Recruiters: One Ugly Question That Can Save your Life

Adam Lewis, Chief Operating Officer, Innovate CV

Adam started this conversation a few weeks ago and this is what he took from it after discussions with other recruiters:

True story, Pete is a dear friend of mine and after eight years in recruitment he’s had enough.

He’s had enough of the hours.

He’s had enough of the chasing.

He’s had enough of the competition.

So Pete is becoming an author and he’s not writing about recruitment, CVs, or interview techniques, he’s writing a book about travelling – Vietnam, to be precise.

“Pete,” I stutter, still trying to making sense of it all. “You’re a top recruiter…everyone, especially your clients, think the world of you…and you’ve chalked up more achievements and awards than anyone at your firm!”

“Well,” he begins as he smooths his mocha’s cream with the bottom of his spoon, his expression completely dull – frightfully empty. “I didn’t really ever…like recruiting. And to tell you the truth…I don’t really know why I went into the business in the first place.”

Recruiting Trends readers, I can tell exactly you why our friend Pete spent eight precious years in recruiting. His father happens to be one of our industry icons from the 80’s. It doesn’t take a Freud to work out what went on here.

Several days later, as part of filming our Innovate CV TV career advice interviews, we spoke to marketing and advertising extraordinaire, David Roth (CEO of The Store, one of WPP’s agencies), and asked David what he thought the first and foremost piece of advice he would offer those thinking about a career in marketing.

He didn’t even blink.“Ask yourself: do you really want to get into marketing?”

Now David’s answer, I’ll admit, didn’t initially strike me as…well, enlightening. But it only took a moment, given the context of my recent conversation with Pete, to appreciate this pearl of wisdom.

Until now, Pete had been fuelled by the thrill of achievement and success. But honour and glory (and all the glittery things that go with it) can generally carry a person only so long – and after eight years, Pete had reached a point where he didn’t know why he was getting out of bed in the morning.

I have been blessed to have met some remarkable personalities in our industry, including a 29 year veteran who controls a global network of agencies. His face was afire with enthusiasm as he once roared: “Do you realize how we change people’s lives…their families? How we change the companies that we send our clients to? Do you understand what we do as an industry has a material effect on the local and global economy! We’re transforming the world!”

Hyperbole? Perhaps. However; I’d be weary to dismiss the thoughts of a man of this stature and experience. He’s thrived for 29 years in this industry because he not only believes this outlook; he truly lives by it, as his radiance would testify.

Is everyone capable of approaching this attitude and does it matter?

Another industry icon pointed out to me that 90% of recruiters are simply plain-old good recruiters; people who are moderately capable and broadly satisfied. And that’s just fine, he argues. Do we have a right to demand recruiters be “passionate” about their industry?

Yes!  There is a tremendous amount if inspiration to be drawn from the recruiting concept. It’s our duty to find it and acquire it for ourselves. yes, for some it may come more naturally, while for others it may take more work – but objectively speaking, it’s there. And with this realization, we’ll renew our energy and spark, to everyone’s benefit – first and foremost ourselves.

But what if someone simply can’t connect ‘enthusiasm’ with ‘recruiting’? Recruiting work pays the bills, and that’s what counts.

Granted, there are some people who don’t need to be particularly excited about what they do for 8+ hours each and every day and muster up the inner-strength to keep soldiering on – but it takes a great degree of self-awareness to know if one fits into this arguably unhealthy category.

But for the rest of us, there’s just too much work and stress in recruitment. Without a wholehearted appreciation for the human aspect of what we do, one will find it difficult (sooner or later) to survive, let alone thrive.

Pete knew where he stood. But all those years ago if only he asked himself,“…do you really want to get into recruitment?”

Adam Lewis is Innovate CV’s Chief Operating Officer. Innovate CV is an interactive new-generation CV that makes creating, editing, distributing and tracking a CV a simple and straightforward process – and can provide tailored solutions for your recruitment agency.

Posted by Adam Lewis on August 18, 2010. Filed under Recruiting, Thought Leadership. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry