WHAT WOULD IT BE LIKE?
“It’s not the kind of place where you can just sit around and wait for things to happen. The other side to that is that if you want to succeed there’s nothing holding you back.”
Sophie, graduate hire.
Want to know what your first day, month and year working in recruitment at Hays would be like? Read what some of our more recent team members have to say.
- Case study one: Sophie - Graduate hire
- Case study two: Tina - Experienced hire
Case study 1: Sophie - Graduate hire
Sophie has worked as a recruitment consultant within our Office Support specialism for just over a year. She joined Hays after gaining a degree in English and Linguistics.
Sophie’s background
I’d never really considered recruiting as a career while I was at university. My degree wasn’t focused around a profession, and by the time I graduated I hadn’t made my mind up about what I would like to do. I wanted a job that would challenge and reward me, but I didn’t have a specific idea about what that would be.
Applying
I’d registered with Hays as a candidate while searching for work. They offered me an administration role here, but after six weeks they gave me the opportunity to apply to become a recruitment consultant. I leapt at the chance! Working as an administrator had already given me real insight into the Hays world of recruiting. I also felt pretty confident that I had the right skills.
The interview process
I was interviewed by the manager of the team I’d be working for, and then had a second interview with our Regional Director. During the interviews the managers gave me plenty of opportunities to find out more about the roles here. When I was offered the job, I knew a career here would be a challenge, but that’s exactly what I wanted.
Day one
I was in at the deep end from my first week, talking to candidates on the phone – I really felt part of the team. My manager was with me, training and supporting me on the job, and my team was also there to help out. I felt really well-supported and able to start making an impact.
I was quickly trained up on our IT systems too. Keeping track of our clients and candidates is very important, so putting some time in to learn how to do this properly is a critical part of induction.
Training
I had six days of intensive training at our specialist training centre. This was split into two days of candidate training, two days of business development training, and two days on sales writing.
I’d say the number one thing I gained from that initial training was confidence. You’re being trained alongside 12 other people from different offices and specialisms, so you learn a lot from the experiences everyone else has had.
Overall, I found the training incredibly useful. It’s Hays-specific, so what you learn you apply to your job the minute you’re back at your desk. I’ve still got my training documents from that course in my desk drawer. They’re a great reference to fall back on.
Three months in
After three months, I felt like I was getting into the swing of things. I’d developed the basics. I was getting more and more responsibility from my manager and I felt I’d really gelled with the rest of the team.
I continued to receive training from my manager, as well as having access to our online training and resources centre. I’d started to think of myself as a Hays recruitment consultant!
Six months
Six months was a critical point for me. I think it takes you that long to make your mark. By then I felt very confident in my role, I knew I had the right personality to succeed in recruiting, and I’d taken the opportunity to build up my own business. Hays consultants get a lot of responsibility early on and by six months in I was regularly meeting clients at their offices. Although companies often choose to work with Hays because of prior experience or reputation, much of our business success comes down to the relationship you have built with the client or candidate based on your own skills and expertise. I’d worked hard on developing these relationships and my own expertise, so it was great to see that paying off.
It was also at this point that I really noticed my income increasing. We’re quite open about the fact we work in a commission-driven environment*, and it was around six months that I really noticed my pay taking off.
Twelve months
Twelve months at Hays was a landmark for me. I felt really proud of the success I’d achieved. Just by looking back and seeing how many people I’d found work for, and how many companies I could call clients, I realised how much progress I’d made. I’d been powering the world of work and my own career.
The future
The opportunities at Hays are fantastic. I’m transferring to one of our flagship offices in London soon and I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve worked really hard since I joined. It’s not the kind of place where you can just sit around and wait for things to happen. The other side to that is that if you want to succeed there’s nothing holding you back. You don’t need permission to make progress here!
Case study 2: Tina - Expert hire
Tina has worked as a Senior Consultant in the Accountancy & Finance specialism for nearly two years. She joined Hays after previously working for another recruitment firm. Before that she’d worked in the HR department of a medical organisation..
Tina’s background
Having spent two years working in recruitment, I obviously knew a bit about Hays. I’d actually first worked with the company when I had a job in an HR department – I used Hays as my preferred specialist recruiter there. I’d always found Hays to be very professional and had enjoyed a great relationship with the team at the time.
Applying
Hays was top of my list when I was looking to further my career. I liked the structure of the company. With the number of opportunities the company offered, it sounded like you could move pretty quickly, both locally and globally. I was considering relocating at the time and the number of Hays offices around the world means you have a greater opportunity to develop your career internationally in the same company.
The interview process
I had two interviews to get the role here. I met the Hiring Manager and the Regional Director on the same day.* The interviewers already knew from my CV whether I had sufficient experience for the role, so I think they were sounding me out to see if I’d fit in with the team. As interviews are obviously two-way conversations, I realised I’d fit right in!
Day one
I’m still working with the same team of people I met on day one. I felt at home as soon as I met them and I now count them amongstmy best friends. It’s brilliant to know that if ever I hit a problem or need a creative solution, I can turn to my manager or the team I work with for advice.
Training
I received plenty of on-the-job training and support from my manager to make sure I was up to speed with the IT systems here from day one. I started a training course soon after I arrived, which was split up into one day a week over six weeks.*
The training was pretty intense, but in a good way. Even with my previous experience there were a lot of new ideas to pick up and learning about the Hays brand and way of doing things was obviously very important.
You train with people from different parts of the business. You’re all just thrown in together, which makes it great fun. There’s plenty of role playing and group activities. You’re not sitting and listening – you get really involved.
Three months in
After being at Hays for three months, I felt really confident. I’d done the training, I knew the company really well and I could just get on with my career. We’re incentivised to work hard here, but it’s not ridiculous. I’d say that after three months I’d found the right balance.
One of the big differences between working here and for my previous employer was the power of the Hays brand. It’s very reassuring to know the scale of the company I work for and how that can help to bring in business.
After twelve months
Looking back on my first year, one of the things I’d highlight is the autonomy I had to get on and do my job. There are no politics - you’re free to get on with what you’re paid to do. I’m responsible for my workload and I really feel like I run my own business here. My first year has been really empowering which is one of the key reasons I love working here so much.
Recently some of the senior managers from Hays visited our office, including the UK Managing Director. They were really interested in what everyone had to say and we had many discussions about the company and how it will develop. We’ve been told we can email them with any feedback we have, so I might just do that. It’s great to have a company take so much interest in what the employees have to say.
*The interview process and the remuneration structure at Hays varies by location.
