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By Lily Sachs on March 9th, 2022

Key Points:

  • Financial Security for Go-Getters
  • Become a Professional Matchmaker
  • Common Traits Found Naturally in Recruiters
  • A Common Career Path for a Recruiter

As this year has progressed, many recruiting agencies, including ourselves, have felt the pressure to grow post-pandemic. Due to colleges not producing mainstream Technology graduates (Oracle, SAP, Microsoft, Salesforce, etc), there is a labor shortage. This failure has resulted in more jobs/contracts than there are people. Resulting in a boom in the technology staffing industry. Gone are the days of 5 percent unemployment, useful job boards, and productive online job descriptions. If a company doesn’t attack the market, it will not fill its positions.  Companies are relying on Staffing companies more than ever. Statistics have even predicted that there will be a 9% increase in recruiting positions from 2020 to 2030. Alas, much like technology degrees, colleges do not offer degrees in recruiting, hence the shortages.

Currently, with such a competitive market, there’s never been a better time to pursue a new career or find your new dream job. So, if you’re interested in checking out a highly sought-after career with all kinds of benefits, read on to figure out what steps you should take next!

  1. Financial Security for Go-Getters

Money. Scot Baker, a ProTek co-founder, stated, “I completely dismissed recruiting first. My incorrect impression was it was not for smart people, and anyone can do this simple task. I also noticed two good Recruiter-friends taking nicer trips and seemed to be financially better off than me, the smart guy. I took the plunge, and eighteen years later, I am extremely happy.” It is not uncommon for many recruiters to earn over $120k per year. High-end performers make over $500k.  

The Staffing industry is a hidden treasure for go-getters. If a person is willing to work hard, they will succeed. Of course, Staffing isn’t taught in the gilded halls of higher education. College graduates will have to deviate from their life’s plan and explore this opportunity. If you succeed in a commission-based staffing agency, the ROI on a degree will be much better than the degree’s intended profession. Comparatively, a Corporate Accountant might earn $100k after ten years. Recruiters can earn that (most cases, more) in three years and do so in perpetuity. Recruiters working with big-box agencies on average made $95,000 last year. But, with smaller agencies like ourselves, you can make between $120,000 and $232,000. – Woah.

  1. Become a Professional Matchmaker

There are two parties to all searches, the individual and the client. When you successfully place a candidate, it feels great. Being able to help people (clients and candidates) in their job search is a fulfilling part of a Recruiter’s career. Candidates presumably have found a better fit for themselves professionally that they otherwise would not without a Recruiter’s involvement. Client managers can now alleviate the stress of a person missing from their team. Wow, all this positive energy surrounding the closed deal plus your financial gain.

  1. Common Traits Found Naturally in Recruiters

If communicating comes easily to you, then recruiting will be a blast. The day-to-day with this gig includes tons of interaction with many different parties. For example, you may be looking for a Web Developer in the AM and a Database Administrator in the PM. 

Actionable data gives us a leg up on the competition, and top Recruiters meticulously store information. An overlooked skill by the big-box agencies is detailed oriented. When speaking to hundreds of people per week, you need to capture that information and make it re-usable. 

Fearless people do better in a commission-based position, and agency recruiting is such. Successful Recruiters attack the market. The harder you work, the more you will be paid. Picking up the phone, managing a users’ group, lunches, hosting a happy hour, and generally putting yourself in a position to meet people will win the day. 

  1. A Common Career Path for a Recruiter

A vast majority of agency Recruiters start in big-box shops. These are hiring factories that rely solely on volume. The big-box goal is a bluntness to the market, a proverbial call center. Scot Baker recalls his time at TEKsystems, “they hired twenty-two recruiters in the short time I worked there, which accounted for the 100 percent turnover I saw, they might hire a batch of five and hope two will work out. Of all the TEKsystems recruiters I worked with, only one is still agency recruiting. “Turnover is high in agencies, by design. The shine of the culture wears off for many reasons, and people leave the industry.”  Baker noted, “it is a shame that all these good people left the business because I know that many enjoyed it. They just worked for faceless companies that didn’t care about them in the long run.”  ProTek’s first recruiter hired was Drew Dimmitt, who quit Insight Global. He stated, “I was done with the business before ProTek called. Rob and Scot assured me they were not like the big boxes, so I gave it one more try and have been with ProTek for over six years.” 

Big boxes are the training grounds, but ultimately the better compensation and culture is with the smaller shops that value employees. Our advice is to learn the business at big-box. Then find a regional agency that will provide a more positive experience, culturally and financially. 

Now that you’ve reviewed the grit of what it takes to be a Recruiter and the compensation you can attain in this career, it’s time for you to start applying for jobs and interviewing. But, if you’re already within the industry and you’re wondering, “Wow, could life at a smaller regional agency be what I feel like I’m missing from my position in Recruitment?” or “Could a smaller box agency alleviate the burnout I’m experiencing with the big box agency?” – The answer is yes.

So, reach out today because we are experiencing a significant growth period this year and are always open to discussing how to elevate your recruiting industry position.

ProTek Partners Job Inquiries:

  • Email your resume/cover letter to info@protekpartners.com