Written by David Pereira- HR Manager, Liz Lyn Careers
If I had a dime for every time I heard a young Human Resource Executive say,” I would like to make my career as an HR generalist and not as a recruiter”, I would have many dimes. Why are aspiring HR executives skeptical about Talent Acquisition and Recruiting? Don’t get me wrong. Human Resources is a vast subject and people with different skill sets excel in different areas of this subject. For those out there wondering if there is scope to grow as a recruiter, is it a stressful job where you have very limited control over the success, or is it just a rite of passage to become a Human Resource Manager, this little article will give you some interesting points to ponder on.
Recruitment is a very lucrative career choice. You can make a lot of money in a short period. Since you work with targets, it means you get monetary incentives through hiring. The more people you hire, the higher your incentives will be. Sounds good right, so why are people hesitant then? Below are a few reasons
Ups and Downs: Ask any recruiter and they will tell you all the “downs” they face throughout the day right from candidates ghosting them to clients shooting down their applicants every time.
It’s Literally Sales: Recruitment although an HR function shares more similarities with sales. You spend a majority of your day calling, emailing and client servicing.
Endless Grind: As soon as you fill one position, you’re moving on to the next one. It never ends. There’s always more work. More people to call. People to follow up with. New jobs to learn and study and begin working on.
Competition: Recruiting is very competitive. Hence, it can be very challenging for an individual who is not competitive in nature to do a good job here.
You’re never really “Off the Clock”: No matter how well your organization advocates for work life balance, a recruiter is almost always on pins. Even off work you worry and at times you need to take action on things outside working hours.
If the above points have already frightened you.
Here are the pros:
Anyone can be a Recruiter: All you need is a Bachelor's degree and a bunch of other personality traits that we will talk about towards the end of this article.
Make More Money: As long as you join a good recruiting company that isn’t failing, toxic, or just run by terrible managers, you’ll have good opportunities to grow. You get commissions over and above your base salary, so why would you want to pass on that. For a lot of good recruiters this is the prime motivator.
Industry Exposure: If you work for a recruiting agency you get ample exposure to various industries and their culture, organizational structure, pay scales and this will definitely help you make informed career decisions when you think about moving to your next job.
Learn Valuable People Skills: Think about it, you need to find candidates, and many of them aren’t actively looking for jobs. (Companies who are paying a recruiter want the best talent, which often means they want you to contact people who are happily employed). So you’re chasing people who don’t always want to talk to you… on LinkedIn, on the phone, and via email. With good people skills you can excel as a recruiter or even pivot to other areas of work or start your own business.
Art of Persistence: Things often don’t go your way in recruiting because there is only so much you can do as a mediator between client and candidate. However the secret to success here is persistence. Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence.
What does it take to succeed as a recruiter?
After 4 years of experience in this domain, I can safely say that you can excel at recruiting if:
You are curious by nature. You learn everyday and this cannot stop.
You can handle the stress well. Getting worked up solves nothing.
You are competitive in nature and have a sense of urgency.
You are a problem solver. We always need more solutions.
You are always motivated. If not, don't bother.
If these 5 points describe you, then come join our team. Send in your resume and we will find you.