Between the two of them, our most tenured recruiters have been doing this for over 50 years combined. That's long enough to watch the entire industry change more than once, and to know which pieces of advice actually held up.
Best Advice given as a tenured recruiter
Two of ARC's most tenured recruiters on what held up, what they'd take back, and what they'd tell themselves at year one.
Table of Contents
The Long view
What It Gives back
Closing Wisdom
Best Advice that has stuck with us throughout our career
Between the two of them, our most tenured recruiters have been doing this for over 50 years combined. That's long enough to watch the entire industry change more than once, and to know which pieces of advice actually held up.
Looking back over your career, what's the best advice you ever received?
Best Advice, Looking Back
"Don't rest on your laurels, and look at a deal that falls through like water off a duck's back. Just keep going."
What's advice you followed early on that you'd tell someone not to?
Bad Advice
"Don't spend the money from a commission before the guarantee of a placement ends."
Bad Advice
I don't think I was ever given outright bad advice, but there are things said in sales war rooms that can be interpreted the wrong way, especially by newer recruiters. 'It's a numbers game' is a good example. Seasoned salespeople understand what that actually means, but someone new to the industry could hear that and think, 'Okay, all I need to do is make a ton of calls and eventually I'll make sales.' That's absolutely not true. The numbers matter, but the quality of the conversations, who you're calling, your messaging, your follow-up, and actually building relationships matter just as much.
What's changed about this industry that you didn't see coming?
what changed
"The M&A/PE firms' involvement, and the offshore/nearshore delivery, to the extent it has grown."
What it's given them
Between freedom, connection, and the discipline to actually protect time outside the job, this is what two decades in the business gives back that a paycheck alone doesn't.
What does this industry give you that you couldn't get anywhere else?
What this career gives them
"Freedom to control income while making an impact with humans, candidates and clients, in a way that genuinely influences their work and personal lives."
What this career gives them
"I have met so many amazing people. I'm not sure I would get that elsewhere."
If you could go back and tell yourself one thing at year one, what would it be?
A LESSON FOR HER YOUNGER SELF
"Set guardrails around your work schedule. Early on, I had a small child and would work 24/7, take calls when the candidates wanted, even if that meant stepping out of a restaurant from dinner with my family."
What they look for in recruiters
Three of us answered the hiring question directly, and between the three is a fairly complete picture: proven results, real drive, and the ability to actually listen instead of waiting for a turn to talk. One of us backed that up with a real example: the best hires don't always look the part on paper.
When you're evaluating someone to hire as a recruiter, what do you look for first?
What they look for now
"Results. What is their weekly gross margin spread, how many people do they have on billing, where are they ranking against peers."
What they look for now
"The first thing I look for is how they present themselves and how they communicate. Are they confident? Do they seem genuine? Are they someone I would want to work with or have representing me? I also pay attention to whether they actually listen and engage in the conversation, rather than just waiting for their turn to talk. For me, you can learn a lot about someone from that first interaction."
Why They've Stuck around in recruiting
Two very different answers to the same question: one is about the drive to compete, the other about what the job actually delivers day to day.
What's kept you in this industry all these years?
What's kept them this long
"The desire to win and the disdain to lose."
What they look for now
"Fulfillment, a good work/life balance, and an income that I would have never thought possible."
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