20 lessons from 20 years in recruitment.....



On this day in 2004, a much fresher faced me embarked on my recruitment career aged 22.

I had no idea of how long I would do it for and had little to no preconception of what I was actually getting myself into!

Like many a recruitment cliché, I “fell into recruitment” as I had no clue what I was destined to do.

20 years later (and nearly 14 years into running my own recruitment business) I have seen and learned a lot – too much for one post!

I’ve seen the Good, the Bad and the Ugly of the industry – from colleagues to clients to candidates.

Here are 20 of the key lessons I’ve learned in 20 years of recruitment.

In no particular order….


1. Recruitment is hard (and stressful). Don’t let anybody tell you any different.

2. Not everybody will conduct business the same way as you do. That’s on them, not you.

3. A small, highly profitable business is considerably better than a large, unprofitable one!

4. Loyalty is very hard to come by.

5. Recruitment is a rollercoaster. Learn and grow from every knockback.

6. Never lower your moral standards, regardless of how others behave.

7. You’re dealing with people’s livelihoods. Always remember that.

8. Quick wins don’t equal long-term success.

9. People are complex. Don’t be shocked if somebody thinks or acts differently to you.

10. Just because you take it personally, doesn’t mean it’s personal.

11. Feedback is the key to improvement, don’t be defensive when you get some.

12. Giving my staff the platform for success and watching them thrive has been the most rewarding part of my job.

13. Don’t lose your faith in all people because of how some people have treated you.

14. Bad times will always pass.  Sometimes quickly, sometimes not!

15. Treat everyone with respect until they lose it.

16. You have to learn to accept the hard truth that in recruitment you are often seen as an easily replaceable commodity (even if in reality, you are not!)

17. What you see on LinkedIn is often far from reality. Follow your own course.

18. Don’t see competitors as a threat, more a good reason to keep your service levels high.

19. Headcount is often the farthest thing from success and profitability.

20. Recruitment is the job that is never completed. You can always do more. But accept that you can’t do everything!


Have I missed anything?


Happy 20 years to me!

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