People often make the mistake of thinking that the role of a recruiter is to just help people find jobs. Believe it or not, that’s not really the truth at all.
Sure, ultimately you’re trying to place great candidates into their dream careers. But your responsibility is first and foremost with the client. You’re there to help them find the right people to fill their positions.
In this respect, recruitment is very much like a sales role. Only instead of a physical product, the commodity you’re brokering is people.
The thing with people is that they have minds of their own. They have goals, ambitions, and dreams, and they’re unpredictable. This means you need to always expect the unexpected andrealisethat not everything will go exactly to plan. But it also means that every day is different and ensures there’s no time for boredom in recruitment.
As what’s known as a “full desk recruiter”, you’re effectively a one person business. You’ll have to master wearing a handful of different hats at the same time. Among other things, you’re a consultant, a salesperson, an advisor, a negotiator, and an entrepreneur. And you’re responsible for managing the entire recruitment processes from beginning to end.
Working With Clients
At Phaidon International, we’ve got existing relationships with lots of companies, and it’s these relationships you’ll be tasked with continuing to develop. You could be getting to grips with exciting tech startups, finding them the next generation of stars. Or perhaps you’ll be headhunting highly established investment bankers for large global financial institutions.
You’ll have the opportunity to build your own partnerships from scratch withorganisationswe’ve never worked with before. Winning new business is an essential and rewarding part of the role.
A lot of the initial work is done over the phone, but if they want a face to face consultation you’ll get to visit their premises to seal the deal. You might have to put together a kickass presentation to demonstrate exactly what you’re bringing to the table.
Once you’ve signed an agreement on the terms of business, it’s time to get to work understanding that company inside out. By doing this you’ll get to know the kind of talent they need to drive their business forward.
It’s down to you to advise them on what to expect from the process. Give them a rough idea of how long you think it will take to find their ideal candidate. Let them know whether it’s going to be possible on their proposed budget and give them a reality check if not - managing expectations is key.
Once you’ve won your client’s confidence and know exactly what they’re looking for, it’s time to find them the perfect candidate.
Working With Candidates
Candidates are in many respects the most important aspect of the job. Regardless of how many great clients you have, you need the right people to fill their positions.
We have a large database of candidates we’ve already worked with - this is usually your first port of call when you get a new role. You’ll also be sourcing new candidates that aren’t on the database. This can be done through networking, advertising, and headhunting.
The best recruiters have a wide and diverse network of high-level specialists in their field that they’re regularly in touch with. It enables them to act quickly as soon as there’s a development.
The better the relationships you build with candidates the more receptive they’ll be when you tell them about a role that you know will take their career to the next level. But you also want to be the first person they call when they’re looking for a new challenge.
It's not enough to expect the perfect candidate to simply drop into your lap. You really need to be proactive to find the right person for each role your clients’ have.
Managing the Whole Process
From start to finish, a recruitment process can take anywhere from a few days to a number of months. Throughout this period, regardless of how long it is, you need to ensure that everything goes smoothly and everyone involved is happy.
This means making sure your candidates are well prepared for interviews and understand what to expect from the process. You debrief with both the candidate and client after every stage to check how it went from each party’s point of view.
And once it gets to the decision stage, it’s you who presents the offer to the candidate. You’re also the one to negotiate on the finer details to guarantee both client and candidate are happy with the deal.
Your responsibility doesn’t stop on the candidate’s first day either. You need to keep in touch with everyone to make sure that they’re happy with how everything goes in the first few months.
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About Us
Phaidon International is the parent company of five leading specialist recruitment agencies. For more than 15 years, we have given clients and candidates the peace of mind that the recruitment process is in expert hands. Out continual investment in best-in-class technologies and consultant training enables us to recruit with speed, precision and accuracy. Today, we provide contingency, retained search and project-based contract recruitment globally. Contact us today to learn more about the company and the opportunities we offer.
