As a former job seeker turned recruiter, being 'on the other side' makes you realise that recruitment consultants have a harder time that you would ever imagine. Here are some of my observations from my time in recruitment.
Never underestimate the role of a recruitment consultant
I was surprised to find that recruitment is a lot more stressful than I would ever have imagined. As a candidate, you are oblivious to the activities that go on in the background. Consultants often have to deal with candidates letting them down by arriving late to interviews, accepting other roles, or misrepresenting themselves. This may reflect poorly on the consultant as well. Even if the candidate makes it to the interview, there is still the possibility (for whatever reason) that they may pull out of the assignment at the last minute (always on a Friday when there is a Monday start!), which results in a bit of weekend and last minute stress to secure another candidate's availability.
Candidate care: not just placing a candidate
Candidate care involves a lot more than just placing a candidate into a role. From there, there is a lot of ongoing contact with the candidates. If temps are sick, late, hurt themselves at work, etc., it is the recruiter and not the on hire company that is responsible for sorting this out. On a weekly basis, recruitment consultants are also faced with the same basic issues, such as, 'How do I fill out my timesheet?' or, 'I have forgotten my password to sign in to my portal.' Once again, it is the consultant's responsibility to rectify.
The upside to recruitment
BUT when it all goes well for the consultant, I have seen that the buzz is unreal. Successes often result in audible applause and cheers. In the people2people Chatswood office, where I work, this is known as 'The Chatswood Clap'. That in itself makes up for the stressful and frustrating situations we often face. Now that I have seen recruitment from the other side, I will never underestimate the role of the consultant again!
