My Life as a Recruitment Consultant: Charlie King

Welcome to the next instalment of our series "My Life as a Recruitment Consultant", where we give you the chance to meet our team, and also find out more about the day to day life of Recruitment Consultants.

Charlie King is a Senior Consultant with Skye Recruitment covering white collar technical recruitment for the mining industry in Western Australia. He has six years recruitment experience and is also an accredited member of the RCSA (APRCSA status). In his spare time he is a Boxer who has had over 120 fights at amateur level and represented his country at international level several times. Professionally he has had 21 fights with 18 wins and is the current Scottish lightweight Champion. Other past times include travelling, bush walking and dining out.



How did you get into recruitment?

I actually wanted to try it out, unlike most who "fall" into this profession. I did my research, heard there was good money and rewards involved, and I am a target driven individual so it held interest to me.

How easy or difficult did you find it to pick up the basics of the recruitment role?

You just pick up the phone and ask some questions - that's all there is to it!

What sort of things do you do on a day to day basis?

I plan my day each night before. I have a list of outstanding work that needs to be actioned, people to speak to, adverts to write, references to take, and client and candidate follow ups. In between this I will try to speak to new people and build new relationships with the aim of placing staff in the organisations spoken to.

What are the best parts of the job?

The job is financially rewarding and will give you a good work life balance, I live ten minutes from my house and close to my gym etc, I have all weekend to myself, all public holidays off and annual leave is granted 99% of the time.

Now compare this with other high paying professions where you have to sacrifice long periods of time working away from home, work long hours and weekends etc.

We have it pretty good.

And which are the worst parts?

It is a roller coaster working in recruitment, you will have the highest of highs and the lowest of lows, you will have days where everything falls into place and days when everything will fall apart. You have to look by this though and stay focused on what you need to do to get to where you want to be.

What was the biggest mistake you made as a novice recruiter, and how did you deal with it?

Probably "selling" the wrong person into the wrong job, it was only a week temporary position but the candidate in question did not have the desired skill set by the client and I knew this.. After three hours in the job I got the call from a very unhappy client and lost them for six months.
A sore but valued lesson at the start of my recruitment career.

How do you think the recruitment industry is perceived by our clients and candidates?

Pretty poor to be honest, there are a lot of recruiters out there who are tarnishing the industry by their 'quick fill' approach and forgetting that this job is all about relationship building. If you put the hard yards in for the first year or two and stay in the same sector you will reap the rewards.

How do you differ from your competitors in the same field?

I am transparent as a recruiter - I will never try to fit a square peg in a round hole, as it will come back on you. I tell my clients and candidates 'If there is any doubt, then there is no doubt.'

What advice would you give to someone considering a career in recruitment?

You will not make money overnight in this role, so be prepared to work hard, be in it for the long term, be truthful and be ready for the ups and downs with clients and candidates - it's all part of the job. Stick with it and you will get to where you want to be.

My Life as a Recruitment Consultant: Jane Lowney

Last year we published a series of posts entitled "My Life as a Recruitment Consultant", where we gave you the chance to meet our team, and also find out more about the day to day life of Recruitment Consultants. With some new team members, and some existing team members who have moved into more senior roles, we thought it was good to revive the series and introduce you to some more of our staff.

Jane Lowney specialises in recruitment for the Oil & Gas industry in Australia, with a particular focus on Oilfield Services Companies. Jane has a Bachelor of Engineering (Civil, Structural & Environmental) from CIT in Ireland. Jane has almost 2 years recruitment experience, beginning her career recruiting for the Middle East before relocating to Australia. Jane enjoys travelling, water sports and snow boarding.

How did you get into recruitment?

Recruitment is unusual in that most people “fall” into it. It's not a career that you give much thought to but I had decided that I didn't want to pursue a career as an engineer, as I felt my skills and interests were in client relationship management and sales, so I decided to apply for recruitment roles for the engineering sector to make use of my qualifications.

How easy or difficult did you find it to pick up the basics of the recruitment role?

I found it quite easy to pick up the basics of the recruitment role, however I am still learning and feel this is part of the appeal of a career in recruitment. No two days are the same and every client and candidate is treated as an individual so you have to adapt accordingly.

What sort of things do you do on a day to day basis?

My day usually is a mix of talking to candidates and clients and understanding what their individual needs are. I also receive a high number of queries and applications for roles I am working on and also check references, present offers and negotiate salaries for the candidates I am representing.

What are the best parts of the job?

The best parts of the job are finding someone a role which they are extremely interested in, assisting a client in hiring someone they have been trying to find for a long time and winning new business.

And which are the worst parts?

When someone lets you down; whether it is a candidate who doesn't accept an offer or a client who promises to be in contact and they are not. It can also be a bit difficult to tell people they have not been successful when they are hoping to receive an offer.

What was the biggest mistake you made as a novice recruiter, and how did you deal with it?

In the beginning I didn't listen to people enough, and if a client mentioned a role they potentially wanted to fill I would take it as an immediate requirement whereas it may not have been a huge priority and I would end up wasting my time. Now I listen and ask more questions to understand exactly when they want someone, etc.

As a novice recruiter I also talked too much: I tried to show people I knew what I was talking about and now I realise that recruitment is all about listening and listening for what you don't want to hear, which is key.

How do you think the recruitment industry is perceived by our clients and candidates?

I feel the recruitment industry has a negative connotation overall. I believe individual recruiters have good and bad reputations depending on their performance. Some clients can see the value recruiters can bring to their business. Others have had bad experiences and tar all recruiters with the same brush so it really depends on the experience they have had.

Candidates rely on recruiters to move in the marketplace but often experience poor communication or a lack of feedback from recruiters which does not help recruiters reputations in the marketplace.

How do you differ from your competitors in the same field?

I believe I have 3 key traits which differentiate me from my competitors:

1. I spent 4 years studying Engineering so I feel I have an edge in terms of my technical understanding of roles. I also am more confident to interview senior candidates about their experience as I have an understanding about what they do.
2. I have a very strong work ethic and am extremely honest with my clients and candidates which they respect. If I can't help I will tell them, if I can, I will. It really is as simple as that but this is one of the most frequent complaints against recruiters.
3. I understand people and never push candidates into a role they don't want or clients to take someone they are not sure of. My goal is to have long term relationships with my clients and this is built on trust so that is what I strive for.
   
   What advice would you give to someone considering a career in recruitment?

Try it! It is the only way you will ever know if you like it or not. Someone can explain the role and the highs and lows all they like but until you experience it you will not know if it is for you or not. You have to be a resilient, competitive person who doesn't take set backs personally and you must be comfortable in approaching people you don't know.

If you are considering a role, talk to people in the industry and make connections on Linkedin. Most groups offer answers to questions and a bit of guidance when you're starting out.

My Life as a Recruitment Consultant: Aaron Williams

Welcome to the latest in a series of posts entitled "My Life as a Recruitment Consultant", where we give you the chance to meet our team, and also find out more about the day to day life of Recruitment Consultants.

Aaron Williams specialises in recruitment for the Civil Construction industry in WA. He is an accredited member of the RCSA (APRCSA status)and has 18 months recruitment experience. He enjoys playing guitar, recording and listening to music and socialising.

How did you get into recruitment?

I have always been in sales based jobs and thought it would be a great opportunity to improve my skills.

How easy or difficult did you find it to pick up the basics of the recruitment role?

I think the basics are relatively easy to learn. Refining them and adapting to different situations can be more of a challenge.

What sort of things do you do on a day to day basis?

My day comprises of interviewing suitable candidates in the morning and determining where their skillsets and experience would be best utilised within the industry, speaking to my clients and advising them of suitable candidates, as well as finding out what the sector is doing ie, tenders, upcoming projects and requirements.

What are the best parts of the job?

Making a placement! Knowing that you have helped a person get a job role they are happy with.

And which are the worst parts?

The Civil Construction industry can vary enormously with its requirements. The hard part is identify what skills sets the companies are looking for.

What was the biggest mistake you made as a novice recruiter, and how did you deal with it?

When I started this role I knew very little about the Civil Construction sector. I had trouble identifying quality candidates and knowing which companies would be interested. Learning the sector gave me a great deal of confidence and I was able to consult to candidates and become an asset to clients.

How do you think the recruitment industry is perceived by our clients and candidates?

Unfortunately the recruitment industry is not perceived well as there are a lot of unscrupulous agencies not following the correct procedures, giving the rest of us a bad name.

How do you differ from your competitors in the same field?

I try my best to research the companies I work with and try to keep one step ahead of the industry to enable me to provide the best possible service and advice to both clients and candidates.

What advice would you give to someone considering a career in recruitment?

Know what you are getting into and prepare yourself. This job can be very stressful but it is also very rewarding. 

What does your client think of you?

Do you know? Do you care? And, assuming you can give some kind of answer to that question, can you elaborate on that answer?

If you can't answer at all, or if your answer resembles something like "He thinks I'm okay" then take a moment to think about what you stand to gain from that knowledge, and how you can find out.

For starters, you want to ensure that your client thinks something of you full stop. If your client does not know your name, or remember dealing with you, then you do not have a relationship at all.

Next, you want to be sure that you are known to your client, without being notorious. You are aiming more for "Oh yes - John from ABC Recruiting" (cue pleasant smile) than you are for "On no accounts put that idiot John Smith from ABC Recruiting through" (cue angry face).

So, if your client talks to you now and again, and doesn't seem to have any sort of involuntary twitch at the mention of your name, then why do you need to know all about what they think of you?

Simple - so that you can keep doing the good stuff that makes them like you, and stop doing the irritating stuff that puts them off.  And there will usually be both.

The most straightforward way to find out what your client thinks is to ask. If possible, do this face to face, and ask what they think of your service so far. Ask an open ended question so that your client talks. And then probe what they have said. "You've mentioned that I call too many times. How many calls is too many? What if I've emailed you about something urgent and you haven't replied? Do you mind me calling then?" Get the specifics.

Then ask what, specifically, your client likes about working with you. Again, probe. Now for the hard question - what do you do that they don't like? Probe here too. And if the client mentions something that cannot be helped, or that you need to do as part of your job, then explain it. Explain why you do it, and then ask again if they are happy for you to do that now that they know why.

Ask what other agencies do that annoys them, and what other agencies do that they like. This tells you what to avoid, and what to aim for. Ask what they would like you to do differently.

Don't take it personally. This is all information gathering so that you can improve your relationship with that client.

Some agencies send out customer satisfaction surveys. If that's appropriate for your industry then you could consider it, although I would add that many companies find them time consuming and results can be inconclusive without proper feedback.

At Skye Recruitment we employ someone whose job is to monitor the quality of what we do. She is responsible for talking to every client and candidate with whom we have had close dealings, and asking for their feedback on the service that they have received from our consultants. Sometimes people find it easier to be honest when speaking to a third party, rather than directly to you.

Once you have the feedback, you need to make changes. (If your feedback is 100% glowing in all regards then don't make changes - stay like that - and consider sharing the secrets to your success with everyone else).

It's not fair to ask for an investment from your client (in the form of feedback), if you're not prepared to put in the work to show them you are willing to take that feedback on board.

Once you have the feedback you need to draw up a plan of action, based on how to maximise what your client likes about you, and eradicate/ minimise the negative parts.

And then review. Give it a reasonable amount of time and then talk to your client again. Tell them that you have made XYZ changes based on their feedback. Ask the same questions again - what do they think of you? What do they like? What don't they like?

You only stand to gain from this. You will gain knowledge, an insight into what you're doing well and not so well, added rapport with your client, and respect from your client that you are trying to do things right by them.

Recruiters - when did you get lazy?

So, you've been doing the job for a while. You know your market, you know how to recruit, and you know how to hit target. You might miss one here and there, but overall you make up for it, and you're doing an okay job. Right? Not necessarily.

Somewhere along the line we all run the risk of allowing laziness, complacency, and even a touch of arrogance to sneak in.

When we start we're eager, we want to learn, we're aware of all the gaps in our knowledge, and we want to be the best we can. So how do we go from that, to... well, this?

Lazy habits and mindsets sneak in without us even realising they are happening. Somewhere between feeling the adrenaline of a new job, and feeling the routine of a job that we have done for a while, we are susceptible to little wrong turns that can not only hold us back as recruiters, but can also make us feel bored and stifled, with a sense of "I know everything - there is nothing more to know." And that's not a fun or productive place to be.

Below is a list (and it's by no means exhaustive) of some of those traps, and how we can try to fight against them.

I know my market

Well, this is good, isn't it? Isn't that what we all work toward? Yes, but a good recruiter knows that they never fully know their market. The day you think you know it all is the day you stop asking questions. Not made target this quarter? Well, that's because my market is down/ not as good as other markets. Boss telling you to try something different? Well that won't work with my market. Colleagues doing better than you? They have different markets. Wrong wrong wrong. You NEVER know your market like that. You should always be prepared to try something new, challenge existing perceptions, and ask more questions.

I don't mind missing target

So, you've hit your year target, but missed a quarter target. No big deal, right? You hit your big main one, so no one cares about one quarter. Or you have a history of being a big biller, but you've missed target this quarter - and that's okay, as everyone knows you're awesome. Nope. If you have missed target then something went wrong. Sure, there can always be extenuating circumstances, and if you know what went wrong and can work differently next time to ensure you hit target, then no one should be beating you up over it. BUT, if you're shrugging it off or thinking that you didn't do anything wrong, then you have made a mistake. It is never okay to miss a target, and your boss wants to see that you think that too.

My clients won't let me do that

Your clients won't let you work in a way that your boss is telling you too. You are not allowed to call your clients, and you must email them instead. You can't speak to managers and must only speak to HR. You can't send CVs through. Oh, and you're not making placements. Sure, some clients may want you to work in a particular way. But if all your clients (or a very large amount) are locking down your processes to the point at which you can't work with them, then you are kidding yourself if you are calling them your clients. Clients are people you speak to, with whom you have a relationship, and with whom you make placements. If you're sitting there wondering who to call, as none of your clients will let you call them, then they are NOT your clients. Get out there and make some clients.

I won't work with that company/ they won't work with me

Fine. There will always be some companies who you won't want to work with, or who won't work with you. But reassess the reasons behind this before writing them off. Was this decision made on the basis of a recent dealing with this client? Sometimes clients get marked as ones you cannot work with based on out of date information. Maybe your predecessor fell out with them, but they have no problem with you. Maybe you and a client clashed, but that person has since moved on. Maybe they were insisting on terms you couldn't work to, but they've abandoned that idea now. Keep it current. Keep talking to them. Things change. And if you're finding it happens a lot then check your attitude. Is your decision reasonable and in the best interests of your section/ the company? Don't let personal frustrations and annoyances hinder your client relationships.

I can't be bothered to deal with that candidate

We all have them. The candidates who we can't ever imagine placing, who hound us relentlessly. Or the ones who we thought we might place, but things fell over at the interview stage. So, it's okay to dodge their call? Or leave a message with a colleague to tell them you'll call when you have news. Or delete their emails. Right? You're busy. You don't have time for that. Wrong. And you know this one is wrong. You might not make a placement by speaking with this candidate, but you trade reputation in every dealing you have with someone. If you want to be the star in your industry then you need to get good referrals spreading about you. That unplaceable candidate will know other great candidates, and they will talk about you. Keep it brief, keep it efficient, but take their calls and reply to them.

I don't need to worry about KPIs

KPIs. The bane of a recruitment consultant's life. We have all been there, and you can bet that your manager who is now hassling you about call numbers has been on the receiving end of that same speech at some point in his or her career.  You don't need KPIs. You're a professional. You know what you're doing. KPIs are for junior staff. Anyway, call targets just mean that you'll end up making calls for the sake of calls, right? And who wants that? Surely it's quality over quantity.

Well, if you're making calls for the sake of calls then you're being an idiot. There's no nice way to put that. Sure, your boss might be a nightmare, and might be so focused on KPIs that he or she doesn't care about your billings. And that would be silly of them - agreed. But usually KPIs are achievable. Assuming they are not set at a ludicrously high level, then why would you not want to increase your work rate? Why would you not want to analyse your sector and look at how you can increase your client base and improve your dealings with them? You can only do that by talking to people. If you're busy, and productive, then your manager might not be so worried about them. But if you're not hitting target, and you're busy sending joke emails/ trawling the candidate database with no luck/ chatting to your colleague, then don't try to tell your manager you're too busy and important for KPIs. No one is too busy and important to try to improve their work rate and efficiency.

To sum up

Challenge yourself. Question everything. Play a game where you start a day by pretending it is your first day on that sector, and you know nothing about it. Mimic something a successful colleague does. Try out something your boss has suggested, even if you think it won't work. Set yourself goals at the start of the day. Care about them. If you're usually office based then go and see all your clients. Enrol on a new training course. Tell your manager what your career goals are for the year ahead. But don't ever think you know it all. The day you catch yourself on autopilot is the day you need to wake up and shake that complacent mindset before it drags you down too far.