Some people say I should stop working as an agency recruiter. And for some reasons they’re right.
When I tell my friends what I do for a living I sometimes get the advice to stop it. To quit. To go look for something else. And you know what? Maybe they’re right.
- Because I quite don’t like it. Spending weeks profiling and sourcing scarce candidates, winning their trust to come over for an interview, writing a detailed interview report when submitting the candidate to my client… And then being told – by my client – that upon closer inspection there’s currently no budget for hiring. Or the job had been filled internally.
- I do not like it when feedback on submitted candidates is asked too much and – keep asking for it repeatedly cause I simply don’t take no for an answer – being inhibited by my manager because she’s afraid it may have a negative impact on the deal.
- And I hate it that 9 times out of 10 new business relationships start with price negotiation instead of talking about strengthening each other’s business in a broader sense.
If you’re somehow familiar with the business you might think that leaving agency recruitment for me is indeed the best next thing to do. And again, maybe you’re right as well. I mean, who the f*ck is going to spend 40 hours a week mailing and calling in an environment where making clear agreements is an oddity?
But you know what? I am not planning to leave agency recruitment at all. Here’s why:
- The reason that our business is like this, is simply because there are so many cowboys and –girls out there who by chance got the name of recruiter, talent acquisition specialist or whatever, working at companies that don’t give a sh*t about being of any value for their clients on the longer term. And that’s just perfect for me since it’s nowhere easier to be distinctive than in this market!
- Thereafter, prospects and clients who are used to not putting any effort in the relation with their suppliers (the simple result of keep acting as a humble servant of our clients) I gratefully and with a big smile send them to my competitors so that they can keep each other busy with sending and rejecting unsuitable candidates. Nowhere it’s easier to slow down your competition than in this business, how great!
- And finally: clients that once experienced how much more I can do for them in terms of recruitment (strategy) because they worked with me on an equal basis, with mutual commitment and an open and sincere way of communication will not soon leave. This strengthens our relationship, we get to know each other better and better over time and I – as their ‘recruitment ambassador’ – will simply be empowered even more to find, attract and successfully match new colleagues. Hurray!
I sincerely think that the recruitment market for agencies, even regionally, is large enough to only focus on clients who take their own recruitment issues seriously. As a result, you won’t only be still profitable, you also get much more satisfaction from your work.
Agency recruitment, I love it!