There are certainly plenty of good reasons why women (and yes you men too) rock in recruitment, so I’ve asked a number of fellow female recruiters for their interpretation of “why.”
Based on the answers I’ve received from these special women, I have comprised a list of the 7 best reasons why women rock in recruitment. Here they are:
1. Trustworthy
We all have a good girlfriend we choose to impart our innermost secrets to, or perhaps your mum or gran? Equally having a confidant as your recruiter is also vital in your career. I have personally coached many recruiters over the years who have entrusted me with their innermost secrets (I was the first to know my best friend was going to propose to his girlfriend before he took her away to celebrate the new role I placed him into).
What are the biggest secrets you have entrusted to your recruiter? Do you even believe you should go beyond the realm of recruiter and candidate and discuss anything personally?
The benefit to building a trusted relationship with your recruiter regardless of gender is that you create a partnership approach to your career search and both parties are more likely to recommend each other within their networks.
And to compare this sentiment, if you don’t actually trust your recruiter do NOT embark on a career search through them. Their approach should reflect your values and personality and only allow someone to be responsible for your precious career if you really do trust their style and principles.
2. Better listeners
Two ears and one mouth, use them in that order. This single statement remains emblazoned on my brain from my first training in recruitment back in 1998 from Bill Boorman, and contradictory to the stereotype swashbuckling talkative recruiter, the reality is the best recruiters are those who listen more than they speak.
We hear objections, we sense the stalling, and we also hear the buying signals. Listening is not the same as hearing though, and it is important to remember that despite having your own agenda as a recruiter, you have to listen to what your candidate and client are actually saying to you.
3. Empathy
A trait that may polarise a lot of external opinion of recruiters. Empathy generally is regarded as a feminine trait, we are regarded as the more intuitive gender, where “maternal instincts” kick in.
However, it is not unique to women in recruitment. Some of the most empathetic companies I have partnered with are led by male MDs, and I have plenty of examples of where these employers have gone above and beyond for their employees who have struggled in some way, or faced personal challenges that needed empathy and pastoral care.
4. Personable
I think this could be the most contentious point as there are some very personable recruiters in both genders as there are in any job you consider people in. Being personable in recruitment is essential to carve out your own style in your own niche. Stamp your personality on your desk by being authentic, and I always say, being the best you that you can be.
In some markets, there is less interaction with clients and candidates however when you do get the chance to engage, there is no reason why you can’t be friendly and chatty with the recipient as let’s face it, that’s why anyone uses a recruiter rather than AI; to have a conversation with another human being.
5. Multi-taskers
Hands down, this is the winning point. And no, I don’t care what you say. I am a single mum and run my own recruitment company. I have a dog. I have a desk to run and staff to manage. I have blogs to write…… And I do all of this in a day whilst still making time for myself, or Joe Wickes HIIT depending on how much chocolate I have consumed.
I dare anyone to disagree that this takes uber multi-tasking. This is very personal to me and how much multi-tasking I actually do daily.
6. Ethical
Doing the right thing every time even when no one is watching. Certainly not exclusive to females or males, very specific to the person and their own moral compass and what they are driven by internally.
Find the recruiter you believe will do the right thing by you every time; do your research. Go via a recommendation of someone who has used their services. Don’t compromise on your own ethics even if it means you don’t win/score a deal.
The prize is knowing you have behaved ethically there is a thing called Karma, and it is not gendered specific.
7. Diplomacy
How do you tell your friend that actually she doesn’t look good in those jeans, she shouldn’t be dating the latest guy, or that she really shouldn’t stick with the latest diet trend as it is not working.
Women are primed from a very young age to be diplomatic with each other as the growing up years can be brutal, and so I am convinced that by the time we reach adulthood, we are mistresses of diplomacy when it comes to delivering honest, candid yet kind feedback.
“You really should think twice before you have a cigarette before going into your interview” I had to deliver that news in my first week in recruitment to an engineer (actually, I had to tell him that his beer breath also put the client off too).
So what is the most diplomatic feedback you have ever had to deliver and how was it received?
