What skills will I find useful in the world of IT recruitment?
There are many articles and guides for novice recruiters, and different IT recruitment agency companies have their own recipes for effective recruitment. However, the goals are common – attracting passive candidates, effective recruitment interviews, a solid pipeline and ultimately placement – filling the vacancy with our candidate.
Before you click the magic ‘apply’ button, take a look at our universal list of skills that are sure to help you successfully step into your new role.
Listening skills and empathy
The interviewee feels more valued when we show genuine interest in the conversation, the topic and themselves. This builds a positive relationship as well as your image in the market. The IT world is a small one and news of bad recruiters spreads quickly. It’s worth leaving a positive impression, even if the interview doesn’t turn into a recommendation profile. Remember that we are dealing with a human being, not another CV in the system. Treat candidates as you would like to be treated yourself. Especially when we already know that our candidate will not become a placement, there may be a temptation to focus on other people. Not leaving such a person without feedback will show your professionalism.
Reading with understanding
It sounds trivial, but it is a fundamental skill in order to properly understand the client’s needs and find a suitable candidate. Project information that is irrelevant to us at first glance, contained in a job spec or requirements, can make it significantly easier to write an encouraging hook on LinkedIn. IT professionals like the so-called meat, and the more details and tidbits, the easier it is for a recruiter to generate interest in an offer. In turn, having a good overview of the candidate’s profile before the screen call can enhance the conversation itself and positively influence the response. Even the best recruitment message will rarely get a response if it goes to a mismatched candidate. Professionals are entitled to be slightly annoyed when asked about things already included in a profile or CV.
Time and focus management
Working in home office mode is a challenge, but the pandemic has forced many companies to work exclusively from home, which has taken hold in some. In the comfort of one’s own four corners, there are plenty of distractions in every form (children, a pet or just plain clutter for a pedantic person is sometimes the end of the world 😉 ). In addition to ‘switching off’, it’s also a challenge to carve out dedicated time on my own for administrative work, deep-conceptual work (preparing a new post for a project, starting a search for an unusual role, or writing a blogpost such as this one), and setting aside time for interviews with candidates. I know from painful experience that failing to separate these three main streams breeds frustration and puts more stress on me to get everything done in a hurry. Answering emails, completing excel or notes in ATS, the recruitment system, done all at once with a search will lead to you not knowing when 8 hours out of your life (or 6h, as in Team Up) will escape you. Just write yourself a list of priorities, divide them up according to the categories above and stick to that, and if something needs to be moved to tomorrow – that’s ok too!
English
Calls, deadlines, FYI, brainstorm, account, feedback or our favourite ASAP – you can’t avoid English in corpo-talk. Whether you work in a small recruitment agency or a large corporation with thousands of people on board, everyone uses more or less the same phrases to describe the urgency of tasks or progress at work. In addition, not to be narrowed down to just IT recruitment on the Polish market, freedom in written and oral communication in English is needed, for example, when talking to a candidate from Bulgaria or a new client from Ireland. It is a skill that is always worth investing in through ‘language immersion’, daily reading of the press or regular lessons with a native speaker. Even if you feel you’re at C1 level, there’s always room for improvement 😉 Some companies are constantly investing in their employees’ skills development – check out how we do it at Team Up.
Effective information search – googling! 😉
The budding IT Recruiter mostly has a cursory knowledge of the industry, and the IT world is changing fast and it’s easy to get lost in new technologies. Fortunately, Uncle Google can explain “in plain language” what’s involved in a particular position, so go ahead, he who asks does not wander! Sourcing information is almost as important in a recruiter’s job as sourcing candidates.
At the time of writing this, it has just been one and a half years since Team Up – a collaborative IT recruitment agency – dragged me into the world of IT recruitment. I have a long way to go to feel that I really know what I’m doing and every move I make in recruitment is a hit. But I have had small and bigger successes!
In hindsight, I know that these skills have made me simply enjoy my job today and there is not an iota of irony in that. If, after reading this, the thought “hey, I can do that too” pops into your head, it’s a sign that you too can excel in this industry. Don’t put it off and apply now!
Still not sure if that’s the right path for you? Check out our different posts!
