Recruiting is a profession that some employers and candidates may think of as simple and straightforward. The truth, however, is much deeper than that. In many ways, recruiting is like putting together a beautiful and complex puzzle — it’s about taking on challenges, getting to know both candidates and employers alike, and putting the pieces together by determining which ones will fit together seamlessly.Being a recruiter or headhunter who is excellent at matching employees with employers is more than just a job. Having a passion for recruitment is an important and necessary trait for success, and the reason why our recruiters are excited to get out of bed in the morning.
For this article, we sat down with eight of our technical recruiters (Alexy Barker, Erin Buehler, Carter Alexander, Griffin Dreesbach, Brad Garcia, Mat Lula, Taylor Reeves, and Juli Weber) to ask some specific questions about their respective experiences as recruiters — what drives each of them every day, why each of them became a recruiter, why they have a passion for recruitment, and what they get out of the experience of being a recruiter.
Q&A For Our Recruiters
Question #1: How and why did you become a recruiter?
Brad: I was in college looking to find a career path, when one of the recruiting managers here at 4 Corner came across my LinkedIn, liked my background, then gave me the rundown of what the industry was. It sounded like an opportunity I should pursue.
Griffin: My story is similar. I was at UCF — the College of Business was actually sending out job opportunities for people who were about to graduate. This was one of them, and it sounded interesting. I jumped on it and received a call that same day.
Juli: My story is more unique. I went to school at USF in Tampa and then moved back to Pennsylvania, where I was born and raised. I was actually working in HR there and I was moving back down to Florida permanently. Ironically, Griffin was the one who recruited me. He liked my background and brought me in.
Taylor: I was already a recruiter, specifically for travel nursing. I found this opportunity, which was more appealing because of 4 Corner’s relationship-based approach to candidates and clients.
Question #2: What is your favorite industry to recruit for and why?
Brad: I enjoy the graphic design space. I used to do a lot of graphic design in high school, and I just really enjoy speaking with creative types. As a result, I’ve done particularly well in that area of recruiting.
Carter: Working in the data warehousing space is my favorite, and I’ve had the most success in that area. I also enjoy, and work a lot with the digital analytics side of marketing.
Griffin: I like working in the IT space — more specifically, working with web development — because I actually have the opportunity to see my candidates’ projects firsthand.
Alexy: The creative space — graphic design, email marketing, digital analytics, pretty much all things creative.
Question #3: What do you love most about being a recruiter?
Erin: Getting to talk with a variety of people every day, and actually getting to know them, their backgrounds and their interests..
Carter: My favorite part of the recruiting process is when people walk in for their first day.
Brad: One of my favorite parts is when we follow up with our candidates once they are in their roles. Speaking with them three months into the job, six months into the job, and finding out they’re still really enjoying it. It’s cool to see that they’re enjoying their new career path we helped them find and they’re not only excelling in it but loving it.
Alexy: I really enjoy walking people in for their interviews. There’s nothing like having that face-to-face interaction before they go in, which adds to the personal connection.
Juli: I love the competitive aspect of recruiting. Every position we work on presents its own unique set of challenges – it’s our job to figure out the solution. It’s not always easy or immediately clear, but our goal is to always find a way.
Question #4: What is the most exciting aspect of working in recruiting and staffing?
Erin: The most exciting thing is getting the job offer, but a close second is getting an interview request for the candidate. Having the client show interest in your candidate is always exciting — whether to set up an interview or to extend the offer.
Brad: I think it’s also pretty exciting when they walk in on their first day, and you realize that all of your hard work has come to fruition.
Mat: When everything just clicks – the timing, the interest on both sides, skills set-and personality-wise, and when client and candidate are equally excited when the offer is made and accepted.
Question #5: How do you hope to make a difference in the lives of candidates through your work?
Griffin: Finding them a job that’s going to not only change their career but change their life. Whenever you can find somebody a job they’re a perfect fit for, with a company that they really like, that’s where it all comes together. It becomes the perfect situation for us and, of course, for them.
Brad: When I work with people who just aren’t making enough money and are struggling on the personal end, or they went to school for something particular but haven’t had an opportunity to capitalize on their degree. A lot of times, it’s simply a matter of being in a position to help people reach their goals.
Taylor: There’s no better feeling than making a job offer to someone who is super excited to receive it. The first candidate I placed at 4 Corner cried with joy when I called to make the offer, which is something I’ll never forget.
Question #6: How has being a recruiter changed you or made you a better person or professional?
Brad: I think it’s made me more understanding of people and their situations because we see so many different things. You might say we get to see it all. As a result, we’re more conscientious, and see things for what they are.
Griffin: Being able to get on the phone and be confident with people is another big thing I’ve learned in my time here. Some of our candidates are making well into six figures, so it’s important to speak with them to understand what they really want out of their career.
Carter: Professionally, we’ve learned how to talk with every type of person at every level of job. We speak with everyone from warehouse workers, call center representatives, and customer service – all the way up to managers, directors, and above. You just learn how to engage and interact with every type of person.
Erin: I think personally and professionally, what I’ve learned is to trust my instinct. If I feel like something’s not right or I feel like something is going to go wrong, my instinct has proven to be very accurate. In other words trust your gut!
Question #7: What has been the biggest challenge you’ve overcome professionally, and how has it helped you become a better recruiter?
Alexy: I would say working here has really helped me a lot with grit. Being able to get back up when you’re down. There is a lot of opportunity for success, but with that, there are also opportunities for things to go wrong. It’s learning about candidates and different industries, being analytical, and picking up on what people are really looking for while also evaluating yourself and how you can grow from difficult situations.
Griffin: Several of us had the same major at UCF (integrative business). Basically, the entire major is public speaking, presentations, sales pitches, etc. I was very introverted growing up, and being required to call people I’ve never spoken to before — it’s all come together and helped me grow as a professional.
Mat: Multi-tasking and being efficient are crucial to a recruiter’s success. You are never working on just one position. We are always being challenged to use new technologies to increase our effectiveness and improve our candidate’s experience.
Question #8: What is one thing you wish you could tell any prospective employer or candidate who may be hesitant about working with a recruiting or staffing service?
Erin: My biggest thing I always tell my candidates is that I’m on your team. I’m not going to place you somewhere that’s not going to be a good fit. At times, I think there’s a negative stigma behind being a recruiter because people think we’re self-serving, but I can say I’m on my candidate’s team 100% of the time. If they’re right for the position both the candidate and employer win.
Brad: Kind of going off what Erin said — our success comes from the candidates and the clients, because if they’re not successful, we’re not successful. So, really, we want one big team win; not just an individual win.
Griffin: Trust is probably the biggest thing between the three parties — us, the candidate, and the client. Being able to let the client know that we will deliver the best candidate possible. Just like Brad said, it is a team win; your success is our success.
Why Partner with a Professional Recruiting Firm
We are an award-winning recruiting and staffing agency headquartered in Orlando, Florida. Our passion for recruitment has allowed us to partner with major Fortune 500 companies and small businesses throughout Central Florida and across the United States.
Recruiting applicants who are perfect for your company doesn’t have to be something you struggle with each day. Contact our team of experienced recruiters to see what we can do for your business.
