I understand staffing, I have been a part of it for a number of years now, this is a bit different of an experience for me. I want to preface this with I have enjoyed my time here and have grown substantially but at a cost.
-Metrics, metrics, metrics - this company is hyper metrics focused, personally I don't think that some of the metrics are relevant to your success as a recruiter. I can't tell you how many people I mini profiled or interviewed because I just needed to reach a number by the end of the week to be considered "on track". If you have an off day or week be prepared to be on the receiving end of an email letting you know about it. Your calls are tracked you need to make a certain number of them and they can and will see how much time you spent on the phone. This to me is overbearing and actually has resulted in a great deal of severe anxiety.
-Training can be both a pro and a con here, the training on the specific technologies is helpful and will get you prepared to answer even the toughest of questions a technical candidate could ask you. However, their training is designed to have you do things the "Hays Way". Which their system definitely works, however, it is my experience that any sort of deviance from their system is seen as going against the system as a whole. Definitely a drink the cool aid type of environment. Which may work for some but is something that I'm just not used to.
-Micromanagement again another pro and con here, management will be there when you need them, but they will also be there when you don't need them. It really goes back to metrics, management's success is determined by their subordinate's metrics. They want you to do it their way and will ensure you do it their way because they believe that all of these metrics are important and without them you won't be a successful recruiter.
-Work life balance, don't plan on having a positive work life balance if you work here. Especially starting out. Until you build that bank of candidates you can call and get submitted to any opening that comes out, don't plan on coming in at 8am and leaving at 5pm. There have been countless nights spent at home where instead of spending time with my family or friends, I spent that time planning for the next day, finishing matches, or reworking resumes. I come in every morning at 8am knowing that I am not likely leaving until 6:30 or so and then even when I finally leave I know that there is more work to do. I typically finish work around 9:00pm or so which leaves me about an hour or so of free time before I decide I need to go to sleep. There doesn't seem to be enough time in the normal work day to get everything done that they would like you to.
