As we celebrated 10 years in business this week, we thought we’d take a moment to reflect on everything we’ve learned over the last decade.
Now, we’d love to tell you that it has been a breeze and that everyone should be recruiters, but we’d be lying.
Recruitment is a tough slog, but an incredible rewarding one. It’s equal parts strategy, psychology, detective work, relationship building and occasionally wondering why someone has listed “excellent communication skills” before ghosting you for three weeks.
So, in no particular order, here are 10 things we’ve learned from a decade in recruitment.
1. Nobody actually knows what “Competitive Salary” means
Candidates don’t like this, recruiters don’t like this, and half the time, hiring managers don’t like this.
Yet somehow, it still appears in job adverts all across the country.
Competitive with what? Formula One drivers? Premier League footballers? The person sat next to me?
One thing we’ve learned is that transparency wins every time – put the salary on the job advert.
2. The best candidates often aren’t looking
Many companies think that they can stick a job advert online and the perfect candidate will apply.
The reality? We’ve learned that the best candidates aren’t often looking for a new role.
They’re usually sat at work, blissfully unaware that a better opportunity exists.
“I’m not really looking, but…” Has become our favourite start to a sentence.
3. Interviews are basically first dates
First dates, without the worry of something in your teeth or talking about bad exes.
Both parties are trying to impress each other, everyone has rehearsed answers, someone is laughing at a joke they didn’t find funny, and the word passionate is definitely being said at least three times.
And afterwards? Both sides spend days wondering who should call first.
4. Culture fit matters more than free pizza
A business can offer unlimited snacks, bean bags and a ping pong table, but if the culture isn’t right, none of it matters.
Over the years we’ve seen that people stay where they feel valued, supported and connected.
The pizza helps, but only slightly.
5. Everyone thinks recruitment is easy
We love this one. If we had a pound for every time someone has said “don’t you just put an advert online?” we’d be able to retire our MD.
Behind every successful placement are dozens of conversations, meetings, searches, interviews, negotiations, coffees, emails, follow-ups and moments where technology decides today is the day it stops working.
6. The little things matter
We remember the little things. A thank you email, feedback, a quick update and so on.
What we’ve learned is that candidates appreciate this too. A thank you email, feedback, a quick update, remembering someone’s name, a phone call when you promised one.
These things seem small, but they’re often what people remember most.
Recruitment is ultimately a people business, and people remember how you made them feel.
7. Nobody likes being ghosted
Being ghosted is one of the most devastating and frustrating things in recruitment. How anyone can go from full conversations and engagement to disappearing off the face of the earth is something we’ll never get our heads around.
You can have five brilliant conversations with someone and then…
Nothing.
Gone.
Vanished.
Witness protection programme levels of disappearance.
If you’re reading this and you’ve ever ghosted a recruiter, we’re not angry. We’re just disappointed.
8. The job market changes fast
Over the last 10 years we’ve seen huge shifts in candidate expectations, technology, hybrid working, salaries, benefits and hiring trends.
The businesses that thrive are the ones willing to adapt and the same applies to recruiters.
If we’ve learned anything, it’s that standing still isn’t really an option.
9. Relationships always beat transactions
The best partnerships we’ve built haven’t been about filling a vacancy.
They’ve been about understanding businesses, supporting growth, helping people develop careers and being there long after the placement has been made.
Recruitment done properly isn’t transactional, it’s personal.
10. People are everything
It’s a simple lesson, but it’s the most important one.
Over the last decade we’ve met thousands of people: candidates starting new chapters, businesses growing their teams, partners who have supported us and colleagues who have become friends.
Without people, there is no recruitment.
Without relationships, there is no Glu Recruit.
And that’s probably the biggest lesson we’ve learned in 10 years.
Final Thought
Recruitment can be chaotic and unpredictable, but it’s also incredibly rewarding.
Because at its heart, recruitment is about helping people.
And after 10 years, that’s still our favourite part.
Here’s to the lessons we’ve learned, the people we’ve met and whatever the next 10 years decide to throw at us.
(Although if the next decade could include a little less ghosting and rollercoaster like trends, we’d really appreciate it.)