At Global Technical Recruiters, we are really only as good as the people we have working for us. Our clients work with us because of our experience in the industry AND the top talent we employee. Our employees work tirelessly to pair quality candidates with open positions at companies where both the company and employee will benefit the most. And sometimes we are lucky to get to interview people who have been with us for over 10 years!
The Day In The Life interviews were introduced so everyone everywhere can meet the great staff that we have in our different offices. The people we have working for us really have impacted both GTR as an organization and the businesses they work with.
Our next feature is Jen Campbell.
Jen has been with us for 14 years (!!!) and is currently one of our Senior Sales Consultants.
Jen, first question right off the bat. What do you value most about coming to work at GTR every day?
Jen: I have worked with many of my clients for years, and have developed strong relationships with them. I enjoy working with them and helping them meet goals by helping them to get their positions filled. I am motivated by the fact that my role has unlimited earning potential as well as flexibility to somewhat run your own book of business. It is motivating to know that you can see an increase in income or perks from the work you put in day to day.
So what brought you here 14 years ago?
Jen: When I started working at GTR there was less than 20 employees. There was a lot of potential for the company and for personal growth. I started as a recruiter and then moved into sales after 6 months. You could easily see the impact your efforts had on the numbers and the overall success of the company.
That makes sense – it’s always great to be part of something where you directly see your impact. It feels very empowering! What is the thing that makes coming to this fast-paced environment fun for you each day?
Jen: The days fly by. Usually I am racing the clock to finish what I need to finish before the lunch hour or before 5pm.
That is always a good feeling – no one likes to watch the clock tick! As someone who’s been in this industry for as long as you, tell us what your average morning looks like (if there is such a thing as an average morning for you).
Jen: Many of our clients work 3rd shift, or start their shifts at 6am/7am. Typically, when I come in I have 5-10 emails from the night before. I address anything that is urgent first and foremost, and relay any call-off messages to clients that are urgent. I update any job orders in our system to ensure the recruiters know what is a priority for the day, and make sure all candidates have been presented over to my clients that recruiters have identified. Once these tasks are completed, I have an ongoing to do list from each day, with key tasks for new prospects or key clients prioritized.
I bet you are a very busy woman with a lot on her plate first thing, each day. What about your late mornings – how do those look? Do you get any relief?
Jen: Each day is a constant juggle of taking care of current customers/working to fill the open positions we already have and prospecting for additional positions, either from current customers or new customers. My late mornings are usually spent making both warm calls and cold calls, but right before lunch is typically a re-prioritization of the important tasks on the to do list. What was most important in the morning, could change based on any new orders or issues that may have come up in the morning.
I am lucky to be able to travel to clients too, so some days I am on the road for client appointments. Typically these appointments are scheduled for late mornings. This could be a new prospect, where the appointment is an information gathering session to understand their business and staffing needs. This also could be with a key client where we check in on our service levels and discuss upcoming projects/ramp ups, or current personnel challenges.
So what does your “typical” afternoon look like?
Jen: In addition to what I mentioned for morning/late morning, I multi task keeping up with emails in addition to these tasks. Throughout any given day I receive 100+ emails, from internal employees regarding candidates to be presented, or candidates that are currently working. Within these emails could be emails from clients that need jobs filled ASAP for the next day. Keeping up with these emails and prioritizing which ones need attention right away vs. which ones can be addressed at a later time is a big portion of my afternoon. Throughout the afternoon I continue to make prospecting calls: warm calls, cold calls, present candidates over to clients for open positions, and work with recruiters to get jobs filled. Lots of multi tasking!
Let’s get a little deeper and talk more about the good and the bad of your days. Is there a deal you lost recently due to “bad hiring processes”? What happened?
Jen: We have a client that has 20+ openings, and they haven’t filled any of these positions over the last few months. The person making the decisions is rejecting resumes from behind the scenes, being very picky, not willing to negotiate pay rates, having the HR rep “relay these messages.” Basically, this company hasn’t adjusted to the times. In this hiring market, the employees have the upper hand due to lack of talent/low unemployment rate. Clients that are too picky, stall the process, don’t negotiate rates, and don’t adjust their expectations aren’t going to see traction at all. Part of my job is to get them to understand this but each client is different and it is (and will be) a constant work in progress.
What is a recent challenge you overcame for a client lately?
Jen: We have had a lot of turnover and difficulty with a client that pays low wages. Through many discussions we keep discussing the pay rates the competition was paying and they since have increased starting pay rate as well as the rates for employees that have been there awhile. There has been less turnover and better success with new hires.
How do you coach clients in an effort to help them understand how to make recruiting and hiring easier?
Jen: Getting them to understand the current market is always the biggest area that we can coach on. This is ever changing, but right now I tell clients to open up parameters as much as possible and move quickly, because the candidates that are good and motivated are gone quick!
Thanks for taking the time to chat with us Jen!
