There are many misconceptions about the role of a recruitment consultant. Here at Walters People we do things differently and encourage a culture that allows our staff to grow and develop both in their personal life and career.
We speak to Louise Tallboy-Wood, Associate Director of Walters People London, who shares insights into the typical day of a Walters People recruitment consultant and why working in recruitment is a fantastic career path.
- Explain to us your background and how you got involved with WP?
Like many, I joined Walters People / The Robert Walters Group back in summer 2014 as a recent graduate – very unaware what recruitment or a career in recruitment was at that time. I studied International Business Management at Northumbria University and up until this point, I’d worked part-time during my studies in retail sales along with a summer spent doing Camp America! I first heard about the Group and what a career in recruitment could entail from a friend who worked within our Milton Keynes WP/RW office at the time. I remember being excited by the autonomy they had over their day-to-day workload and spending their days building relationships and meeting so many different and interesting people from CEOs to graduates! As soon as I found out more on the incentives, on-going training and career development on offer – needless to say I was hooked!
- How has your career progressed since joining WP?
Eight years, two different offices and four promotions later – safe to say; it’s been an incredibly rewarding journey and my personal progression has been amazing. I’ve got to learn from some of the best recruiters in the industry and the team-based ethos not only makes it an enjoyable place to work, but I believe helped me reach the Global High Achievers trip in 2018 and 2021. Being part of a company that rewards and recognises hard-work has ensured I’ve felt challenged throughout my career, pushed out of my comfort zones and continuously being spoken to about what that next promotion/step in my career looks like. Feeling stagnant is not something I’ve felt since day one!
- How did WP help set you up for each new step in your career?
Everyone across WP is happy to support and offer you help and guidance along the way, so even someone new to a market/discipline or heading into a leadership role – you never feel alone or needing to have all the answers.
- What do you enjoy most about your role?
There are many elements to my role that I enjoy, though for me it’s being part of a meritocratic culture. There are no barriers to your success and the group and senior leadership truly recognise your hard work and efforts – not always billings/revenue related either. I also like the fact that we’re able to run our desks as if they’re our own businesses. You get to take ideas (no matter how crazy and over the years, some of mine have been a little farfetched) and really run with them. I’ve been able to organise awesome client events, involved in trialling various software’s and recruitment tools as well as work and recruit for brands I love and in many cases, am a customer of.
Lastly, I still get the huge buzz when closing a deal and delivering an offer to a candidate. No matter how bad your day is, that feeling is like no other. Going from winning the business, sourcing and finding the candidate, taking them through the interview process and having them accept the offer gives enormous satisfaction and the feeling over 8 years has not got old one bit!
- What keeps you motivated?
I am naturally someone that is self-motivated and tend to expect a lot from myself, which has been from my school days to now as an Associate Director. I’m someone who enjoys recognition and celebrating achievements which can be achieved at Walters People from MVP of the month, annual awards to Global incentive trips – which has kept me pushing myself over the years. Though, I’m also someone that after doing a good job/deal or month tend not to rest to long on my laurels before I’m back on the hunt again next time around, which is what I’d say provides the thrill in recruitment – it doesn’t ever stop, which I love!
- What advice do you have for people looking to start a career in recruitment?
You have absolutely nothing to lose but all there is to gain. It was the best career decision I made after University and with uncapped earnings, flexibility to run as your own business amongst a fun and collaborative team, why wouldn’t you want to give it a shot? If recruitment has sparked an interest and you’d like to potentially explore what a career in the filed looks like along with the highs and lows, my advice would be to reach out to an experienced consultant that will share their honest experiences and always happy to share what a day in the life looks like – I’ve not looked back.
If you’re looking for a place to work that ticks all the boxes, contact me today at louise.tallboy-wood@walterspeople.co.uk or call on 44 (0) 203 036 6580 for a confidential discussion today.
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Five reasons why a career in recruitment is right for you
Looking for your next career option? Recruitment is a profession which attracts a wide range of people from all professional and educational backgrounds and there are many reasons why people chose to join the industry. Find out why a career in recruitment is the right choice for you.
