A day in the life of a recruiter: What people think we do vs What we actually do

What is a day in the life of a recruiter like? what does a recruiter do day to day? And how heavy must their workload be?

The world of recruitment is crowded with job-seekers, job-providers, and the middle-person whose job is to fill an open position with the best person that fits the criteria. Now, the job of a recruiter can seem like a mystery to someone who isn’t in the industry. However, most people in the world will have had contact with a recruiter for any reason and have formed an idea of what recruiters really do. How accurate are these perceptions about the recruiter life?

Here is a day in the life of a recruiter and some amusing perceptions of what people think recruiters do vs what recruiters really do.

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Also read : Hiring Manager vs Recruiter: What’s the big difference?

What your parents think you do:

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After seeing them glued to their phones and checking their emails 24/7, their parents are convinced that a day in the life of a recruiter is just talking for a living and being constantly stressed out. They wouldn’t even dare wander into the world of Google Meet or mobile apps because that will just lead to a lot of unnecessary confusion.

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What your friends think you do:

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Their friends think that a day in the life of a recruiter involves “meeting” with clients and candidates on a regular basis, which they believe is just an excuse to get out of their office to enjoy fancy lunches. The same goes for conversations; Chatting with candidates or clients about casual topics of discussion doesn’t equate to a billable, hard work in their books. But, what they should understand is that building a rapport is hard work.

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What your acquaintances think you do:

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The moment one mentions that they work in recruitment, all of a sudden they become the answer to all their job-seeking problems. Recruiters and headhunters work in specialized fields, but that’s somehow irrelevant because they expect them to be in the miraculous position landing them in their dream job despite the major disconnect, and also have the time to share shining recommendations to all of their contacts who are currently hiring.

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What your clients think you do:

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Now, the folks of this class (not all) think that all that a recruiter has to do is just magically apparate the candidate that perfectly fits the brief. They are commonly under the misconception that in the recruiter life, they would have 20 quality candidates ready in their pockets, and all the have to do is just present them when the need arises. The truth is that although recruiters have a large network of candidates that fit various bills, clients just aren’t aware of the recruitment process they go through to find the ones that may possess the all or most of the requirements for the role.

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What candidates think you do:

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A day in the life of a recruiter consists of either a mistrust towards recruiters who are seen as salespeople, or a blind faith that they will magically be able to summon up a job and drop it in candidates’ laps. If they don’t get the role, they’ll likely believe that the recruiter did something wrong; while on the other hand if one landed the job then the recruiter would be their hero! If only it were that simple.

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What you think you do:

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In the ideal life of a recruiter, they are the Cupid of the jobs world. They make the perfect matches between candidates and clients using their skills. They work long hours, attend meetings, build healthy rapport, and ensure all needs and requirements are being met. And, finally, they make sure that the hiring process runs as smoothly as possible.

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What you really do:

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what does a recruiter do day to day? The answer to that question is a tough one. There is no typical work day for a recruiter because every day is a new challenge. Finding the perfect talent in the talent pool for a client is definitely like finding a needle in a haystack. There are days of hardcore researching for candidates through databases, connections and social media, and sourcing & screening those who are suitable for the role out forth by the client. But, even after that there is the possibility that the client may not like the candidates, or a candidate changes their mind, and so the cycle goes on.

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These perceptions of a day in the life of a recruiter are certainly amusing. However, through all the jokes, the truth that rings clear is that the job of a recruiter is filled with unexpected events and their power lies in adapting to circumstances.

The recruitment process tends to get a lot of bad rap. We’re not denying the existence of a few bad eggs. But good recruiters truly care about the candidate, the client and all recruitment needs. The job is certainly demanding, but the rewards are significantly satisfying and rewarding.