At Clicks, we have an Associate Recruitment Consultant program that brings on board high achievers from outside the industry. Once they’re at Clicks, we show them the ropes and give them the chance to forge a successful career in recruitment. Hear from Sean Hetherington, a recent member of the program who is off to a flying start in the industry.
I started at Clicks in April, so I’m still relatively new to the recruitment industry. As a result, I’m still learning something new every day and I think this will continue to be the case – especially for me, as I consider myself a bit of a sponge when it comes to taking everything in.
Getting to know all of the IT jargon has been the steepest learning curve since I started, but I’m enjoying getting to learn about things that I previously was unaware of. There’s a new term or a new job that pops us on a daily basis, which presents a challenge but also a great learning opportunity.
Recruitment suits the type of person that I am – I’m confident talking to people and I feel like I’m a good judge of character, which lends itself well to this industry.
My role in recruitment
It’s early days, but sourcing candidates is my main area of work. With sourcing, you’re given a position description from an Account Manager. Using that, you examine the key requirements of the role and then begin scouring the market to find the most suitable candidates. We use a variety of internal and external tools to help us search the market for the highest quality IT staff – these can be both active and passive job seekers. In the case of the more passive job seekers, we discuss the likelihood of them moving to a new role and have a chat about the benefits of making this move – whether it’s a more advanced role, a long-term move, or a different environment. If they’re keen and are a good match with the PD, you take the next step in representing them and putting them forward to a client for the role.
That’s the exciting thing about recruitment – you’re helping people find better opportunities. I find it very rewarding.
The most interesting role I’ve come across so far
I’ve come across everything from Helpdesk Support roles to Architect and high-end roles. The most interesting role I’ve been asked to fill so far was a Change Management position. This position came with a substantial pay package, so we were getting a lot of applicants with more than 15 years’ experience, meaning I was talking to people who really knew their stuff. I had to learn a lot about the role of a Change Manager to work out if these candidates were suitable.
My most memorable experience in recruitment
My first placement will always be memorable. Apparently, mine was a pretty difficult role to fill, which made it even more satisfying. We also have a bell that we ring at Clicks when you make your first placement, which is a nice tradition.
An oft-overlooked and important part of submitting a role
I’ve learnt that it’s never just about skills – organisations need to make sure new employees are a good cultural fit, and will have a good idea of the type of person they’re looking for. We’re always kept up to speed with what our clients are after in terms of candidate skill sets; however, it’s important that clients advise us of the type of personality they’re looking for. This ensures a better outcome for all involved.
What clients could do differently to get the best recruitment outcome possible
I find that the easiest roles to fill are the ones with a professional position description. Jobs can become difficult to fill if the PD is just a bunch of incomplete dot points, so a focus on providing quality PDs is beneficial to us, our candidates and our clients themselves.
What candidates could do to improve their applications
So far, I haven’t encountered many issues with senior candidates as they know the process pretty well. For others, my advice would be to pick up the phone and call your recruiter. Your recruiter is likely working across multiple roles at the one time, so by getting them on the phone, they’re forced to open up your CV and talk to you about your skills, what you’re looking for, and they’re able to answer any questions you might have.
I find that a lot of people apply for a role and then hide behind their original email, eventually picking up the phone a few weeks later to see how their application went. Often, these people won’t be put forward as their CVs aren’t enough to make them a top candidate.
We receive a huge influx of applications for every role we advertise, so it’s important to make yourself stand out when applying for a position. Pick up the phone and have a chat with the recruiter next time you apply for a role – it makes a world of difference.
These are a few tips from my experience working in recruitment so far. Head to clicks.com.au for more information about the services we provide, and how we can help you achieve the best possible outcomes for your future hiring requirements.
Sean Hetherington
Recruitment Consultant
*Note: If you know anybody who might be suitable for our Associate program, please call Tamara Ryf on (03) 9963 4808, or email tamara.ryf@clicks.com.au.
