At the heart of every recruitment agency is their core values - a set of principles that reflects who they are and what is most important to them as a business. In order to uphold these values, agencies will always strive to employ those who they believe to be a solid representation of their ethos. So, these are the following 5 values we believe any individual entering the recruitment industry is going to need to have under their belt in order to succeed:
- Honesty
- Passion
- Quality
- Knowledge
- Trustworthiness
Let's explore this list further...
Honesty
Honesty and integrity is arguably the most valuable trait to have when working as a recruiter. When working with a high level of sincerity, especially with relation to candidates, you're ensuring that your work is kept to the highest standard possible. It also prevents any confusion or blurred lines when communicating important information. Whether you're dealing with the client companies or the candidates, staying truthful is key. If you do not maintain complete and consistent transparency with all parties, you might end up with some fractures and breaks in communication - which can also result in them having a lack of faith and understanding in you. Your job is to build strong lasting relationships, and these are nothing without honesty! Do you consider yourself an honest person, or do you struggle to be upfront? Keep it real, guys.
Passion
Passion is vital as a recruiter. You should always be showing a passion and enthusiasm for the role you're carrying out. If you come across as disinterested in the eyes of the candidate, it's not going to get them feeling very motivated - and that's not what we want when it comes to job seeking! We need to keep up the drive and momentum of our candidates. It's especially important to show a genuine interest in the specific job role you're putting forward to them - if they don't think you're passionate about it, how are they going to get amped up themselves and be eager to apply? As a recruiter you're sparking new and exciting opportunities for clients and candidates, so that should be conveyed in your energy! Get passionate about new beginnings and prospects for the people involved. They're probably feeling slightly debilitated with the job seeking process already, they don't need to be dealing with a Moody Margaret on top of that. If you want to be a top biller, you've got to have spirit.
Quality
You have to have to HAVE to value the quality of your work 24/7. Otherwise, why are you even here? The world of recruitment is a competitive one, and so every agency wants to be the best - everyone wants to have the reputation of providing the best service. Obviously, the better the quality of your service, the more roles you'll fill, the more money you'll earn. Valuing quality comes alongside an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses. You should have the ability to look at yourself and analyse what you're doing well at and where you might be falling short, so you can be constantly improving the quality of your work and service. If the quality of your work is consistent, you'll make more of a name for yourself and hopefully start to build a healthy clientele.
Knowledge
Everyone knows the saying knowledge is power, right? Well, it really is when it comes to recruitment. One big core value expected of a recruiter is knowledge - a sound understanding of the industry and market you're working amongst, and the opportunities that are arising within it. Candidates often need to be educated on these things and have a lot of questions to ask - they're looking to you to help them, and if you don't have the answers then someone else will. Be that thought leader for them! Having strong expertise in your field just amplifies your reliability as an agent. It also shows a level of commitment and dedication to your role, which strengthens any trust that clients and candidates have for you. Which brings us nicely onto our fifth and final core value¦
Trustworthiness
Valuing trust comes hand in hand with honesty. Trust should exist on both sides - you should trust clients and candidates and they should trust you in return. Any trust you establish with clients has to be earned, and then of course it must be maintained, People aren't going to have trust in you if you're flaky, sloppy or forgetful. Candidates and clients will put their trust in someone that remembers the small details, is prompt and organised, and consistent with communication. You basically need to be on the ball, all the time. All in all, a solid foundation of trust really relies on the already aforementioned values. If you present them with honesty, passion, quality and knowledge, anybody will be quick to trust you! Want to hear more top tips? Looking to fill a role, or maybe you want to know more about careers at Vertex? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter jampacked with the latest tips, news, and opportunities within FMCG and Recruitment.
