For love, money or self-esteem??

The UK now boasts an incredible 39,232 recruitment agencies, with 63 businesses hitting at least ￡100 million in billing - more than ever before. ￡35.1 billion is the current value of the UK Recruitment Industry, this is only 3rd in the World behind USA and Japan. Globally there are 260,000 Recruitment Agencies, between them employing around 1.7 million people.

So why do we do it? Why do we become recruiters? Why do we stay in recruitment? What are the benefits? Is there only one reason or perhaps multiple?

I remember the exact moment that I decided I could do this as a profession - it's the moment my wife said I could (after all she is right 99.9% of the time, just don't tell her that). Let's rewind the clock back over 7 years ago, I had been working for a company where I had hit my ceiling and room for progression was non-existent. So, like many before me, I decided to hit the search button on various job sites. I uploaded my CV and within a week a raft of different employment agencies had contacted me, they pretty much all did the same (some betters than others - granted). They asked me questions based on my past, my present and my future. Now 6 out of 7 agencies all carried out the next part of the process appallingly - they tried to sell me the dream, without listening to what I had dreamt about. In their defence, I was one of those really frustrating candidates who wasn't sure what I actually wanted, I just knew what I didn't want. So I was open to ideas, a new challenge, a role with prospects, the chance to become something - so when they came back to me with jobs that were less than the salary I was earning, or roles that were best described as a backwards step, I was slightly disheartened. I started questioning my choices, past and present; Should I stay put? Do I need to re-train? Should I have applied myself better at school? Well the answer to the last question was and still is a resounding yes. Now that hasn't stopped my career progressing or opportunities presenting themselves to me, however it did stall it somewhat and I was definitely a late bloomer (side note kids; apply yourself and get good grades). We can leave that subject matter for a future post maybe, so back to what mattered - job hunting.

These 6 agencies who managed to get it completely wrong sent me on a few random interviews, for companies I have since supplied funnily enough. If I had taken them, I would probably be back in the position I was in within the year. So many an evening, pre-children, my wife and I would sit down with a glass of wine (normally a bottle by the end of the night) and discuss our daily events. At this time, for me, finding a job was number one on my conversation list. I discussed how bad the recruiters had been, how terrible the interviews were and how the companies I was being sent to did not float my boat. So came the time for her infinite wisdom to shine; "Why don't you do it?", my response was candid "Do what?", without hesitation she said "Become a Recruitment Consultant. You enjoy sales, you like talking to people, you like helping people and most of all you have experienced what bad recruiters are like first hand, so you can make sure you aren't one". BANG - it hit me like the 07:30 from Kings Cross. Why didn't I think of that? More to the point, can I actually do it? Ultimately it was a put your money where your mouth is type of scenario. I moaned every night the recruiters were useless, so if I think I can do a better job why not try it myself. The next day, the one consultant and agency I spoke to that was actually helpful (and willing to give me the time of day) I called. I asked if they had any opportunities in the company and as luck would have it, the branch in Watford was in need of a Permanent Consultant. The Consultant I spoke too is still to this day someone I regard as a friend and she is doing exceptionally well. Fast forward through two telephone interviews, one face-to-face interview and a presentation and the job was mine. Result.

I decided from that point onwards that I would strive to help everyone who came to me looking for work and that I would listen to them, I would be better than the people who originally had approached me. 7 years later and that mantra is still important to me, however it has been adapted slightly - I understand that I can not directly help everyone who walks through my door asking for work, but I can give advice or point them in the right direction. This for me gives me self-esteem and I, like everyone else, like to feel good. It feels good to open the door for someone and they say "thank you", stop and let someone cross the road while driving, chase after someone to let them know they have left their card in the cashpoint as they are about to walk off - after all it's a great feeling to do a good deed. Now imagine you could do that everyday. In reality we work with people, they are for want of a better word, our product. I spoke to a gentleman not so long ago and once again showed why we do not always feel good or want to help. This chap, lets call him Frank, had not worked for some 16 months, however I wanted to help him and could see from his previous work history he had been hit by a bad run of luck. He was desperate to change his life and start earning money instead of "claiming off the state" as he put it, he was "happy to just get out and work again" he said, "no one else has given me an opportunity" he moaned - now I know why. It was a sunny Sunday, I was oncall and one of my clients requested a worker for that evening paying a fairly decent hourly rate of ￡9.50 per hour for warehouse work in our area. So I called Frank and told him about the job and advised him if he did a good job they would keep him all week, his response was exactly why this job is so hard "Oh I can't work at night, I don't like it". This part may split opinion, but to be frank (pardon the pun), why is he so picky? I didn't understand it. Unfortunately I have been made redundant twice in my career, both times I have had a young family (and still do). I would clean toilets, sweep the streets, work in a shop for minimum wage - at that point I would have taken 4 jobs to cover the mortgage and bills. I wouldn't be too proud, and just for the record there is nothing wrong with cleaning toilets, sweeping the streets or working in retail - without these people it would be a pretty crappy place to live. So in terms of feeling good, on this occasion I did not. After all my team carried out all the right questioning in the interview, the right checks and previously he had said he would do anything, day or night. People will read this and say why on earth did I give this guy a chance then? Well two previous candidates allowed me to give these guys a chance - I will call them David and Denny.

David had not worked for 6 years, his Father had passed away and left him 'a shed load of money' he happily divulged to me. David even said he enjoyed the money a bit too much in places and now needed to work again. David wasn't the most switched on cookie I have ever registered, however he had a need, that need was to earn money. David wasn't proud and went to every client we sent him too, day or night. He cleaned, he worked in a warehouse, he was a delivery driver (this was his previous role before coming into money) and he always showed up before his start time. He was so good in fact David was given a permanent job off the back of it. Well done Dave!!

Denny was a slightly different story, he hadn't worked for an incredible 13 years and had moved to our area after a frosty relationship with his ex, where she wielded a meat cleaver and whacked his thumb so bad it was hanging off. Therefore Denny was signed off work as he had been an engineer previously. Denny came across well in the interview and said he wanted to make a change, I gave him one chance and said he needed to prove himself - he did it, and with flying colours. Denny went onto become one of our most reliable candidates, well for 3 months before he moved onto pastures new. Both of these guys made me feel good and were examples of why I wanted to do it - it did my self-esteem the world of good.

Now let's come to the money side. If you are good, and have patience, then the money can be excellent. So do we stay in recruitment because the money is good? Are we worried we won't make as much in another sector? One of my previous companies had a plan to make every Consultant earn more money than the Prime Minister, ￡100k per annum (inc. bonuses) at that time. This was achieved by some, but by only about 1% across the group of literally hundreds of Consultants. I have had a couple of exceptional years and I can't say that the money isn't good for someone with no previous qualifications, barring a handful of GCSEs. Since starting in the industry I have undertaken further education and proved to myself I could and should have done more earlier. But I digress, the money in recruitment is factored on so many outcomes and probabilities, as stated before people are our commodity, therefore we are reliant on the decisions made by someone else. A fantastic month or week, can have an cataclysmic ending all by the actions of one person and their thought process, such as providing stress-relief on themselves in the toilet and enjoying a well-deserved cigarette after - true story unfortunately.

There are of course other jobs out there that can provide you with a solid and steady income, but not many will take you with no qualifications or relevant skills and provide you with the tools to become part of the 40% tax bracket crew. Money is a big draw and a good reason to work in our industry, it is definitely a reason to stay. Please don't get this confused with money-hungry, materialistic egomaniacs, mainly because I am not one. Someone once asked if I was driven by money in an interview, without hesitation I replied "yes", I was stunned by what came next - "If you are driven by money, you will do anything for money, so will you do anything for money?" they asked. Well the answer to that was a resounding "NO". In another interview I was asked what gets me out of bed in the morning, I bluntly replied "money" - the interviewer was taken aback until I advised that the money wasn't because I wanted to drive a Ferrari and wear a Rolex (although that would be nice), it was so that I could pay my bills, pay my mortgage and give my Wife the life she deserves (still true to this day). We all need money, without it, life would be much harder.

So finally, love. Do we work in this crazy industry for the love of it? I personally love recruitment and I have loved my job since I started in it. That's not to say I haven't had those days were I detest going into the office or question myself "why the hell am I doing this?". But I could safely say that I don't wake up in the mornings and think, urgh work. Each week flies-by and it doesn't give you a chance to dwell on the negative as the next success is right around the corners. Are we looked at by people on the same level as Estate Agents, Car Sales Executives or Furniture Sales Advisors, probably. But we try to convince ourselves that we are more because we can earn more, that we affect peoples lives for the better, that we truly make a difference. I am sure Estate Agents would argue that they make a difference in people's lives too, unfortunately with my experience it really hasn't always been very positive. But at the start of this I stated that 6 out of 7 recruiters provided me with a terrible service so we can't think too highly of ourselves can we. When I asked my old team if they enjoyed recruitment and their job, they all said the same thing, that they really loved it. All of them all used the same word at one point, love. They either said "some days I really love it" or "I love the team I work with" or "this is the best job I have had and I love it here". All of these are great things to hear from a managers perspective and shows to me that in some way they love the job (or maybe they just use the word freely). So then, do we stay in it for love? I don't deny colleagues in Recruitment love their jobs, however it probably is more love/hate than just love a lot of time.

I wanted to find out the true reason I, and so many others, work in the crazy world of recruitment. Is it because of;

Love

Money

Self-esteem

For me it is all the above, it provides me with an income to support my family, I am helping people support their families and honestly finding an industry or role you love isn't easy.

So if you are a Recruiter, or work in the industry, I ask why do you do it?