Going into the recruitment industry can be a very rewarding job. However, it does come with a very difficult side! A recruitment consultant’s job is known to be fast-paced, demanding, and competitive. For the individuals who want to enter this career pathway, you need to be able to work quickly, getting the job done to a high standard. As well as being adaptable to the internal and external environment, that is likely to affect the industry. Those who are successful in doing this, they are likely to find this role personally and financially rewarding.

In the recruitment industry, you will likely need to handle many different tasks at once. It is only for people who thrive in fast-paced, competitive environments. There are three key skills needed to be successful in the role of a recruitment consultant: Communication, troubleshooting, and problem-solving.

Communication

Communicating is a core skill in any job, recruitment being one of them. Communicating clearly and effectively will enable you to convey your message clearly to your candidates, colleagues, and clients. This skill suggests your ability to work in a team. 

There are several skills to have successful communication, this can relate to the workplace or private life:

Listening: having the ability to listen to a fellow colleague, client or candidate will enable you to understand how they are feeling. 

Straight talking: Speaking and building rapport with the people in the workplace helps build mutual trust. Later on, this could help to detect any problems before it becomes extensive.

Non-verbal communication: Communication isn’t just through speaking, it can involve body language, reactions, gestures, hand movements, and eye contact. This is an important communication skill to ensure you can control when in a working environment, especially dealing with clients and candidates.

By having positive communication and being aware of these three communication styles, you will be able to work and talk to lots of different people. Just remember to stay professional.

Troubleshooting

Troubleshooting is a part of day-to-day life within any industry. Having this ability is one thing, but being able to problem solve in a fast-paced working environment is another. You have to think on your feet and not panic, even if you are, don’t express it. 

A stereotypical problem you could run into as a recruitment consultant is a client needing new employees by the end of the week. However, there are limited choices that meet their standard. The first problem is the time frame of finding the new hires and the second is finding the potential employees that fit the requirements. 

You will find the best way to troubleshoot certain problems you run into. But if you are new to the recruiting industry, ensure you speak to your team and manager to see how they would solve the problem. Further highlighting the importance of communication.

Organisation 

As mentioned earlier, this is a fast-paced working environment, where a lot is changing. Demonstrating good organisational skills is key to being successful within this industry. 

A lot has changed now COVID-19 has entered the world, this however has allowed many industries to adapt their working environments to online, hybrid, and in the workplace. Depending on the recruitment company you work for, this could involve emailing over documents before meetings if the meeting is online and sending invites for the meeting. In turn, increasing the workload and stresses of working as a recruitment consultant. Highlighting the importance of balancing and organising your work, to stay on top.

To conclude, make sure you are brushed up on the briefly mentioned skills, and even research the many other core skills that are needed to be successful within this role.