A Day In The Life Of A Rec2Rec

What does a Rec2Rec Consultant actually do? This is a question I posed myself once upon a time. In short, our role differs from that of a traditional Recruiter in one fundamental way – Candidate is King.

When I first started with Careers In Recruitment I signed up a new client on my third day and was landed with multiple IT Contract vacancies. I was expecting a big clap on the back from the boss for my sterling performance, what I was greeted with was something a little different.

Neil: OK, do you have any candidates for this client?

Me: NO, but I’ll find them

Neil: What timeline did you give them?

Me: Candidates within 48 hours

Neil: 48 hours? You might have one, maybe two. But not multiple

What I didn’t know at the time is what I certainly know now - finding a high-performing IT Contract Recruiter that is ‘open to new opportunities’ is about as rare as a County other than Dublin getting their hands on the Sam Maguire

That being said, when you do come across a Recruiter of this ilk, they can open many doors, even doors that were once closed. Why? Because every company is in the market for an experienced IT Contract Recruiter.

In truth, any Recruiter that consistently meets or exceeds monthly/quarterly/yearly targets, regardless of the sector they operate in, are usually, if not always, in high demand by Recruitment Companies. These are the Recruiters we try to partner with.

The main benefit from a candidate perspective in partnering with a R2R is the market knowledge that we offer. In short, defining what employers would best suit the candidate based on the candidate’s requirements is what we do.

Candidate requirements can vary, some Recruiters value flexibility and autonomy over earning potential, some are more interested in a higher base for added security and some (all do, but not all admit it) love the big commission cheques.

Having a diverse portfolio is essential for any Recruiter and the R2R industry is no different. The last thing a candidate wants to hear about are the same old opportunities with the same old companies. It is paramount that a Rec2Rec has clients ranging in sector specialism, culture, size, turnover and location. What is right for one candidate is not necessarily right for another.

Despite my earlier claims that candidate is king, the client ultimately pays the bills. Why do they pay our fees? Quality candidates, fully vetted, in a timely manner.

Multiple IT Contract Recruiters in 48 hours? Not quite! But right fit, first time is what we strive towards.

Take a look below to see what A Day in the Life of a Rec2Rec is actually like

8am

Start work by going through emails and LinkedIn messages (usually done as they come in each evening if I’m honest).

A plan for the day will have been drafted the evening prior but I will often make additions to a lengthy to-do list.

8.15am

As I’m working-from-home I have the luxury of making breakfast – my go-to these days is granola, smoothie mix and a selection of fruit.

8.30am

I usually give my boss Neil a shout to talk about our plans for the day – who we have to talk to, what candidates we are following up with, what clients we are chasing and what interviews have taken place.

This call can last anything from 10 minutes 30 minutes depending what football was on TV the night before.

9am

Posting job ads is a daily occurrence, I try to upload a post first thing each morning to give interested candidates adequate time throughout the day to reach out.

It’s important to be visible on LinkedIn as a Rec2Rec and posting consistently and accurately is a proven way to attract candidates.

During this timeslot I will often have clients or candidates to contact to arrange interviews. This is done via email, whatsapp or my favourite - a good ol’ fashioned phone call.

9.30am

Sourcing for live vacancies. As previously mentioned, candidates can be at a premium in our game, sourcing quality candidates is an essential daily exercise.

I use many sources to find candidates – LinkedIn is the most common with the quickest turnaround as Recruiters spend the majority of their workdays on the platform. While the responses can be swift, they regularly look like this - “thanks, but now is not the right time for me to make a move, let’s stay in touch”. Love that!

The most effective method is referrals, often from candidates I have placed or have on interview. There are two main reasons referrals are so beneficial – 1. The candidate who refers the other candidate is happy with the work I am doing and feels comfortable introducing me to a colleague 2. The same candidate will only refer a colleague if he/she believes them to be good at their job, otherwise what’s the point?

11am

Quick coffee break for 10 minutes and give Neil a shout if I have any updates from my morning of sourcing.

Something usually stems from this call – follow ups with various people or the heads-up on a new role. I’ll check my hotlist of candidates to see if I have someone. If not, back to sourcing.

12pm – 2pm

Most Recruiters are busy throughout the day so lunch time is when I do most of my calls. I dedicate 30 minutes per call, most intro calls are between 15 minutes and 20 minutes but can go over if the call goes well. If a Recruiter is happy to work with me, we schedule a meeting – either zoom or in-person (restrictions permitting).

Back in the days pre-Covid, my biggest expense was the daily flat white and whatever the candidate was having. Now it’s all zoom calls.

2pm

Lunch can happen for me at any stage of the day, just depends how busy I am and what calls I have scheduled. Lately I’ve found myself eating a bit later in the day, between 2pm and 2.30pm.

2.30pm – 4pm

This timeslot is usually a combination of tasks – scheduling interviews, candidate and client follow ups, candidates calls, sourcing, business development. Depends how the week is going really.

Last Thursday this timeslot was taken up with an offer to a candidate. After a bit of negotiating over and back with the client and the candidate, the contract was signed and sent back by the end of the day.

Unfortunately not all Thursdays are like this, anyone in Recruitment knows it has its ups and downs. The trick is to have a full pipeline as your dead cert candidates are notorious for having something else going on behind-the-scenes.

4pm

Coffee and phone call with a candidate or a client. OR Neil, usually with an admin task he has no interest in doing himself.

4.30pm – 5pm

CRM administration, my favourite part of the job ☹ Most Recruiters struggle with this and I’m no different. It has to be done though.

5pm – 6pm

This is when I do a lot of candidate calls. I tend to get busier as the day draws to a close.

In the rare instance that I’ve nothing on I use the time to source.

On the topic of Sourcing – if there are any experienced HR or Talent Acquisition Recruiters reading this feel free to reach out to me directly – WE ARE HIRING!

simon@cir.ie / 0874065945