Recruitment Sector

Having been established for over sixty years in its current and most recognisable form, the UK recruitment market is the most mature recruitment sector in Europe. Today, the recruitment sector is the seventh largest in the country. It is worth over £26bn and employs more than 85,000 people in 21,000 consultancies nationwide.

In recent years the recruitment sector has seen substantial growth, as companies seek the expertise of recruitment consultancies to supplement their employment requirements and outsource their hiring functions. In recent years recruitment into IT, banking/finance and accountancy has experienced significant expansion, helping the sector grow by 20 per cent year on year over the last decade.

Aside from "high street" companies, the recruitment landscape consists of two strands:

• niche consultancies focusing on specific industry sectors such as IT, HR, engineering, marketing, accountancy and banking 
• headhunter consultancies concentrating on high level management and board positions

Both areas offer successful graduates a fast track career path which is unrivalled in many business sectors. Graduates can progress to be managing teams of consultants within just 18 months. Financial rewards can also be extremely high and may be achieved relatively quickly in comparison with other more traditional sectors.

In recent years, the recruitment industry has unfairly suffered a poor market image within the business community. However, today organisations are more aware of the vital role recruitment consultancies play in bridging the growing skills gap in the UK. 

The Graduate Recruitment Bureau works with recruitment consultancies throughout the UK and across a variety of industry sectors. View our current graduate recruitment jobs. 

 

Many graduates are surprised at the varied content a career in recruitment has to offer. The core skill of selling is paramount to being a successful consultant. Furthermore, the managing of relationships and the three-way sales technique required between client, consultant and candidate ensures a varied and engaging workload. Today, a recruiter needs to be much more than a salesperson, they need to be a tenacious operator capable of building long standing relationships and providing a value added consultancy service. The most successful consultants will be industry-specific experts in much the same way as an industry analyst.

Today, the major recruitment consultancies offer successful graduates a real career path. The recruitment industry offers graduates both responsibility and management opportunities. Typical roles within recruitment include:

• Resourcer/Researcher: generally, graduates are primarily employed as a resourcer/researcher. This involves working closely with a consultant and helping them with job specifications and candidate liaison. During this time, a graduate can expect to benefit from a sophisticated training program, learning about all aspects of recruitment and the specialised industry in which they have chosen to work.
• Consultant: a successful resourcer can expect to be promoted to the role of consultant within 3 - 12 months, managing the requirements of a number of established clients, and increasing the client roster with new business.
• Senior Consultant/Team Leader: unlike more traditional graduate industries, it is possible for a successful candidate to progress to the role of senior consultant/team leader within 18 months, managing not only a client portfolio but a team of consultants as well.
• Management: further responsibilities that follow include management of a department, office or region.

 

There is no doubt that the recruitment industry is competitive, and consultants need to achieve their targets on a regular basis to guarantee career advancement. However, reputable companies understand the need to support their graduates and have implemented both classroom and on the job training schemes to provide graduates with the skills set and experience to succeed.

Are you ready to begin your search for graduate recruitment jobs?

 

 

The recruitment industry is extremely competitive and organisations seek strong candidates who can thrive in such an environment. Consultancies are keen to secure graduates who:

• Have achieved a degree from a leading university
• Ideally attained a 2.1 or above in a good all-round degree. Successful candidates tend to have studied a business-related or other traditional academic degree
• Are able to demonstrate leadership potential and/or extra-curricular achievements - ie. Captains of sports teams. As both have proven to be attributes held by those experiencing success in the industry.
• Demonstrate gravitas and market expertise
• Demonstrate confidence and strong presentation skills
• Have a commercial understanding/experience in a corporate environment, ideally in a sales-based role.

Graduates who meet such criteria can thrive in graduate recruitment jobs.

 

Graduates can earn significantly high salaries very quickly in the recruitment sector. A typical starting salary for a first jobber will generally range from £16,000 - £23,000, with an OTE in excess of £30,000 in the first year.

By the second year, consultants can easily achieve £50,000+ and it is not uncommon for employees to be breaking six figures within 3-5 years.

 

Before a formal job offer is extended, graduates can expect up to three interviews with line managers, department heads and managing directors. These will focus on core competencies, personal qualities and business/commercial awareness. 

 

Association of Graduate Recruiters www.agr.org.uk
The Recruitment Society www.recruitmentsociety.org.uk
Recruitment and Employment Confederation www.rec.uk.com
Association of Professional Recruitment Consultants www.aprc.co.uk
Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development www.cipd.co.uk