Why Introverts Make Great Recruiters

 I am well aware of the stereotypical image of “a recruiter”. It’s the pinstripe suit and the over-gelled hair; the killer heels and the slightly questionable tan. It’s the “sales banter”; the pushy phone calls; the sheer volume of speech. Recruitment, if you believe the stereotypes, is a place for people who like to be heard, like to be seen and like to be around people. Not exactly the perfect job for an introvert, right? Well, I consider myself an introvert. I like reading my books, doing my workouts and spending time with a close circle of friends and family who know when I have enough “people-ing” for the day. So, how did I end up in recruitment? Firstly, HRC likes to avoid the stereotypes. You’ll find a real mix of people who enjoy being in the spotlight and those who don’t. And that’s completely okay. You’ll find those who actually prefer working at home than being surrounded by people in the office. That’s also okay. We accept that different people thrive in different ways. Sometimes, I do find myself out of my comfort zone but that’s part of what makes my job enjoyable. And, as an introvert, I’ve realised that a lot of my quirks and qualities actually stand me in really good stead to be a successful recruiter. Here’s why: Introverts are listeners Recruiters are known for being excellent conversationalists but introverts are known for being able to really listen to what people have to say (often because we simply would rather the focus was on someone else!). So we can get to know our candidates’ career aspirations or our clients’ recruitment plans simply by sitting back and letting them do the talking. We build trust and relationships slowly Introverts tend to find being around lots of people draining, so we can often have smaller circles of friends. We don’t rush into making new connections. In that sense, whenever we’re talking to clients, we don’t come across like a pushy salesperson looking to make a quick buck. We’re slow burners, meaning we gain trust at a slower pace and build solid, long term relationships built on our ability to listen. Introverts tend to be more focused Introspection is the name of the game with introverts. And, whilst that can sometimes be a bad thing, it can really help in recruitment. Introverts tend to be less prone to distractions (such as noise in the office) and can focus on tasks for extended periods of time. Of course, sometimes we need to just put our headphones in and “get in the zone” … Introverts can empathise with similarly minded candidates Looking for a job is hard. Going for an interview is hard. And it’s even harder when you don’t particularly enjoy talking about yourself or being the object of someone’s attention. So, we can empathise with candidates who are struggling and give them tips as to how we have overcome particular challenges during our job searches. If you are looking for a new role within Financial Services (Operations, Risk and Compliance), I would be keen to have a chat with you and understand your career aspirations. Get in touch with me by clicking here to drop me an email (cold phone calls are terrifying for introverts, right?).