Simple is, well, a simple word. It’s 6 letters of easy, clean, unfussy straightforwardness. Yet is has recently come to mean something more derogatory. Simple is stupid, dense, a bit thick maybe or even ignorant.

 

 

So when someone said to me, “Recruiters are simple creatures”, I wondered how I should take it. The inference wasn’t favourable yet I know the industry I work with and operate in is an incredibly complex one.

Recruiters are bound by codes of conduct and regulations. There is legislation to adhere to, payroll issues whether you deal with temporary or permanent staff, background checks and all this before you even consider overseas hiring. It’s pacey too, with labour being demanded sometimes with very little notice or clear guidance from the client.

 

 

So far from being simple, recruiters are spinning many plates, need to understand rules and processes and predict all-too-often unpredictable human behaviour.

 

 

That said the underlying principle of recruitment probably is straightforward. In ‘simple’ terms, it is the craft of connecting people. Connecting two parties with complimentary needs – a client with a vacancy and a candidate with the skill, aptitude and desire to fill that vacancy.

 

 

When I discussed this with recruiters, I was met with some interesting and emotive replies. So, off the back of this, here are…

5 simple wishes for recruiters

 

 

1. I simply wish candidates would keep their word – when they tell me they’ll show up to the interview, they do; when they say they’ll relocate for the position I’ve been working on for months, they will; or when they absolutely tell me the time is right for them to move on, they don’t accept a counter offer from their current employer.

 

 

2. I simply wish to deliver results, to hit targets, make profit and prove it can be done for myself, for the team around me and for the shareholders peering over my shoulder.

 

 

3. I simply wish for technology that isn’t clunky, that fails or takes days of training to understand. I simply wish for tech that truly integrates and makes my life easier.

 

 

4. I simply wish for that awesome, punch the air feeling you get when you find a brilliant candidate and connect them to their perfect job – where they respect the process they’ve been through and flourish in their new position.

 

 

5. I simply wish that those who don’t work in recruitment take a moment before they judge, before they sweep their hand and brush off the time, hours, effort and intelligence that goes in to sourcing, selecting and coaching candidates.

 

 

That’s pretty simple isn’t it? A few basic requests and surely not too much to ask for?