The staffing and recruitment industry is constantly on the move. Especially in IT, the market is extremely candidate-driven. For staffing consultants, that means you not only have to take your client’s interests into account, but also those of your candidates.
We believe that diversity in teams is important, but all good consultants also have a few things in common. In this blog, we dive into the 10 characteristics of a skilled consultant.
YOU ARE A STRONG COMMUNICATOR
When matching candidates to clients, it’s important that you know exactly what everyone’s interests and wishes are. That’s why you’ll have to communicate a lot with everyone involved.
This means that asking the right questions and getting to the point quickly and efficiently are basic skills that every good consultant needs to master. This doesn’t mean you always have to have the last word (not at all). But it does mean that you have to be a strong communicator. Some persuasiveness helps also.
YOU ARE A GOOD LISTENER
You can ask all the right questions, but if you’re not a good listener, the answers won’t be of any use to you. A skilled consultant listens between the lines and knows exactly which questions to ask next.
YOUR FRIENDS COMPLIMENT YOU ON YOUR PEOPLE SKILLS
Making a real connection with someone can sometimes be difficult, but for a consultant it really is an indispensable ingredient. Do friends always come to you for relationship/communication advice? Do people quickly tell you personal things? Then your interpersonal skills are probably better than most people’s!
YOU ARE NOT AFRAID TO WORK HARD
Working as a staffing consultant involves tight deadlines and a heavy workload. Successful consultants know this and have mastered the art of balancing hard work with down-time. That means you’re not afraid to work hard, but you also know when it’s time to take a step back.
YOU ARE CUSTOMER-FOCUSED
As a consultant, your customers are not only your clients, but also your candidates. Treat your candidate like a star and they will never forget it. When they’re looking for a new job, you’re likely to be the first call they make. They’re also more likely to refer other candidates to you and to let you know when they see new opportunities. That’s why your work is always customer-oriented and you take good care of your clients and candidates every step of the way.
YOU ARE CURIOUS AND LIKE TO LEARN NEW THINGS
The staffing industry is changing rapidly. On top of that, we work in IT—a market that is constantly reinventing itself. That’s why it’s essential for you as a consultant to be curious and enjoy learning new things. From market opportunities and new technological breakthroughs to the latest tools to help you find the right candidate, there’s something new to learn every week!
YOUR INTUITION IS SECOND TO NONE
All the tools and best practices in the business are no match for a strong intuition. As a strong consultant, you know exactly how to pick up on subtle hints that other people are communicating. Your intuition shows you where a client’s pain points and which working environment is best for a candidate.
YOU ARE FLEXIBLE AND RESISTANT TO STRESS
‘You’re flexible and stress resistant’ might sound like a standard job requirement in any job description. But for staffing consultants, it’s more than just a cliché.
The best candidates usually already have a job. They often don’t feel completely free to discuss new opportunities while at their current employer. This means that a lot of important phone calls take place at odd hours.
On top of that, you sometimes have to find the right candidate under time pressure. But as a strong consultant, you’ve got the skills to deal with stress in a balanced, healthy way.
YOU TAKE A STRUCTURED APPROACH
You follow the same process every day. Remember that the steps you followed in the beginning are what made you successful. If you believe in your processes and their effectiveness, it’s okay if you get a ‘no’. Just follow the same process again and you’ll succeed the next time.
YOU ARE A NATURAL ENTREPRENEUR
Being a staffing consultant is a lot like being an entrepreneur, except without the entrepreneurial risk. You are responsible for your market and can serve it with your own personal touch. Because of this, we see that most skilled consultants have a healthy dose of entrepreneurial spirit.
Looking for a sales job?
These 10 characteristics are what makes our consultants successful. Wondering what we can do for you? Check out our sales vacancies
