The cynics out there might say such a creature does not exist – a recruitment consultant that hasn’t bounced around from one agency to another – but yes they do* – and when they have a look outside their comfort zone, they are more often than not, surprised at how things are done at other agencies.
Now I am not at encouraging job hopping – that’s no good for your career (or your clients) – but I am encouraging those consultants that have only worked at one agency to consider what they might be missing out on. Sometimes the grass is greener on the other side, and when it’s not, at least it’s good to know when you are on good wicket and to continue to knuckle down and reap the rewards (do you think I could find any more cliches to include in that sentence).
Recently I met with a candidate who has only ever worked for one recruitment agency. She is very successful in terms of billings, billing well over $500K a year. She is working with a global business that took her on as a rookie and she now is a Principal Consultant in her specialist sector. We met for a casual coffee where she let me know that she is pretty happy where she is, likes her team and really there is no reason for her to move.
Now my style is never to push candidates into any role as inevitably it ends in disaster for all involved. So we left that meeting with me saying “great to have met you – let me know when you are ready to consider a new opportunity”. I got back to my desk, and knowing what she billed and her total rem, I calculated what she might have earned at a couple of other smaller agencies that have more generous commission schemes and incentives. I worked out that she had missed out on about $80,000 worth of commission had she billed the same at those smaller agencies.
Now you may think that it was the very nature of the global agency that allowed her to bill that amount – I argue that any great recruiter, given a well regarded, established brand (regardless of agency size) will be able to deliver great results. I did let that candidate know about my calculations and have left that for her to think about. It is totally up to her whether she takes things any further, but now she has something concrete to think about.
Of course earning potential is not what drives all recruiters. There are other important factors to take into consideration about what makes a good agency ….but that’s a whole other article !
So if you want to have a casual and confidential chat with me about how your role compares with what else is out there, give me a call or send me a text on 0426-808-343.
*full disclosure – I was a recruitment monogamist – having worked at what was back then called Tanner Menzies for many years (then working for Mr Tanner himself later down the track). I am now a recruitment polygamist** having recently joined Hamilton Professional and am learning every day about the things that differentiate our agency clients.
** well not technically, I only have one job at the moment ?
