Ruth Munday has been with Hays for over
10 years, rising through the ranks from
trainee consultant to recruitment manager
to her current role as Associate Director of
headhunting in the UK.
A University of Liverpool graduate, Ruth
deals with the UK and international markets,
reflecting Hays' global reach. Ruth is a
member of Women in Property and an
affiliate member of the Royal Institute of
British Architects (RIBA) .
Why consider a career in recruitment?
I didn't know what I wanted to do after
university but meeting people at all levels and
learning about different industries attracted me
to recruitment. The expertise of the industries
you deal with, whether utilities and chemicals
or finance and marketing, is a real eye-opener
and excellent business grounding.
Highlight the key skills needed to succeed.
You need to be tenacious with a huge
amount of drive as it's an autonomous
business. Communicating effectively is vital
as you're constantly dealing with candidates
and clients. Never lose sight that that you're
dealing with other people's careers – learn
to listen.
What rewards can I expect?
What attracted me to Hays in the first place is
the commission structure. It is paid over and
above a basic salary and designed to reward
you personally on the amount of success you
have. There is a risk element involved, but if
you're good at your job and get a little bit of
luck, you can earn really good money.
And the work-life balance …
You sometimes need to speak to candidates
and clients in the evenings; however, the
excellent commission more than compensates.
I've never failed to take my full holiday
allowance!
What is special about Hays' culture?
There's a ‘work hard, play hard' culture
and colleagues tend to stick together and
support each other. There is high visibility
and your success is recognised at all levels
of the organisational hierarchy. People from
other companies comment often remark that
our employees are incredibly energised and
driven.
Can I work overseas?
I would recommend you take full advantage
of this option. Hays operates in many English
speaking countries such as Australia, New
Zealand and Canada but if you're good at
languages or willing to learn then you might
wish to jet off to another location altogether
such as Japan, China, France or even Brazil.
What do you enjoy most about recruitment?
People. Whether dealing with a client
mandate or candidates looking for their next
move, it's the interaction and rapport building
that matters. It's very satisfying when you can
win people over to your way of thinking.
Not so keen on …
Working for such a large company inevitably
means coming across set procedures, which
can be frustrating. You have to learn to accept
these processes as a necessary evil.
Is fast-tracking an option for graduates?
Hays is a meritocracy – there are no limits
to your success. You won't be fast tracked
simply because you're a graduate. If you
work hard and get good results, you'll make
headway fast. You could be managing your
own team in your first year.
Detail the variety of your work.
You can be dealing with a number of
different things: pitching to a client, working
on assignments, running ads, conducting
research, competency-based interviews,
writing reports or negotiating offers on behalf
of candidates. And that doesn't include all the
related admin.
Is recruitment male-dominated?
No. At Hays, we have a pretty equal balance
between male and female employees and
managers.
Can I explore different business areas?
Absolutely. This is what we do very well at
Hays. Our UK business recruits specialists
into over 17 sectors. As a big FTSE business
employing nearly 9,000 people globally,
there are opportunities to work in our
support departments such as HR, Accounts,
Marketing, Online Sales and Training.
Any tips on recruitment and careers in
general?
By talking to other recruitment consultants,
you'll get to understand the ‘warts and all' of
the job. Doing some telephone or database
work on a placement is a good idea. You need
to commit some time to making a real go of
your first job in recruitment as chopping and
changing won't look good on your CV.
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