I’ve been in recruitment line for the past 3 years and prior to that I was a HR Generalist. I had so much fun working as a HR Generalist, I’ll share my experience and things I have done while working in HR next time. I had to leave my fun job as I was moving to KL, not for better remuneration or anything like that but was starting my new life with a partner.
I became part of a recruitment firm and was enjoying the work here but what’s worst is when you meet clients or candidates who do not understand what you are talking about.
The thing people fail to understand is, our hands are tied, clients have their own requirement since they are paying, they demand for the best. We do not guarantee a job for a candidate as the client makes the final decision.
Though we want to practice equal opportunity, but it’s impossible to do so. Clients are demanding and good candidates are demanding. When we meet a candidate who is either fresh graduate or with minimal experience, it’s the client’s call, these candidates cannot be demanding. As usual they fail to understand that.
Anyways, this candidate called me this morning and said “My contract is coming to an end, I want a job as soon as possible” Working under contract with financial commitments isn’t a game, “When is your contract ending? What sort of job are you looking for? In what field and industry?”
“My contract’s ending end of this month, and I want any job in banking line. I want something with better pay and can earn more”, this is the problem candidates assume recruitment firms are able to meet their requirement.
I explained to him that, he has to be prepared to be jobless for at least 6 months or so and that we normally will match the job and candidate based on the client’s requirement.
Why he has to wait 6 months? Because clients are demanding, we have to be precise in meeting their requirement and we cannot simply send any profiles as we like. If the candidate is lucky he/she gets a job within a month. Otherwise, he/she has to wait.
Since, we work on skill sets as I’m taking care of Sales & Marketing positions I do not want to waste his time or mine. He has to be sure where he wants to head. He insisted that he wants any position in Banking Line, okay, since he has sales experience does he want to remain in sales.
“No, anything that pays higher”
“What is your current salary and how much higher do you want?”
“I’m earning *****, I want something more”
“You only have about 3 years working experience, you can’t actually demand for a higher salary”
“See, the reason we come to recruitment firm is for you to find me a job. If I have any idea, I would found a job myself. Right now I don’t have any idea that’s why I need your help. You are saying I have to wait for 6 months and you are not even specialized in Banking Line.”
There, there, I know, we normally put ourselves in candidates’ shoes at the same time you must understand that we are not drawing the lines, the clients are. If you don’t meet their requirement you are rejected. Having worked with so many clients, we know that.
“I am not rejecting you and I am not asking you to wait for 6 months, I am just giving a scenario of how long does it take for an individual to actually find a job. Don’t limit yourself to banking line alone, open up your options. Look into other areas following your skill sets”
“I only have experience in banking line, nothing else, how to open up?”
“You have sales experience, that’s a skill set, you can sell anything if given the product training. You don’t have to remain in banking line, sales skills are widespread, and you can move in to any industry that doesn’t require specific knowledge. We can put your need for Banking Line as first priority at the same time I still want to send your profile to other industries to give you the possibility of getting a job; otherwise you might be jobless for a long time. Citibank just recently retrenched their staff, Financial Institutions are shaky now.”
“Yeah, I got retrenched from Citibank in 2007 and that’s when I joined my current company. You mean I can go into any industry, yeah you are right I just need to learn their products and I can sell anything coz the consumers are the same”
There you have it, now you understand where I’m coming from.
He’s coming to see me for a face-to-face interview in the afternoon and he even apologized for loosing his temper at me. If only candidates’ listen to what we have to say, all we want to do is help you and since we are in this line we know what the client wants and we know what to do for you. Don’t take recruitment firms for granted, don’t think we are in your spell and we have to do what you want. The job don’t belong to us, it belongs to the client.
As simple as that!
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Nicely put. It is very difficult to see it from the recruitment firm's stand point. As a candidate we think you're put there to find us a job. You may easily place yourself in our shoes, but we can't see where you are coming from. Since I've worked with you, I know what you go through! :p Don't we all just wish every candidate can be that understanding, hehe.
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