It is old news that the Recruitment Industry is short of Recruitment Consultants. If you are an Agency Recruiter, the chances are that you are currently getting bombarded with InMails and phone calls about other opportunities that exist in the market. Everybody wants you. Your skills are in high demand and many employers are prepared to tell you what they think you want to hear to get you to join their business. So, how do you make sure that you do everything within your control to choose the best opportunity for you?
Below is an essential checklist of 20 questions to ask your next potential hiring manager during the interview process. Regardless of your level of experience in the industry, be it 6 months or 15 years, this checklist will help you gather all the necessary information to help you make the right decision!
Final note for the more seasoned Recruiters with many years of Industry Experience. Please, do not just trust your experience or ‘go with your gut’. In other, more technical fields, where catastrophic failure can lead to loss of lives, such as Medical, Engineering and Aviation Industries, professionals of all years of experience are required to follow mandatory regulation checklists. Why not exercise the same degree of rigour when choosing your next Employer?
25 ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS TO ASK THE HIRING MANAGER
- Do you have structured KPI’s that need to be met on a daily / weekly basis?
- What sort of training and induction will be provided?
- What sort of people do well in this company/team?
- Are there extra training and development programs available for those who demonstrate outstanding ability?
- What is the typical OTE (On Target Earnings) of a successful consultant in their first year?
- What is the typical OTE of successful consultants in their third to fifth years?
- Can you describe your management style?
- What are the revenue targets you expect from your Consultants? How are they calculated?
- What percentage of the work within your team is RETAINED?
- What percentage of the work within the team is EXCLUSIVE?
- What percentage of the work with the team is CONTINGENT?
- How are bonuses paid in comparison to targets being met?
- What are the other criteria for achieving bonuses?
- Is bonus/commission paid monthly or quarterly?
- What are the standard work hours?
- Is there a database available to make contact with clients?
- Which companies do you have Preferred Supplier Agreements (PSA’s) with?
- Are there any support staff to help your Consultants?
- What facilities are available for consultants in the recruitment process? i.e. Testing of candidates/assessment centers.
- How does the team operate? Team based/Individually based or both?
- What is the career progression within the role?
- Are consultants responsible for either temporary or permanent recruitment or both?
- How sociable is the Team outside of work?
- How large is this team?
- Is this team made up of mostly males, females or mixed?
If you are currently going through an Interview Process with any Recruitment Agencies, do not be afraid to ‘flip the table’ and get the information that you need to make the right decision!
Dmitri Goloub is a Melbourne-based rec-to-rec consultant with 4 years of local market experience. Follow Dmitri on LinkedIn here, or contact directly on 0420474853 or e-mail dmitri@hamiltonprofessional.com.au
