What does your typical day involve as a Senior Recruitment Consultant?
Once I’ve had my caffeine fix, checking my emails is at the top of my to do list. I begin by actioning any that are urgent and then start to prioritise the rest of my to do list. Admin is a big part of my day, making sure that I am keeping on top of everything that I need to. I then have a morning meeting with my team/manager to discuss the previous day, any wins, or issues and what I hope to achieve in the day ahead. It’s a good way to support each other, share knowledge, bounce ideas, and have a grumble, (because recruitment isn’t always a walk in the park!) From there on out, Recruitment can be spontaneous to say the least, you never quite know how your day will pan out, but I find that’s where a lot of the fun can be.
My morning involves reviewing all applications, checking the job boards for any CV’s that may have been updated/uploaded throughout the night, and checking in with my interviewees/clients to try and ensure that there will be no surprises throughout the day. I then prioritise my roles for sourcing suitable candidates using the job boards and our extensive candidate pool and begin contacting those whose CV shows relevant skills, qualifications and experience.
By the afternoon, my role can involve some business development. Recruitment is a business that requires the wheels to keep on turning. For it to do that, it requires bringing in new business, whether that be liaising with our existing clients or sourcing new business.
Occasionally, my day can involve client visits. This is a great way to put faces to names, build relationships and really learn about the roles you recruit for. It allows me to feel confident when discussing roles with candidates as I’m able to share information about the businesses, the nature of the work, the environment, and the expectations of the client. This also helps my candidates feel more confident and secure about their interviews and the client feels more assured in my abilities to service their roles.
How has your role evolved since starting with Metalis?
I initially joined Metalis as a Recruitment Consultant working on permanent roles. I then progressed to Senior Recruitment Consultant for the same department. Once my industry knowledge had developed, I was also chosen to be the specialist Recruitment Consultant for all Shop Floor/Production Operative roles. This has allowed me to really focus in on a particular pool of candidates and clients and build on the relationships there.
Metalis has given me the freedom from the beginning to speak directly with clients and build my own relationships with them, which is something I greatly appreciate, as I enjoy that aspect of recruitment. My role has also evolved to include leading face to face meetings with clients.
In addition to this, I’m trusted to lead morning meetings with my colleagues when my managers are absent. These freedoms allow me to grow considerably as a Recruiter developing both my role and my confidence.
What attracted you to a career in recruitment?
Like most people, I fell into recruitment. I had a Psychology degree that I wasn’t using, and I had plenty of experience working customer service/sales roles. One day I applied for a Trainee Recruitment role and the rest is history. But it wasn’t until I began working at Metalis that I realised recruitment was the career that I wanted.
I felt like I began to really thrive here and from that, I developed a genuine enjoyment for recruiting, along with building client/candidate relationships and the ‘chase’ that recruitment provides. I enjoy the opportunities, the hours, the potential for progression and truthfully, I’d be lying if I said the commission structure isn’t a massive plus for me too.
I also believe that looking for work can be rather stressful, so knowing that I’ve made a difference in helping someone find a role that they’re perfect for and where they can thrive gives me great satisfaction.
What challenges do you face as a recruiter and how do you overcome them?
I personally don’t see myself as the often misconceived “salesperson” within recruitment, but instead see a daily/weekly “target” as the building of relationships with clients and candidates alike, that would result in profitable/productive outcomes for both.
Relationships are the end result, I work hard to build these, and the variety and unpredictability of people is what I enjoy - it keeps me on my toes. That being said, this is the main challenge.
Working with people as our product is always going to come with its own obstacles - people are the variables and you cannot always control the outcome. I try to overcome these obstacles by developing trust with clients and candidates as much as I can. Build them effectively and you will hopefully find yourself with less issues down the line.
What advice would you give to anyone interested in starting a career in recruitment?
If you’re considering it, just go for it. Recruitment is one of the most rewarding careers that you can be in, but you won’t always know that until you try. There are so many benefits, but it’s not without its challenges and you must not think about the ‘day to day’ process and just act. Don’t be afraid of picking up the phone and making the call, don’t be afraid of putting yourself out there.
Recruitment is all about engaging and some people struggle with making that initial interaction. The role can be incredibly challenging at times but if you have a genuine passion for connecting with people and can overcome obstacles thrown your way whilst maintaining a positive outlook, then you will hit the ground running.
