What is the development path of an IT recruiter in an agency?
As the IT industry grows, so does the need for people to recruit such professionals. It is not uncommon for in-house HR departments to rely on the services of recruitment agencies, which are able to effectively target and recommend desirable candidates. So how do you start and develop your career path as an IT recruiter?
Features of a good IT recruiter
Let's start with what qualities a person who would like to start taking their first professional steps in recruitment should have. Definitely, it should be a person who is open-minded and communicative. Given that this is primarily a job with people you simply have to enjoy talking to them, making and developing new friends in the industry. You also need to have a great deal of empathy to know the needs of not only the candidates but also the clients you will be hiring for. Those aspiring to be an IT recruiter also need to be tenacious (especially when searching), flexible in their approach to work and with a head open to new ideas and solutions.
IT Researcher - the first role of a future IT recruiter
For an aspiring IT recruiter, the first role is usually IT Researcher. This position involves searching extensively for candidates who fit the expected job profile. This is certainly where the aforementioned trait of perseverance comes in handy. A lot of patience is required to "go through" the large amount of data that is hidden on candidates' LinkedIn profiles, internal databases and other sources. As an IT Researcher, you acquire the skills to match a candidate's profile to the client's expectations and learn about the sources from which they source specialists.
IT Recruiter career - next steps
The next step is the position of junior consultant. In addition to strictly search duties, there are also tasks related to guiding the candidate through the entire recruitment process. Performing initial screening, drawing up a career summary, arranging further stages of recruitment, helping prepare the candidate for the meeting, etc. The junior consultant should already have a theoretical knowledge of the technical issues. In short, he/she must know what to ask the candidate and what the candidate is talking to him/her about.
The recruitment consultant is already an independent position. His or her knowledge of technology and the recruitment process is such that he or she moves freely through recruitment issues. It is also common for employees in a regular position to be involved in direct contact with clients in the role of Key Account Manager, as it were. The senior consultant not only recruits and looks after client relationships but also shares knowledge with less experienced recruiters. He or she is a mentor for them, introducing them to the work. We end our enumeration with the position of Team Leader, who manages a team of recruitment consultants, distributes work, supports and motivates.
We have outlined the typical career path of an IT recruiter in a recruitment agency. On the other hand, during the job there are a lot of responsibilities at the borderline of sales, marketing, customer service, employer branding, etc. You can also develop in these areas and take this career path further. A recruitment agency certainly offers such opportunities.
