My previous post attracted some great commentary. One consistent theme was this: If a Recruitment Manager is worried about their team being Headhunted, maybe the problem is not the Headhunter but the Recruitment Manager and the working conditions within the business. In other words, if you’re losing staff left right and centre to Headhunters, perhaps your Agency doesn’t offer such an attractive or rewarding environment in the first place.
So, as an experienced Recruitment Consultant, what are THE TOP 5 things you should consider when looking for a new Recruitment role?
Here at Hamilton Professional we deal with this topic on daily basis. We are lucky to have insights from Recruitment Managers and Company Directors who constitute our select Client Base. We also hear even more personal accounts (and some horror stories) from our Candidates on a daily basis. So, here is our checklist of the Top 5 Things To Look For as a Recruiter when vetting your next Agency:
- Non-discretionary, transparent commission structure.
Time after time we meet experienced Consultants who are earning significantly less than they should be because of discretionary commissions. Look for transparent, uncapped commission structures – this will substantially increase your income as well as motivate you to perform at your best. - Flexible work hours and schedule – within reason.
In Recruitment, putting in long hours is a necessity when things get busy. What you want to avoid is having a strict, micromanaged schedule where you are expected to be there 8.00am to 6.00pm every day and not a minute less. This will quickly throw your life and job satisfaction out of balance. Some flexibility with being able to work from home and access to emails and databases is a reasonable request when you are hitting your revenue targets. - Inspirational Managers that lead from the front.
Richard Branson once said: “There is no magic formula for great company culture. The key is just to treat your staff how you would like to be treated”. In addition, look for a Manager who leads from the front, generates their own billings, as well as develops new business for the division. - Strong, positive work culture with good longevity amongst the ranks.
Meet the team, ask questions about what it’s really like to work for the business and what the key challenges are. Always do your due diligence, utilise LinkedIn to check the longevity of the staff within the team. As a general rule, a stable team is a good indicator of a good working environment. - Non-technophobic environment that embraces the digital revolution.
According to Greg Savage and most industry experts, the future of Recruitment is in the digital space. As modern Recruiters, we need to have increased presence on social media and build our brand and visibility online. There are a number of agencies that are leading the way in this. Make sure your new place of work has a coherent digital strategy and recognises the importance of online marketing both for the business and it’s Consultants.
What are your thoughts?
It would be really interesting to hear from Recruitment Consultants and Hiring Managers alike. What do you look for when deciding on a new job? Have you ever been “oversold” on the opportunity when interviewing for a new role? How do you create an EVP that is not only good at attracting new staff, but also to retaining them on long-term basis? I look forward to your commentary!
