Thinking about a move into IT Recruitment - my honest thoughts!

Having worked in rec2rec for over 7 years I’ve spent a good deal of time advising recruiters on sector moves. As much as the market has changed in my time as a rec2rec one thing has remained the same, the area which divides most consultants’ opinions- the most polarizing sector of them all….IT!

At Harrison Sands we honestly think IT is a great market to recruit within, really exciting, high fee values and our IT clients are among those with some of the swankiest offices and best packages and commission structures. So why are we still finding so much resistance from experienced Recruiters about making a move into the IT market? As some of you know before my time at Harrison Sands I spent 4 years working in IT recruitment and a further 2 in diversity consultancy providing support to technology companies so I thought it would be useful to speak to you about my personal experience of recruiting within IT!

First off, why do we think so many recruiters are put off by the IT market? These are the reasonings we usually hear (sometimes daily!)

1.     “I’m really not technical, I even struggle using our company CRM system, so I don’t think I could get my head around IT” As my MD Katie will attest to every time I tell her I’ve broken another laptop, neither am I, but this didn’t stop me understanding the IT market and being one of the top billers in my company. As an IT recruiter you aren’t expected to have the knowledge of how to network or code. For me the key thing was having an understanding of my clients and their technical strategy. Just like in any other market, what sets apart an average recruit from a fantastic one is taking the time to learn about how the staff you recruit will work to shape their company future and having the ability to learn about key trends in your industry. In IT these are so much more exciting than broken computers and C#- How about Artificial Intelligence, cryptocurrency, cyber security to name a few!

2.     “It’s all key word searching on CVs, there’s no personality to IT recruitment” This really depends on the area that you recruit into. If your prospective desk is nothing but DevOpps then yes, this may be a valid point, however there are so many areas of IT where your clients look for just as many soft skills in a hire as technical musts. I would always advise recruiters who enjoy relationship build with candidates and considering the IT market to look at areas such as IT leadership or Business Change. Project Managers, Business Analysts and Business Change professionals are people-focused to the core and often as a recruiter how you ascertain they are a perfect fit for your client isn’t from key word searching on their CV!

3.     “Don’t all IT recruiters wear a big tie, cuss all the time and think they’re the Wolf of Wall Street? That’s not really me” This is something we come across so often! Yes, there are some agencies (in all sectors!) who are like this, and do you know what- those agencies have some fantastic billers. If that’s not the type of agency for you, then you are right in wanting to give them a huge swerve- culture is so important in making a long term move, however……it’s such a shame to write off a whole sector based on a generalization. We have some great IT clients who are the complete opposite of this type of agency. Some of the least ‘recruitment’ recruiters we come across work in the IT market! When considering an agency it’s the people that make the culture, not the sector they supply into!

So what would I advise Recruiters considering a move into the IT market? Honestly, I had some of the best times recruiting within IT. I earned great money, worked as part of a really close-knit team and learned a lot about recruitment, and about myself.

I found confidence was key, and often being able to research technology and upcoming projects put consultants in so much better positions than bashing out as many sales calls as humanly possible.

If I was considering a move within recruitment would I return to IT? Absolutely!  

For me it was and still is a buoyant industry, where relationship build with clients is key. IT candidates were some of the nicest people I’ve dealt with at work, and some of the most reliable (in 4 years not one interview cancelled due to a mysterious grandparent ailment!).

While some of the more ‘traditional’ recruitment areas are facing uncertainty IT will continue to stand strong……and Harrison Sands will continue placing some of our most talented Recruiters into IT (you’ll love it- I promise!).