A Day in the life of Recruiter (@kaapro)

We know some recruiters love talking,
but not just through quick email squawking.
They pick up their cell phones,
say “Hi!” in a warm tone,
these pros are the ones who are rocking

Ever wondered what working in recruitment in Kaapro really consists of?

It’s really difficult to sum up a day in the life of a recruiter, primarily because no day is the same! We all have a to-do list which usually consists of “call client A, pass on feedback to candidate B, run a search for client C”. Our to-do list is not always followed due to constant changes that happen on a day to day basis, be it with clients, candidates or industry specific changes. As a result, we are constantly shifting from working on one thing to another, depending on priorities.

That being said, we would typically start the day by checking whether we have any new candidate applications on the roles we would be handling. We review CVs and set interviews with potential hopefuls. Most days we have team meetings to discuss candidates, clients, and share challenges to get help from the team, and celebrate successes (we also at times share some industry gossip!).

We usually have a few interviews scheduled every day, which require preparation and research on questions to ask during the meeting. We also have to run searches through our database, for particular roles we might be handling, and call potential candidates to see whether they are interested in the opportunity. Once we’ve compiled a shortlist, we then put the candidates forward to the client for consideration. At this point we would communicate with the client and obtain feedback on the applications. Here we can better gauge the company’s requirements, improve on our short listing whilst also supporting candidate’s applications by putting forward additional verbal recommendations. Once the short listing phase is complete we help in the setting up of interviews

One of the hardest parts of the role truly understands the requirements of the candidates and the clients. The reality is that we are dealing with people who are not always as clear on what they are looking for as we would hope. As a result, if we do not ask the right questions to elicit the underlying needs of the candidate/client, the repercussions can be quite unpleasant. We could end up with having a candidate making a wrong career turn because we did not unravel his or her real motivations for wanting to change jobs. Alternatively, we could have a client frustrated with us because we are not putting forward enough candidates or the candidates he/she he really needs.

Usually, not understanding the candidate/client ties in with us not having gained their trust. If they do not trust you, the probability is that they will not be as forthcoming with information as you would like. This is much easier said than done as trust is earned by being open and honest with clients whilst also showing that we know what we are talking about. We must show that we are abreast of what’s going on in the industry and what may result through certain actions and decisions. Setting candidate and client expectations are a crucial part of the role, we need to be realistic and let them know when we feel they are going astray. This goes hand in hand with dealing with disappointments, both from a candidate and client perspective and also having to handle your own disappointments. For every position filled there are a number of disappointed candidates that need to be given feedback as to why they were not successful. It is not easy, but it is a daily part of the job.

All in all, I genuinely feel that the challenges we face on a day to day basis are very much character building in that learning how to deal with difficult candidates/clients is a skill that can be implemented across various other circumstances outside of work. Apart from that, you learn so much just from interviewing candidates and meeting different people, it is a growth process in and of itself.

One of the most exciting things about being a recruiter is the day-to-day variation in the job.  You never know what’s going to happen when you walk in the door.  The perfect candidate about to accept a job pulls out at the last minute, or a client loves a candidate so much they offer them the job on the first interview!  There are many ups and downs in the life of a recruiter, but there is nothing better than the feeling of bringing together a qualified candidate with a great career opportunity.  Recruiters are very special people, able to be counselors, negotiators, and motivators all in one day.

kaaprohr