Recruitment Consultants, what the job like?
Discussion
As the title suggests, what it like? Anybody on here one of them?
I am thinking of a career change as I’ve got a dead end IT job at a dead end company that’s boring the life out of me. Have been looking in different place and there seems to be loads of jobs available, namely IT Recruitment consultants. is there reason there are so many? it the profession that bad?
Any feed back will be appreciated muchly!
I am thinking of a career change as I’ve got a dead end IT job at a dead end company that’s boring the life out of me. Have been looking in different place and there seems to be loads of jobs available, namely IT Recruitment consultants. is there reason there are so many? it the profession that bad?
Any feed back will be appreciated muchly!
JonRB said: Much as I begrudge giving between 14% and 20% of my company's income to agents, week on week, it has to be said that they are finding life just as tough as we are at the moment. I wouldn't have thought that now was the right time to get into it.
Well you could always go and do it yourself Jon, i begrudge contractors who moan about how much we take off of them, but most consultancies (notice the word consultancy, and not the term agency)dont, it is a charge on top of what is the normal market pay rate for whatever particular role it is you are doing. You should not be being paid less for the privelege of somebody finding work for you, we have to make a living out of it somewhere and i disagree that it should come out of the contractors rate. Most clients are happy to pay this fee, as it saves the hassle of sourcing a good candidate with the right skills and the right fit for there team, it also saves them time negotiating with the contractor at the end of the contract, which in my experience generally happens if they require the project to run on longer than neccesary. We do a lot for a small anount on top of what they pay a contractor. Perhaps if your particular agency is paying you below the market rate then you should consider changing companies.
Although it is a very tough market out there, the GODD agencies are still finding plenty of work for people with the right skills.
I wasn't knocking agencies, Hughesie, nor was I moaning. However, we all begrudge "giving away" money surely, even when we know that it is necessary?
Hughesie2 said:i begrudge contractors who moan about how much we take off of them
Of course. However the standard agency practise of contractually prohibiting a consultancy from dealing with a client in any way other than through the agency for a period of 3 or 6 months after the contract terminates does kind of preclude that.
Perhaps if your particular agency is paying you below the market rate then you should consider changing companies.
Incidentally, I would be happy to have a direct business-to-business relationship with my clients and I can see that happening in the future with internet-based introduction services becoming more prevalent.
I am all in favour of using agencies to find my company new clients and I would be happy to pay for that service. I'd also be happy to employ a payroll company to ensure a steady cashflow - so that if the client was late in paying the payroll company would absorb that rather than my company. These are both services that an agency provides.
However, when I renew with a client who has never been late paying then I would like the freedom to make the business decision to dispense with the payroll company. I would also like to cease continuing to pay for the introduction service since it is a renewal. Under the current agency model these optiona are not open to me. My company still continues to pay the same percentage to the agency throughout the term of the contract regardless of how much - or how little - work the agency performs.
Perhaps as the good agencies adapt and improve things might change.
Anyway, I think you're kind of diving in on the offensive/defensive here because I wasn't moaning or having a go at agencies at all.
>> Edited by JonRB on Monday 19th May 09:59
JonRB said:I wasn't knocking agencies, Hughesie, nor was I moaning. However, we all begrudge "giving away" money surely, even when we know that it is necessary?
Hughesie2 said:i begrudge contractors who moan about how much we take off of them
Of course. However the standard agency practise of contractually prohibiting a consultancy from dealing with a client in any way other than through the agency for a period of 3 or 6 months after the contract terminates does kind of preclude that.
Perhaps if your particular agency is paying you below the market rate then you should consider changing companies.
Incidentally, I would be happy to have a direct business-to-business relationship with my clients and I can see that happening in the future with internet-based introduction services becoming more prevalent.
I am all in favour of using agencies to find my company new clients and I would be happy to pay for that service. I'd also be happy to employ a payroll company to ensure a steady cashflow - so that if the client was late in paying the payroll company would absorb that rather than my company. These are both services that an agency provides.
However, when I renew with a client who has never been late paying then I would like the freedom to make the business decision to dispense with the payroll company. I would also like to cease continuing to pay for the introduction service since it is a renewal. Under the current agency model these optiona are not open to me. My company still continues to pay the same percentage to the agency throughout the term of the contract regardless of how much - or how little - work the agency performs.
Perhaps as the good agencies adapt and improve things might change.
Anyway, I think you're kind of diving in on the offensive/defensive here because I wasn't moaning or having a go at agencies at all.
>> Edited by JonRB on Monday 19th May 09:59
I'll take it off here then, i'll mail you through your profile, i agree with a lot of your ideas and will respond to each individually Jon.
Look forward to discussing with you..
I would have to strongly advise against recruitment.
My parents own an IT recruitment agency which used to rake in the types of money most people only dream about. If you had entered the industry 10 years ago and were good at what you did then you could have easily retired now.
In the last few years they are making sod all. This year profits are a tenth of what they used to be and they are looking to leave the industry. There are far too many cowboys in the game now who entered when they saw the rewards and have given all recruiters a really bad reputation.
I'd honestly stay out of it, at least until things get back to how they were (if they ever do). It's very stressful, hyper-competitive and the profit margins are shared out very thinly.
My parents own an IT recruitment agency which used to rake in the types of money most people only dream about. If you had entered the industry 10 years ago and were good at what you did then you could have easily retired now.
In the last few years they are making sod all. This year profits are a tenth of what they used to be and they are looking to leave the industry. There are far too many cowboys in the game now who entered when they saw the rewards and have given all recruiters a really bad reputation.
I'd honestly stay out of it, at least until things get back to how they were (if they ever do). It's very stressful, hyper-competitive and the profit margins are shared out very thinly.
Hughesie2 said:Although it is a very tough market out there, the GOOD agencies are still finding plenty of work for people with the right skills.
Care to name a few (offline if you prefer)? My experiences with the big names has always been deeply disappointing - fictional adverts, un-returned calls, no understanding of the skills/technologies required and down-right dishonesty being the obvious problems.
Hello people, thanks for all your replies.
I was toying with the idea as i have seen loads of adverts for recruit consultants and thought it could be some type of 'side step' career move.
I take it from your replies that it isn't the industry to get into at the moment, but then what is?
oh well
IT Recruitment Consultant
I was toying with the idea as i have seen loads of adverts for recruit consultants and thought it could be some type of 'side step' career move.
I take it from your replies that it isn't the industry to get into at the moment, but then what is?
oh well
chrisjl said:
Hughesie2 said:Although it is a very tough market out there, the GOOD agencies are still finding plenty of work for people with the right skills.
Care to name a few (offline if you prefer)? My experiences with the big names has always been deeply disappointing - fictional adverts, un-returned calls, no understanding of the skills/technologies required and down-right dishonesty being the obvious problems.
No problem, in fact i have no problem naming them out in the public domain, but to not attract un wanted attention from Ted for advertising (IMHO) let me know what type of IT work you are in and i'll see what i can do for you.
Umar B,
Unfortunately there seems to be a lot of friction on PH between Recruitment Consultants and contractors (I think, primarily in the IT industry).
What I would say is that in the current state of the market, make sure an RC is going to give you support and a good package to join them. Ok, the real earning potential is there when you are recruiting, but you need to be in a supportive environment to make it all happen.
I have been working in a Recruitment Consultancy for the past 3 years working in Automotive and Motorsport recruitment following a 7 year career as a Chassis Engineer. I turned down excellent opportunities in the High Performance Auto industry for my current position and have never looked back.
If you fancy recruitment, go for it, but be prepared for long hours and hard graft. Times may be difficult at present, but not a bad way to understand the processes involved. Oh, and be prepared for contractors and candidates perception of you to be quite negative, even if you are making their lives easier.........
Unfortunately there seems to be a lot of friction on PH between Recruitment Consultants and contractors (I think, primarily in the IT industry).
What I would say is that in the current state of the market, make sure an RC is going to give you support and a good package to join them. Ok, the real earning potential is there when you are recruiting, but you need to be in a supportive environment to make it all happen.
I have been working in a Recruitment Consultancy for the past 3 years working in Automotive and Motorsport recruitment following a 7 year career as a Chassis Engineer. I turned down excellent opportunities in the High Performance Auto industry for my current position and have never looked back.
If you fancy recruitment, go for it, but be prepared for long hours and hard graft. Times may be difficult at present, but not a bad way to understand the processes involved. Oh, and be prepared for contractors and candidates perception of you to be quite negative, even if you are making their lives easier.........
dick dastardly said: I would have to strongly advise against recruitment.
My parents own an IT recruitment agency which used to rake in the types of money most people only dream about. If you had entered the industry 10 years ago and were good at what you did then you could have easily retired now.
Agreed, but there is still plenty out there for the good ones...
In the last few years they are making sod all. This year profits are a tenth of what they used to be and they are looking to leave the industry. There are far too many cowboys in the game now who entered when they saw the rewards and have given all recruiters a really bad reputation.
I have to completly disagree with you on this one, Consultancies that provide a QUALITY service will always be succesful, margin errosion has come about because of the Wide Boy recruiter that damages the industry so much, Clients get hacked off with the poor service that they provide and only use them because the wide boys are prepared to discount, i'm not suggesting for one minute that your parents company's margin erosion has come about because of this, i never have to discount because i know my clients before i start to work with them, the service is remembered long after they have been invoiced.
Quality wins everytime over Quantity, i personally would rather have 10 contractors working for me with decent quality margins, that buy into the service that i provide to my clients than 50 low margin muppets that SOME "agencies" go for, and expect from Consultants.
I'd honestly stay out of it, at least until things get back to how they were (if they ever do). It's very stressful, hyper-competitive and the profit margins are shared out very thinly.
I've never sold cars (or Houses) but its the same as any industry, if you can provide a good quality service and build good relationships with your clients you will be succesful, no matter how tough (allegedly) the market is...
I only ever hear from the guys who give up how hard this market is...
Hughesie2 said:
I have to completly disagree with you on this one, Consultancies that provide a QUALITY service will always be succesful, margin errosion has come about because of the Wide Boy recruiter that damages the industry so much...
They still have a few companies which have maintained them as preferred supplier but the majority of new companies don't want to know.
I have worked for them cold-calling thousands of companies and the majority do not have new jobs or will not deal with agencies. I asked why not and they all said that they no longer trust agencies and rather source their own. It never used to be that bad.
My parents company has won independant quality awards and has dealt with some clients for almost 15 years, but this means nothing to someone who has just been screwed over by a wide-boy searching the quick buck.
If you can provide a good quality service and build good relationships with your clients you will be succesful, no matter how tough (allegedly) the market is...
The IT recruitment industry is dying. For the last 10 years I've been working in it and planning on taking over my parents business. I am now looking for a different avenue because the work and stress is no longer worth the rewards.
No companies have the IT budgets they used to, no companies start new projects and recruit as much as they used to. Recruitment agencies are viewed as scum by most companies (rightly so in many cases).
Umar B
I have been in Recruitment (finance) for ten odd years now.
Forgive me for being a little blunt here - but I recall a post from you mentioning that you were a little short of confidence. ? Is that fair ? if not I apologise
Anyway - Recruitment is a sales led role - you need to make between 20 - 25 cold calls a day - mostly to people who don't want to hear what you have to say
You need a thick skin and to be able to take it on the chin. Good people are still making money in the business - but they tend to be more experiencd and have a network of contacts already established.
Also - you need to believe in what you do - I charge 30% of first years salary for my services. So it is expensice - but I KNOW the service I deliver is well worth the money.
If it wasn't I wouldn't get repeat business. To get repeat business you need to inspire confidence in your clients and candidates - interpersonal skills are absolutely critical.
If you are still interested - and beleive me Consultancy WILL draw you out of yourself and I have seen many an Introvert become an extrovert in this business - then why not apply to some of the ads and have a look
Good Luck whatever you decide - mail me offline if you want any specific questions answered.
I have been in Recruitment (finance) for ten odd years now.
Forgive me for being a little blunt here - but I recall a post from you mentioning that you were a little short of confidence. ? Is that fair ? if not I apologise
Anyway - Recruitment is a sales led role - you need to make between 20 - 25 cold calls a day - mostly to people who don't want to hear what you have to say
You need a thick skin and to be able to take it on the chin. Good people are still making money in the business - but they tend to be more experiencd and have a network of contacts already established.
Also - you need to believe in what you do - I charge 30% of first years salary for my services. So it is expensice - but I KNOW the service I deliver is well worth the money.
If it wasn't I wouldn't get repeat business. To get repeat business you need to inspire confidence in your clients and candidates - interpersonal skills are absolutely critical.
If you are still interested - and beleive me Consultancy WILL draw you out of yourself and I have seen many an Introvert become an extrovert in this business - then why not apply to some of the ads and have a look
Good Luck whatever you decide - mail me offline if you want any specific questions answered.
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