Everything You Need to Know About a Career in Recruitment

The role of recruiters is much more than placing candidates in new jobs. Recruiters go above and beyond that, working with businesses to find them top candidates in the market. Recruitment begins with identifying organisations that need support sourcing talent with the skills required to achieve their business objectives. As a leading global recruitment company, we’re more than a CV sender; our purpose is changing people’s lives through creating opportunity to reach potential.

The job

As a recruiter, you are in effect a consultant who is a specialist in either one or multiple discipline (like Marketing, Finance, HR, Tech, etc.) and/or sectors (Mining, Education, FMCG, etc.). Each day at work as a recruiter does not look the same. You need to constantly be researching the market activity, identifying new businesses, understanding customers, building a pipeline of highly skilled candidates. Sourcing talent for companies is not an easy task. As a recruiter, you need a plan on how you are going to approach and make a pitch to both organisations and candidates, and ultimately strike a match between the two in the form of a placement. Once a job is filled, you earn a fee as a recruiter for your company. 

Essentially, the job requires you to be a ‘people’s person’ and have strong selling and business development skills. You need to convince businesses about the value you can bring to its hiring strategy and process, and at the same time, you not only need to identify the right talent for the position but also convince them that this would be the right career opportunity for them. This is the part that many recruitment professionals have a genuine passion for – the opportunity to change someone’s life by placing them in a job. 

Hiring processes can be long (sometimes, three to six months or more). There are also some variables that may or may not be in your control (such as speed of decision making, a candidate backing out at the offer acceptance stage). Working in recruitment can also be quite a competitive, fast-paced, high pressure environment. Thus, passion, determination, a positive mindset, and patience become very critical to the success of a recruiter. These form the core of our values as a company: We are determined, passionate, enjoy what we do, work as a team and make a difference. Read more about your role here.

Performance metrics 

And the KPIs for the job are closely linked to the processes that result in the outcomes. How many business development calls have you made, the number of client meetings booked, the number of jobs secured from these meetings, the number of candidates met, the number of candidates interviewed and shortlisted by the client, the number of jobs filled – these are just some of the examples of the metrics that consultants’ performance is evaluated against. But at the heart of it all, is the quality of these deliverables that will rewarded. This is because, at Michael Page, we pride ourselves in being ‘completely customer’. Our high standards of service in our interactions with both organisations and candidates is what sets us apart. Delivering this level of service starts and ends with the recruitment team.   

In effect, your target structures are built around you: depending on the level of experience you bring and your position in the company, when you start on the job, you would typically have three to six months to start generating revenue (through getting clients on board and making placements). 

Bonuses, benefits and beyond 

At Michael Page, consultants earn a competitive monthly salary, are provided with an annual medical insurance cover, but additionally, they also earn attractive incentives and bonuses on a quarterly and yearly basis. We create opportunities for people to succeed and make celebrating successes fun through organising memorable and unique experiences for team social events. 

As our business grows, to better support our employees and customers, and drive a more purposeful impact, we at Michael Page have increased our focus on health and wellbeing, flexible work, innovation and our ESG strategy. Find out why we’re a great place to work. 

Career progression

In recruitment, the structure can differ from company to company. At Michael Page, we have clear guidelines for promotion criteria. A set of goals and tasks are mutually agreed between the consultant and his/her manager to move on to the next level. Professionals fresh to the industry would typically start at Researcher, Associate Consultant or Consultant positions. Thereafter, you can progress onto Senior Consultant and Managing Consultant roles, before eventually becoming a Manager and Senior Manager. For those who do not want to get on the managerial path of leading a team, Business Manager and Principal are typical titles to progress into. At the leadership level, we have Director, Operations Director, Senior Director and Managing Director positions – these senior positions would be responsible for leading multiple offices, teams and desks, even spread across different locations. 

We offer the support and development needed for our people to reach their potential through a market leading blended learning approach. 

Desired experience or transitioning from another career 

We have professionals coming from very diverse backgrounds – from former layers and football coaches to former hoteliers and healthcare professionals, from former geologists and forensic scientists to former engineers and accountants, many sector specialists build successful careers in recruitment if they have a passion for sales and interacting with people. Transitioning into this profession depends on your level of adaptability and mindset. The transferrable skills (such as customer service, negotiation, EQ, flexibility, interpersonal skills, etc.) that one can bring into recruitment from their former professions can be invaluable to success.

No specific education background is required however the degree you've earned offers you a certain level of commercial and business intelligence, as well as a strong methodical approach. 
Learn more about how these consultants made a successful career transition into recruitment. 

We create opportunities for people to reach their potential. If you feel you’ve got what it takes, we’d love to hear from you - apply now.