I have worked in the IT recruitment space since 1999! When I started, we faxed CVs, the database was a DOS based system which also acted as an Inbox (5 emails max!) and business development involved the Yellow Pages! We had mobile phones but all they really did was make calls and send texts. There were no smartphones, no social media, no Office365, no Cloud based CRMs, no Skype etc etc.
However, there is one very important element that remains the same and is the very essence of recruitment and that is PEOPLE!!! We can have all the automation and gamification on offer but people will always remain at the heart of what a recruiter does.
From a candidate perspective, searching for a new role can be overwhelming. As a recruiter, I provide key information about unique roles and companies, guide them through the interview process, negotiate salary and offer support at the resignation stage. I dig deep to discover a candidate’s true motivations and aspirations to find the ideal match.
From a client perspective, the person who joins their team and company is not just a list of skills and experience. This new person needs to fit the culture of the team and organisation which can only be established by people-to-people contact not key word searching. Relationships are key!
From a personal perspective, the reason I have remained in recruitment is the people! I love working with organisations and helping them grow by finding them the right people. One of my main achievements was sourcing a tech start-up’s entire R&D team which lead to their success and eventually selling for several million which they attributed to me finding them unique talent! I also love finding candidates their dream jobs (and the gratitude they bestow on me). Many of these candidates I am still in contact with today and several have become clients. What goes around comes around?!
The magic of recruitment is improving people’s lives and making a positive impact. I will not deny that recruitment has provided me with financial benefits but I could think of nothing worse than being a transactional “bums on seats” recruiter who only has their eye on a fast buck! This style of recruitment is short lived and soul destroying.
People are the most important element! Therefore, clients and candidates need to be treated with the respect, kindness and understanding that we would expect for ourselves to realise the magic that is recruitment…
