A day in the life... - Article by our very own Emma Warner

A Day in the life of…

I find that many people don’t really understand what recruitment consultants do. There are a lot of assumption that we just ‘find people jobs’. Yes, this is in principle what we do, but it is more about finding that perfect match. It’s almost like dating; we have to meet with many candidates before we find ‘The One’. It is about being able to understand the client and candidate needs and putting them together to create a great working partnership.

So where and how do I focus my time?

 

Morning 

As a naturally early riser, I get up at 6.30am grab a cup of tea and read my emails. I always like to be prepared before I head to the office so I know exactly what I need to do when I get there.

Once I’m in the office, I contact all my candidates who have an interview today to ensure that they are ready and prepared and to go through any last minute questions and have a final overview of the role. Preparation is key for interviews so giving each candidate in-depth information about the client that is not on the JD or website is so important to give them the best chance at succeed.

Client relationships are key for me so I ensure that I call each one of my clients every day to update.

Taking on a new role is critical, so I always invest a large amount of time on this. I usually work on a retained basis to ensure that this is a singular investment for our clients. One of the key factors for me is the culture of the organisation and the challenges that the business and the role will face. The fit is key to a successful match, especially within HR, and the working style and priorities in decision-making are vital to finding the right person for the organisation.  Having taken thorough details, I arrange a meeting to really get under the skin of the role and the business.

Ensuring that the job and business are fully conveyed in an advert is harder than you would think! I focus on the role and the challenges; it’s not all about the duties. This is obviously the first step to ensuring that we are reaching out to a broad audience as well as the candidates we already have a relationship with. We take a lot of time to get to know our candidates, so we will know if we have someone who will be interested, and will contact these people first.

Business development is also part of the role and the part which can lead to high attrition in our industry. Much of my work comes from repeat business and referrals, so I want to make sure that people who haven’t had the chance to be in contact with us understand how we can support them. I am proud to say that we are not only a ‘recruitment service’ we offer much more. From Employment Law Updates to Director Boardroom events we also offer HR Salary & Benefits Guides and HR updates, which are all completely free of charge.

 

Afternoon

Building relationships with candidates is part of the role that I particularly enjoy, and I spend time in the afternoon getting to know an HR Director who has recently moved to the area. We talk about what he wants from a role and what kind of culture and environment would work for him. We also have a good discussion about the market and how things are going at the moment. It’s always interesting to understand what their perspective is on the current market and what they are experiencing. Sharing knowledge increases knowledge, so I think it’s important to take the time to talk. A highly experienced candidate with a lot to offer, I will be speaking with my clients that match his requirements to see if I can raise any interest in his profile.

Next, I’m out of the office to meet a client. I want to get a feel for the business environment and culture. I do believe that it’s important to meet with every client, as without meeting them how can you engage a candidate in something you don’t know about? I want to ensure that I am seen as an extended part of the businesses I work with. We have a great meeting and set timelines so we both know what to expect, and are clear on the road ahead.

Then some great news! I take some great feedback from both a client and candidate after their interview and it looks like it’s going to lead to an offer. I am confident my candidate will accept because I’ve ensured that I know exactly what the candidate wants and where their thought process is.

At the end of the day, I always make time for social media as it is so important to ensure that your brand is out there. LinkedIn is my favourite and I will get involved in HR discussions and keep up to date with what’s happening in the market. I want to make sure that I really understand the challenges that my clients face and have ideas on how, as a partnership with can overcome them.

As you can see the life of the recruitment consultant is busy and varied, which is why I enjoy it!