Laura joined RecrutimentJunky in November 2019 with no formal recruitment experience. Within 5 months of joining the business she was promoted to a senior Headhunter and continues to actively support business growth, having shown particular finesse securing high value candidates.

What makes her a natural RecrutimentJunky and a strong Headhunter? She’s an excellent communicator who understands how critical stakeholder management is for candidates and partners. Let’s get to know her a little better, shall we?

What’s your approach to securing high value candidates?

By the very nature of their roles, these people don’t have a lot of time. They’ve got as far as they have in their careers by being straight to the point and I respect that. No one wants to read long messages from a stranger. I found clarity and brevity are the best way to engage prospective candidates – particularly professionals of a high calibre.

Once I have their attention I make sure I’m selling the role rather than interrogating them on their career history. After all – I approached them! Selling the role means really knowing everything about it; good and bad. I spend more time quizzing hiring managers than I do the candidate at this stage. The initial research is so key because you want to have the answer to anything the prospect might ask.

If they decide to go forward with the role then it’s crucial to keep them informed throughout. Again, it doesn’t have to rhyme and verse, just a quick update call or message to keep them informed. One of RJs values is transparency – because it breeds trust. I think that’s why I’ve seen so much success working with high value candidates over the last year.

What skills do hiring managers most value in prospective candidates regardless of role?

I do find common themes when discussing what qualities hiring managers are looking for – even across different roles. Employers want people who can take responsibility for their successes but also their failures. It’s ok to get things wrong on occasion – if you’re able to acknowledge the error and learn from it. Hiring managers really value accountability and will often seek it out through the interview questioning so it’s good to have examples prepared.

Similarly a sense of urgency is also important, especially in the technology sector. Start-ups and scale-ups move fast which means the teams have to as well. You can’t reset on your laurels in this sector. That’s why it’s important the candidates values are aligned with the business. Candidates who are self-motivated and driven to succeed are better suited to businesses that operate at a higher pace than people who aren’t.

Finally I’d say attitude. In my experience as a recruiter, there’s no such thing as the perfect candidate. Some will have a closer match of skills and experience than others but the person with the best attitude will often prevail. You can teach skills but not on how someone will respond to challenges they’re faced with or how they’ll affect the dynamic of the team.

What advice would you give to job seekers in the current climate?

1) Network, network network! Always research businesses and reach out to hiring managers and recruiters directly rather than solely relying on job ads.

2) Stay positive even when times are tough. Try to think of every setback as a learning opportunity. Every ‘no’ is taking you one step closer to the ‘yes’!

3) When you do get knocked back, find out why. Insist on being given detailed feedback, especially if you made it to the last rounds of interviews. Constructive criticism is hugely valuable. Take their advice on board and you’ll smash it the next time round!

If you’d like to continue to conversation, Laura would be more than happy to hear from you! Either drop her a message on LinkedIn or send an email to Laura@recruitmentjunky.com. Want to meet our other RecruitmentJunkys? Meet Headhunter, Felipé González.