Overview
To round up 6 months of working at Greenfield, I wanted to share some wisdom. Though I’ve been in the recruitment industry for a year now, it’s only in the last 6 months that I’ve specialised in Marketing and IT recruitment.
I’ve learned a lot, and hopefully these tips and tricks can help you too. Though no two days are the same, these are good habits you can implement to make each day run a bit more smoothly.
Know Your Market
It goes without saying, but knowing the market you are hiring for is crucial to truly understand the needs of both your clients and candidates. I’ve taken the time to understand trends and news in my specialist markets, which helps me to prepare for changes in each sector.
For instance, knowing that the marketing industry has seen a 70% increase in demand for digital marketing capabilities since the pandemic has helped me to know which candidates are most likely to fit my clients’ needs. And likewise, being informed about the IT industry is helpful in ensuring I can offer my candidates the best. I know that IT salaries have been driven up by 6.7% since 2021 due to the candidate scarce market, so I can advocate for their pay with data to back my points up.
Get Organised
When you work in recruitment, you need to learn how to juggle a lot at once. If you’re not organised, keeping on top of all your contacts will feel overwhelming and things will likely slip through the cracks.
The best thing you can do is have systems in place from the start. Especially when you’re dealing with specialists in subjects that are as technical as marketing and IT, it’s important to keep notes. This could be as elaborate as a spreadsheet of all your contacts and their requirements, or as simple as a keeping a few lines in a document on each person. Whatever works for you.
This will help to you in making sure that as the number of people you’re working with increases, your standards of care don’t slip.
Use Your Time Effectively
Writing a to-do list and hoping everything gets done won’t work in recruitment. I find that the best way to make sure urgent tasks get done is by blocking out time in your calendar. This ensures that jobs are prioritised correctly and always get done on time.
Of course, you can’t predict when the phone will ring. But having a rough schedule will ensure that you’re not wasting time on things that can wait.
Get To Know Your Candidates
Your candidates are going to be contacted by other recruiters – it’s unavoidable. So, building a great relationship with them and showing that you care about their career goals can make you stand out against the crowd. Plus, your attentiveness will mean that your when the right position comes up for your candidates, they’re name will come straight to mind.
It’s also worth getting to know the types of candidate in your market. In my experience, IT and Marketing candidates often expect the opportunity to work hybrid or remotely. Knowing to ask about this at an early stage can ensure you’re on the right track from the beginning and lead to a greater chance of a successful placement.
Keep Your Candidates In The Loop
Unfortunately, ghosting culture has trickled into recruitment, which means that candidates and recruiters alike often expect to be dropped when things go quiet.
Remaining in consistent contact with your candidates can help to build a trusting relationship, as they won’t feel forgotten. Plus, this has the additional benefit of meaning they’re more likely to keep in touch and be honest with you as their desires and situation changes.
You Won’t Know Everything – And That’s Okay
After 6 months, you’d have to have a certain ego to believe you knew everything about recruitment and your specialist markets. I’m still learning about marketing, IT, and recruitment every day, but so is everyone.
At the end of the day, as long as you’re willing to put in the time, push through the hard work, and stay flexible when new challenges arise, you can have a fulfilling and exciting career as a recruiter.
