Top 5 Myths of Recruitment
Considering a career change is never easy when you have no experience or knowledge of what you’re stepping into.
The recruitment industry is an excellent example of one that is largely misunderstood. With over 25,000 recruitment agencies registered in the UK, you will find wildly different cultures, pay structures and progression opportunities. So never discount a recruitment career based on someone’s experience at another agency.
Here are five incorrect assumptions about recruitment we hear. We can’t speak for the entire industry, but this isn’t true at Whitehall!
“It’s just an office job”
False – Recruitment is fun; you get to speak with lots of different people every day, and you get to know them well. No two days are the same – you will be speaking with candidates and clients in various sectors. You will constantly be learning about the challenges of IT projects and implementations and the struggles businesses have with hiring the right people. At Whitehall, there is a real team atmosphere. You will be surrounded by inspiring and helpful colleagues you can learn from to get to where you want to be. We also like hosting events and doing social activities together- any excuse works for a celebration and to have fun.
“There is no career path for recruiters”
False – Recruitment is a real career with progression opportunities and great financial rewards. A recruiter usually starts as a Consultant and can progress to Senior Consultant, Team Lead and then onto managerial positions. Each promotion means a change in your base pay, sometimes with increases in commission percentage and changes to your responsibilities. You manage your own desk and progress as you hit different targets, which means you grow at your own pace and can get as far as you have the drive to. In a fast-growing company like Whitehall, there are many opportunities for those looking to progress, as we require more team leaders and managers as we expand. There is no preferential treatment; it’s a level playing field. Simply put, our best recruiters get promoted.
“There’s lots of small print, you don’t get the commission they claim”
False – At Whitehall, you have a base salary, and you earn commission from all the deals you make. Being a recruiter is like managing your own business. Therefore you also decide your own wages: the harder you work and the more job placements you make, the more commission you can earn. There are no thresholds, no small hidden print, and our commission structure is the same for everyone in the business. It might be hard at the beginning while you are learning, as in any new job you start, but once you get the hang of it, you will never look back.
“Recruiters work long hours”
False – As a recruiter, you usually work during office hours on weekdays and never on weekends, bank holidays or Christmas days as you would do in other careers like retail or hospitality. If you are a Senior Consultant, you might need to respond to the odd e-mail or call out of office hours but if you do, it only means a commission might be coming your way. If you work for a fun company like Whitehall, you also have the opportunity to enjoy our facilities like the pool table, ping pong table and our funky canteen. Days truly never feel long when you are having fun and you enjoy your job, one of the main reasons to have been awarded as one of the Best Small Companies to work for by the Sunday Times.
“You need experience in IT”
False – People who have never worked in the IT industry or in an office environment before can feel a bit anxious about speaking to complete strangers over the phone. However, there is nothing to be nervous about; all our new recruits attend a boot camp where they learn the basics, and once they join their teams they are continuously supported by peers and managers. Our candidates and clients are also fantastic people to talk to, who same as you, are interested in getting to know you. There is a lot to learn, but that’s what makes recruitment interesting. Have a look at Nicola’s story and her progression at Whitehall with no previous experience in recruitment.