This was always going to be difficult Ghost Stories for me. I have spent some of my career in recruitment, and I did not want my experience of the industry to prejudice the conversation.

I was careful who to invite, and I’m glad I asked Greg.

Greg has so much experience it would be near impossible for me to argue the points with him.

One of my take-away lessons from all of my Ghost Stories is that when you are dealing with professionals, the confidence they have is palpable. Greg was no different. Greg would listen to your question, contemplate his answer, and deliver.

The Chat

Greg opens with a belter of a quote. “The worst thing about this industry is a client’s understanding of the worth of their Recruiter to their business”.

A business is far better trusting one recruiter than farming out your roles to several.

The talent pool is limited, and when you engage multiple recruiters, you run the risk of not all of them working for your business.

We discussed the top reasons for talent leaving their employment to search elsewhere, and Greg confirmed what I knew for a while.

Following are the reasons in order from Greg.

1. No opportunity to develop within their current employer.
2. They do not like their boss.
3. The culture of the business does not appeal to them.
4. They feel a lack of reward for their efforts.
5. Their work/life balance is not respected.

Time and time again we are told that salary is not as important as we think it is, however we generally refuse to believe it. I wonder, is it because everything else needs effort to get right?

Greg believes that an employer’s attitude towards a healthy work/life balance, and their attitude towards recruiters in general is improving.

This could be down to the talent drain that we discussed at length. It appears that right now it’s a sellers’ market, and employers understand this.

Employers should see recruiters as an extension of their team, and should treat them as such.

One of the biggest problems in the recruitment industry seems to be bad practice. The pressure placed on recruiters to perform, sometimes forces them to take shortcuts.

Greg speaks about the fact that he personally enjoys helping to develop people, and finding them the right role for their career.

The recruitment industry has become very much software driven industry, however Greg would never discount the “human touch” in his industry. Greg personally meets all of his candidates to ensure they are the correct fit for his client.

Often a candidate’s attitude to a recruiter can differ, and we discuss one of a candidates biggest complaints regarding recruiters is lack of communication, the same can be said from the recruiters side.

When I asked Greg about what he felt was the future of Recruitment he answered that he felt the following:

• Clients would use fewer recruiters, and focus on quality of service.
• There would be a revision of the relationship between a client and their recruiter.

Greg told me that he really likes seeing people move through their careers in the direction that they want to go. His personal approach is rarely matched in his industry.

It’s plain to see that Recruitment to Greg is more than just placing candidates, he advises his clients and candidates, and becomes a confidant for both.

Top Tips

I asked Greg for his top tips from both sides of the Recruitment industry, and following is his reply.

Candidates:

1. Preparation is the key
   • Make sure that your next employer is the right one for you.
   • Update your tailored CV for your next role.
2. Engage with the right agency for you.
3. Insist that your recruiter meets you in person.
4. Do not scatter your CV. It will decrease its value.
5. Be interview ready.
   • Get an interview coach if needed.
6. Be focused in the interview. Answer the question. Do not get side-tracked.

Employers:

1. Be selective with your recruiter relationship
2. Consider your own brand when recruiting.
3. Check what people are saying about your business on Glassdoor. You may not use it, but others do.
4. Give your agency appropriate time to work on your role. It takes time to find the right candidate.
5. Communicate with your recruiter.

As top tips go, these are on point.

Thank you Greg for your time during our conversation.