What is in a name? Well, when it comes to recruitment, I’d say a lot. And before you get excited, I am not talking about the seniority of the title, that is a different story. No, this is about considering the saying:
“It does what it says on the label”
Have you ever been approached by someone whose job title was something sales based, like Head of Business Development, or Sales Manager, yet they are telling you they are a Recruiter?
The idea that a recruitment job title in a recruitment company can be something sales related is mind-boggling.
We should never underestimate the power of words. Recruitment companies need someone spearheading their sales efforts, understanding the vision for the company and translating that into actionable plans for the team to focus their efforts on. This might be new service lines, new geographies or new verticals. Sales consultants, and recruitment consultants, however, are not the same thing. Especially in client facing roles, the specialisation should be in ‘recruitment’, not in being able to ‘sell’.
A recruitment consultant should be exactly that. Someone who consults on the recruitment life-cycle. It is connecting people with opportunity. It is the process of identifying talent and assisting in the attraction and subsequent retention of that talent, not the outcome of an achieved sales target.
Why do you want to work with a recruiter? To find excellent staff for your company.
Why is a recruiter the right choice rather than inhouse? They are specialized in their field.
Why are they specialised? They have trained and fine tuned ability to assess the technical, cultural and interpersonal skills required to make recommendations on who might be the right fit for the role, coupled with deep veined networks of candidates.
Maybe a thought for recruitment companies. Or all companies? Change the title. But don’t change just the title. Change the purpose of the role. Watch the energy change. Change the job title, and watch the consultant ‘connect’ with their role. Change the title, and watch your client satisfaction increase. Change the job title, and watch your team level up, from sales people, to consultants, with repeat business and loyal customers.
Titles can be very telling. And if we do what it says on the label, let’s make sure the label is accurate.
-Clare Holst
Happiness Ambassador & Recruiter
