Recruitment: Unless you work in the industry yourself, it’s a bit of a mystery to the outside world.
Most people will have had contact with a recruiter for one reason or another and have probably formed some kind of idea about what the job entails; but just how accurate are their perceptions of the job?
From the candidates point of view, to a confused parent trying to figure out their child’s career choice, here are a few amusing ideas about what it means to be a recruiter.
What you think you do:
You’re pretty much Cupid of the jobs world. You make perfect matches between candidates and clients, using a very refined set of skills and oodles of charm to win over both sides. You work long hours and attend lots of meetings to ensure that all needs and requirements are being met and the hiring process runs as smoothly as possible.
What your parents think you do:
They’re convinced that you just talk for a living, as all your job seems to involve is you being glued to your phone or checking emails 24/7. Anything to do with social media, Skype or mobile apps is territory that isn’t even worth entering when discussing work, as it will just lead to a lot of confusion.
What your friends think you do:
Attending “meetings” with clients and candidates on a regular basis is just an excuse to get out of the office for a pint or two. The same goes for all of the phone calls; chatting to a candidate about last night’s football result or who left the X Factor this week does not equate to a hard day’s work in their eyes. It’s called building a rapport and they’re just jealous!
What acquaintances think you do:
You mention in conversation that you work in recruitment and suddenly you’re the answer to all of their job seeking problems! Despite the fact that you recruit into an industry a far cry from the kind of role they are looking for, they expect you to be in the position to find them their dream job and make shining recommendations to all of your contacts who are currently hiring.
What your clients think you do:
They think you can wave your magic wand and have the perfect candidate for them that fits a criteria list the length of their arm. They don’t know much about the process that you go through to get these candidates in front of them, they just want it done quickly and they want them to fit the bill. They probably think you pull them out of a hat or something.
What candidates think you do:
You may as well have just come out of a lamp, because they think that you’re there to grant their job search wishes. If they don’t get the role, it’s 100% down to something that you did wrong; on the other hand, if they landed the job you are their number 1 hero!
What you actually do:
Finding the perfect candidate is like finding a needle in a haystack. It will taking a lot of searching through databases, social media and your own personal connections before you find and screen someone who you feel is well enough suited to put in front of your client. At this point you still don’t know if it’s a done deal though, as there is still the possibility that the client doesn’t like them, or the candidate changes their mind…and the cycle begins again.
