Here I am going to examine five of the types I most commonly work with and discuss how to positively manage their skills and turn them into expert recruiters.They say that no two snowflakes are the same, but is it the same for recruiters? There are thousands of recruitment consultants operating in the UK, each with their own personal technique and style.
In an article I previously wrote, I alluded to the 12 types of consultants you will find in the recruitment business. Here I am going to examine five of the types I most commonly work with and discuss how to positively manage their skills and turn them into expert recruiters.
Attention Recruiters
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The Wolf
This consultant thinks they are the ultimate recruiter, using hard-selling techniques to bully their candidates and clients into investing in their services. While, it’s true they may be smashing their targets for now, their sly tactics will do nothing to cultivate a long-lasting relationship with clients.
Clients need a recruiter that they know they can trust, not somebody who will say anything to make the sale and put forward someone who isn’t right for the role. Nobody likes their time wasted, so don’t send candidates for an interview if it’s 50/50 as to whether they are suitable for the role. If someone in your office is portraying wolf-like symptoms, talk to them in terms that they understand and make them understand about the value of long-lasting clients rather than the quick commission win.
The Early Riser
In recruitment, you can never do too much preparation. There are always CVs to be sent out, clients to call and job boards to scour. That is why the early riser is never too early.
We can all take a leaf out of this proactive individual’s book, after all nobody has ever failed to become successful because they did too much work. Get your head down, work hard and you will reap the fruits of your labour. While this is a very positive quality in someone in your team, be careful that they aren’t pushing themselves to complete jobs that aren’t in their market to get more results. While you admire their effort, sometimes it really is time to leave the office and go home. Make sure they stay focused and don’t try to take on too much.
The Rookie
We were all rookies once upon a time, so we should really learn to empathise with them when they make simple mistakes like getting clients’ names mixed up or sending out the wrong CVs.
The key factor you need to look out for in a rookie is whether they show the desire to learn, or whether they think they already know everything about the game. If the answer is the former, then you’ve landed yourself a harder worker who is willing to sacrifice some of their social life to meet their targets. Remember those 12-hour days you slaved through during your first few years in the industry?
However, if the latter is your answer then you might consider handing that arrogant rookie their P45.
The Charmer
You’ll already know how lucky you are if you have this type of recruiter in your office. Their natural relationship-building skills means that they have both candidates and clients eating out of the palm of their hand. This recruiter hasn’t just kissed the blarney stone, they also possess the written skills needed to produce high-quality job briefs that attract and engage the best talent.
Manage this charmer closely, for their only downfall may be picking up bad techniques that they have learned from previous recruitment agencies. Keep them close to you and teach them everything you know and you may just have found yourself the next top biller.
The Grinder
While this person certainly won’t be winning personality of the year, you’ll never have to worry whether a grinder will meet their targets. They consistently keep a steady hand on the job market and put in a decent amount of effort in the office to meet their KPIs. While grinders are not shy of hard work, a good manager should be able to nurture them and bring out their true potential as they could make excellent consultants.
By Steve Thompson is the Managing Director of Forward Role, an award-winning Manchester-based recruitment agency specialising in digital marketing.
