The career as a Recruitment Consultant or Recruiter is varied and covers multiple employment categories. Jobs for the Recruitment Consultant are twofold and will help employer clients to recruit staff for job vacancies and promote job vacancies to candidates.
Recruitment Consultant jobs can be permanent or temporary roles and can range from junior level staff to Managers and Directors. Recruitment Consultants develop an understanding of their client's requirements and then identify potential staff (candidates) through existing contacts or by advertising roles/headhunting (executive search). They assess candidates' skills through interviews, tests and background checks and then make recommendations to their client.
Recruitment Consultants also provide advice to both clients and candidates on salary levels, training requirements and career opportunities. Developing solid relationships with clients is integral to the role. Recruitment consultant jobs are demanding and diverse involving using marketing and business knowledge to extend company contacts; identifying and evaluating employers' recruitment needs; negotiating terms of employment and interviewing potential candidates.
The role of a recruitment consultant
In recruitment, you have to be a people person as you're the vital link between clients and candidates. It's a multi-disciplinary role requiring many diverse attributes:
Creating compelling sales and marketing techniques and networking to attract business from client companies
building rapport with clients to develop positive communications
developing solid understanding of client companies hiring needs and their industry
recruitment advertising of job vacancies and placement of adverts in a range of media
candidate attraction methods using social media and build engagement
headhunting - identifying and approaching suitable candidates who may already be in work
ongoing database build ensuring list of candidates allows you to match the right person to the client's vacancy
handling admin surrounding applications, arranging interviews and tests and building candidates shortlists to reduce the admin for the client
pursuing references and verifying work suitability of applicants
preparing candidates on vital areas relate to the job in question
CV preparation and client correspondence regarding suitable applicants
booking candidates in for interviews with the client
feedback on candidates performance at interview
negotiating pay and salary rates and finalising arrangements between client and candidates
providing benchmarks to both clients and candidates on pay rates, training and career progression
be ambitious, aim to exceed targets related to volume of candidates placed, a value to be billed to clients or business leads generated
commit to compliance best practise, pay close attention to recruitment policies to ensure effectiveness of selection techniques and recruitment programmes.
Scotland Recruitment consultant salary stats
As at December 2019, Recruitment Consultants' average salaries in Scotland are around £22,000 to £28,000, with Senior Consultants earning in the region of £28,000 to £35,000, excluding bonuses or commission.
The salary is only a benchmark and will typically include a basic salary plus a performance-related bonus or commission. This can either be an individual, team or branch bonus.
Working your way up to Recruitment Manager can earn you in the region of £40,000 (excluding bonuses or commission). Once bonuses and commission are included, the total average salary can increase to £38,000 for consultants and £60,000+ for managers.
Contact the HR Division Team
Email the HR Division at hr@stafffinders.co.uk.