Starting a career in recruitment: A Hanson Search Researcher Tells All

Starting a career in recruitment: A Hanson Search Researcher Tells All

The recruitment industry has earned – for good or bad – quite the reputation in the professional world. Whether you envisage offices akin to ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ or rows of middle-men bashing phones and booking interviews, opinions are like noses – everyone’s got one.

Coming fresh from a business management graduate scheme and wanting a change, I knew that interviewing is only half the battle, and the real challenge begins as you settle into a new role, new industry and new team. Now I’m in, with feet under the desk, I can step back and take stock; what is it I’ve signed up for, and what do we actually do?

Research and network

‘But don’t you just send CVs?’ Despite the myths, skilled recruitment is far more than this. Our process starts with our network, and this is where the research function comes in. Together, we work alongside our respective market-specialist consultants to find talent both within the existing Hanson community, but also to selectively headhunt outside of it. Our ethos is always the same: don’t just find a candidate for the role but find the best candidate, and build collaborative and long-term relationships along the way.

Consult and advise

‘Uncapped commission, competitive OTE!’ It’s a poorly kept secret that there is money to be made in recruitment. For those that spend their days chasing the fees it’s sometimes easy to forget that we’re in the business of Recruitment Consultancy; recruitment is the industry, consulting is the job. We meet with countless people across our specialisms, each with their own opinions and experiences.

The ‘Hansonite’ pieces these together, studies their market and formulates a unique position from which to consult. Rather than measuring success on the number of jobs filled, they consider what value has been added to clients and candidates alike. Whether it’s pushing back on unrealistic requests or advising a candidate on the best move (even if that is no move at all), they understand the importance of being an expert in the market and trusting in the advice they give.

Train and develop

If you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together. Throughout my interviews across various London recruitment agencies, I was repeatedly told ‘the first year is the hardest’ and that many quickly decide it’s not for them in the first few months. In hindsight, this is far more a testament to how new starters are added to a business, than to recruitment as a whole.

I avoided the dog-eat-dog churn rate of many recruitment giants and joined a company where I immediately felt included and invested in; I received training and market insights, shadowed key calls and meetings, and was given a voice on a team from day one. When I saw that this culture of continuous learning and development echoes throughout all levels of the business, I knew I’d found a home.

A change in career path is always approached with some trepidation, especially when moving into an industry with a mixed reputation. My first eight months have been full of hard work and a steep learning curve, but Hanson has the culture I sought after – one of support and collaboration – and I am looking forward to what 2020 will bring.