A recruitment Consultant is an intermediary between the company (client) that has openings and the person who wants a career move or temporary appointment (candidate). It is primarily a sales role wherein the consultant sells the company culture, mission, and growth opportunities to the candidate. Consultancies or agencies come in all shapes and sizes from small local businesses to national and international companies.
Many consultancies are divided into industry-specific categories. The consultant appoints similar positions for different clients. For example, one consultancy will hire only candidates for the financial sector, another for pharmaceuticals.
ROLE OF A CONSULTANT:
Candidate trusts their consultant to lead them to roles that suit them well. Companies trust their consultant to find the best people for their current openings. The recruitment consultant is the person who mediates between the candidate, and the employer. They are omnipresent until the candidate is hired, and begins working.
All the communication related to interview date, salary, employment terms, start date go through the recruitment consultant to the candidate, and employer. It is very rare for an employer to communicate with a candidate without the recruiter's presence (or CCD in the email). A recruitment consultant takes control of the hiring for the employers to find the most suitable individual for the role.
QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS:
The recruitment consultant must lead the entire hiring process. A consultant is expected to be confident and resilient - this is essentially a sales role. Therefore, the recruiters' qualifications are not as important compared to their efficiency. It can be argued that a degree in a relevant subject such as human resources, the management or business studies would be beneficial to recruitment consultants.
Previous experience or field knowledge can help those who want to specialize in specific types of appointments such as finance, engineering, or the law. Strong competition in the recruitment sector means that job experience in a related field such as sales, marketing, commerce, or HR will benefit those who want to enter the industry.
CAREER PROGRESSION:
The nature of this industry is that the better one works, the more likely they are to make progress. Constantly accomplishing, and overcoming hurdles, will undoubtedly lead to promotion.
The one exception to this is that if you work in a small company you may not have such opportunities for progress. There are pros and cons to working with startups. In order to grow, you may need to move companies to achieve new career milestones.
Promotion from trainee to consultant to senior consultant is achieved after proven success. Going from a senior consultant to a manager or team leader requires additional skills.
There are other options for improvement; Employees can try to manage the team or take over the entire area under their own portfolio. Professional qualifications for active recruitment consultants can be obtained through the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD).
An expert consultant who wants to move away from hiring may be involved in human resources, other sales, management, or training roles. The field is a goldmine waiting to be explored! There are certifications, degrees, and internships to help you get started in the field. Go ahead, and take your pick!