Lots of people toy with the idea of becoming a Recruiter, and then talk themselves out of taking the leap. Recruiting is about 'process' not personality when done properly. If you're considering becoming an Executive Recruiter, my advice is get some basic training related to the WHOLE process and decide where (and if) you'd fit into that process.
The opportunities in Recruiting are endless! You may find recruiting to be the most rewarding position you've ever had emotionally, intellectually, and financially. Give it a chance!
The more facets of recruiting you feel you can handle, the better you'll perform and the more money you'll make. Whether you want to be a contract recruiter, in-house corporate recruiter, independent Executive Recruiter, or staffing consultant, the key principles remain the same. What changes is the working environment, amount of personal independence, amount of stress and pressure, and money one makes.
Sadly, newbies often have the most frustration and make the least money. Why? Because their indifferent employers don't care about training, skills, or integrity. The, "Keep pushing the bodies through" mentality doesn't work today (never did) and the turnover rates in these operations tell that sad story. Don't believe the line, "It's just a numbers game. You'll earn what you're worth." That's pure Bull. Walk away from these operations.
In the past ten years great efforts by large and small companies have broken down the search process into multiple functions. Personally, while many companies must prefer all the added layers of bureaucracy, the comments I hear from clients make me believe too many of these "new" systems are lacking.
One specific complaint is the amount of time to fill a position is growing. Here's a joke: An employer posts some ads on a few Job Boards, gets a bunch of resumes, some from very qualified candidates, and yet it takes MONTHS to make a contact with those qualified candidates. ha-ha. And then the employer complains that candidates 'shop' for jobs and aren't serious enough! Who could take an employer seriously who manages their employment process like employees are THE LEAST important part of that companies' success?
Situations like this are everywhere! This is bad news for those kinds of companies (and their corporate recruiters) and great for Executive Recruiters, whose major strength is speed and candidate quality. I've made a fortune off of hiring managers who've had open positions for months. The official company policy may be, "We handle all recruiting in-house", but the reality is if I've got a qualified candidate they need, they'll pay my fee and be happy.
Too many recruiters rely too heavily on reading resumes and resume data sorting software. The resume tracking software is an important tool that often provides one or more extra placements a month for small agencies. Big companies rely heavily on the software too. There's a place for these tools.
I'm not knocking any tool that assists in making placements; however tools are not a substitute for sound, practical, tried and true recruiting methods and strategies that really make placements.
Recruiters are always looking for new and better sourcing methods. Many are looking for ways to NOT recruit! The big bucks go to those Headhunters who have taken the time to learn how to pick up the phone, track down great candidates, interview and qualify them, present the opportunity, verify relevant facts, and schedule the send out. Successful Recruiters don't "wing it", they follow a process.
There's a way to present an offer so that it gets accepted. There's a way to keep negotiations going and a way for Employer and Candidate to both be happy when negotiations are completed. Take the time to understand the process up front and your success will be immediate and ongoing.
The funny thing is: Those Recruiters who take the time to learn their craft, make tons more money with far less effort than 80% of all other types of recruiters. Be a successful Recruiter. Start with investing a few dollars in your own training. Perfect your recruiting skills. The return on investment will be immeasurable.
We train successful recruiters. visit us at: http://www.toprecruitersecrets.com
