeker than applying to a job that to all intents and purposes looks ideal, only never to hear back. Was it ever a real job? Are they just satisfying statutory requirements? Do they already have an internal candidate in mind ? Generally speaking it doesn’t matter- that candidates confidence  in applying to that firm will be eroded forever and they are turning to trusted recruiters  in the market, to help them get their foot in the door.

Many Companies Have Brand Issues

My primary client base are the Banks. No one within the banks want to work for banks any more, no one outside of the banking sector want to work for the banks and certain banks have particularly poor brand names in the market. But the truth is, most banks are still great places to work and despite the gripes still pay more than most other  industries. Recruiters have access to specific sell points within banks that can help get candidates over the line eg “ yes this bank has just laid off x number of people, but they’re pumping money into this area of the business and the MD of this function is one of the most highly regarded in the industry” etc. We can get candidates who wouldn’t even consider applying to certain firms, through the door for an interview – and sometimes that’s all it needs.

We Can Look Beyond the CV

One of the greatest joys in recruitment is putting your neck on the line for a candidate who isn’t a good fit for a role on paper, but who I know would be a great fit culturally for the business that you’re representing. The recruiters role in a recruitment process is a very human one – yes we use databases but most of a recruiters time is spent talking to and assessing people and it’s great to be able to really add value by recommending candidates whom a hiring manager may not have previously considered.  Again this comes through detailed knowledge our candidates and more often than not, years in the market learning what separates the great candidates from the good ones ( and the great companies from the good ones also )!

We are Great Sources of Intel

Most of the good recruiters that I know are quite liberal with their time –  ie happy to meet with someone for a coffee or take a call to give career advice or their perspective on the market. Generally we have a good ‘birds-eye’ perspective on the market and give a balanced view on certain organizations and general trends and activity. Judging also by the volume of requests I get from my clients for market intelligence ( for free I might add )! , it would seem that banks are also quite reliant on recruiters to keep updated on hiring and salary trends. A common trend I notice with good recruiters is that the money is a by-product of the work they do day to day, not the primary driver. If you find a good recruiter  who you like and trust, take time to build and develop a relationship with them – they might be more helpful to you than you could ever know.

Author: Sam Belcher