10 Lessons From 10 Years in Recruitment
Reflections from Ange - Director
This year has flown by (as if that’s any different to any other year right!) but I realised that this year in April marked 10 years in the wonderful world of recruitment. I joined Four Seasons Recruitment in 2012 in the hangover of the GFC in London as a Luxury Recruitment Consultant – a time that was the opposite of the current job market – many, many talented job seekers, and job scarcity.
The first 6 months (well really 12 months) were beyond tough – I was a rookie learning a new role/industry in a dynamic where effort didn’t necessarily result in reward – and as a determined, persistent high achiever in retail, this was a tough lesson to learn.
But now I am so thankful that I cut my teeth in that environment – my journey through that first year of agency recruitment to internal recruitment and talent acquisition, and then on to starting my own business has all been shaped by those first few years in London and the people that took a chance on me. There were MANY times in that first year that I doubted whether I was cut out for this role – fast forward 10 years and the thrill and honour of supporting people to find amazing teams or get their dream job hasn’t gone away. Below - I have reflected on my top 10 lessons in recruitment, after 10 years of amazing learnings I can only imagine what the next 10 are going to bring!
Keep it simple – we aren’t saving lives, but we can change lives.
1. Transactional recruiters never last long – keep relationships at the heart of what you do – and take the time to get to know people even if you can’t support them immediately. A point in the right direction or some constructive advice is nearly always remembered and will come back to you in the future. Not everything needs to have an immediate payoff.
2. Lean into the lessons (and there will be many! And they suck!) – don’t shy away from rejection or things not working out. Our product is people, it’s uncontrollable and as my Director told me “People don’t always do what they say they will on the tin!” and it’s always their prerogative to do what is right for them which will not always be the result that is best for you. The lessons though are of course the learnings – they are the consequences that we must feel and then know what we would do differently next time. This is the ONLY way to become an outstanding recruiter.
3. Keep it simple – we aren’t saving lives, but we can change lives. Following a process for sourcing will result in something – either a placement or the trust built between you and the candidate or client that means the potential to work together in the future. There is a tried and trusted process for a reason – it doesn’t work every time in your favour, but it does work.
4. Learn the difference between influencing and forcing – there is a fine line at times but trust me – manipulating, guilting, or forcing someone to your will – does you no favours (unless you enjoy backfilling roles!) Influencing with no agenda is a true skill and one that will be refined sharply over time.
5. Your reputation is your personal brand – let your work do the talking. Communicate often, do what you say you will and be gracious if it doesn’t go your way.
6. Assumptions make an ass out of you and me. This one will be the recurring pain point – never assume you have it in the bag, never assume salaries, career progression, drivers for moving, and how many candidates are being interviewed. Information is power and when you take a genuine interest you will learn so much! Check, check and check again. Assumptions tend to bite us when we least expect them.
7. Resilience, tenacity and attention to detail will become your superpowers – you will always pick yourself back up when you are down and your ability to read between the lines (and what is NOT being said) and read a situation will become next level if you allow yourself to see it. (and spend time doing your due diligence – promise it pays off!)
8. You need both clients and candidates – simple. Look after them both. Do what is best for both and find the common ground. Don’t shy away from the challenging conversations that need to happen to find a compromise.
9. If you work in a team of Recruiters – identify strong habits that top performers have. Observe those people and think about how they correlate to your development areas – then work on them! Shout out to Kathryn Burns (my polar opposite) - forever my inspiration in Recruitment and someone who shaped me more than she will ever know!
10. Learn the difference between recruiting and managing a vacancy – if you are an external recruiter, you better work out real quick what you can add to the process (and it’s not posting an ad on a job board!)
And as a final note:
Take the high ground always and be proud of the work you do – you might see a LOT of posts bashing Recruiters on LinkedIn, or come across people who love to tell you their opinion on your role – take pleasure in actively being the OPPOSITE of what they describe. There are average and way below average people in every industry – we just happen to work in one that has been largely unregulated. The work we do is important, skilful, and rewarding. So please if you are anything, be proud!
To everyone that has worked with me, clients, candidates, and colleagues - Thank you! Here is to another magical 10 years!
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