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It’s no secret that the post-COVID job market is booming, and with applying on LinkedIn and other job sites easier than ever, you may be asking yourself: do I really need a recruiter? Isn’t adding an extra party just further complicating what can feel like a long process? We don’t think so, so we are here to answer the question of why use a recruitment agency to find a job – broken down into five reasons, because we know you’re busy… 1. Saves your (precious) time The benefits of using a recruitment agency are huge, if like most tech professionals: you’re likely short on time to spend on a job search but full of know-how that makes you extremely lucrative in the market. Job searching, reading through specs, and researching companies can take hours. Specialist recruiters exist to take the hassle out of job searching and already have long-standing relationships in your industry. They are also most likely recruiting for more than one job for the companies making big moves in their sector, so one conversation could lead to multiple potential opportunities. They know everything about a role(s) and have spent hours finding out all it will entail and the career progression in a company, so you don’t have to – and you get access to all of this for free! A quick chat with a recruiter and they can figure out your must-haves and would-be-nice desires for your next role, to ensure they find the tech job that ticks all your boxes. Let them organise your interview(s), paperwork and more, and be your own career concierge when it comes to finding the match of your dreams, and save you a huge amount of time in the process. Perhaps best of all, a recruiter may come to you with an opportunity you maybe wouldn’t consider on paper(like working for a start-up or in a new industry), but on talking to you they see you could be a great fit – and you never know, it could be just what you’re looking for!   2. They really know your market and the company ‘What does a recruitment consultant do?’, some people may ask. We can’t speak for all of them of course, but the good ones get to know the companies they work with inside and out and know who will slot into a team and hit the ground running. You want your next job to be a great fit across all areas and to do this you need to know: The company culture  (beyond the front of a website) What the salary actually could be (beyond ‘competitive’ or a broad range) Which projects you’ll be working on What their tech stack is like Remote/office time reality (whether set in stone or any flexibility) Working with a recruiter allows you to gauge the culture and social side of an employer, negotiate any flexibility (or find out if there is more if you’re specifically looking for an office/remote split), as well as ensure you’re getting paid exactly what you should for the market rate and your experience (their pay literally is based on getting you the best salary!)   >>> Check out our jobs & compare your salary <<<     3. You can be fully open with them about what you want We realise it can sometimes be challenging to have conversations regarding salary expectations, why you’re leaving your current role and your ideal work flexibility/time in the office directly with a potential new employer. Having your next move supported by a recruiter allows you to really be honest about what you want and allow them to do the hard work to get it – especially useful when it comes to salary negotiation! This minimises the risk of making the wrong career move, and all the stress that comes with that, and having to move roles yet again.   4. Get direct feedback (and no ghosting!) Ever put your CV and/or cover letter forward or gone for an interview and never heard back from a company or had to wait for ages for a follow-up? Yeah, we’re not fans of that either – this is why some recruiters (including us) only work with clients that meet a certain standard when it comes to how they operate. The best recruiters will be in touch with you and their client throughout the process, and communicate honestly at each stage – and you, in turn, can benefit from getting feedback as soon as possible, and share how you’re feeling at each stage.   5. Know the full process and time-frames for receiving an offer Everyone’s on the same page when you work with an experienced recruiter – no confusion, lack of communication about stages and the decision-making process when it comes to hiring, and as clear time-frames as possible. Quality recruiters understand that there’s nothing worse than not knowing the times things are going to be moving at when you’re ready to move on and have a notice period to work, so they do everything within their power to get feedback for you. Overall, think of a recruiter (especially more specialist ones focused on one particular market, like tech) as your free career concierge – here to listen to your needs and find you something special that’s going to enhance your working life. They’re in your corner, and are rewarded to get you in front of decision-makers and shout about how great you are, and go that extra mile beyond what an online CV send can!   So, have we convinced you to use a recruiter to find your next job? Get in touch to see how we can help! Form ID:3677  

Miami, Florida – a land of sunshine, white-sand beaches, and cultural delights, was also home to Understanding Recruitment’s highest performers earlier this month when we took 20 of the team on holiday to say thank you for their hard work! Find out how they qualified, and all the highlights of their trip below. One of the perks of life working in recruitment is the once-in-a-lifetime trips we can take those individuals that have gone above and beyond to exceed expectations on. This May, after years of waiting we could finally take 20 UR team members from our UK and US-based teams – ranging from our Business Operations team to Principal Recruitment Consultants – to Miami, to celebrate them surpassing their full-year target (we combined the 2019, 2020, and 2021 winners after the trip’s original date was thwarted by COVID). Taking a well-deserved break from sourcing and placing tech candidates, learning and development, HR and accounts, our team enjoyed excursions in alligator territory, delicious food, and more, over five days in the sunshine state, as well as some down-time for relaxing, shopping, and the city’s famous beaches! Here’s what some of our exceptional performers had to say about the trip:   Sitting on that plane to Miami felt like…   “When I finally found out the destination of Miami I was incredibly happy as I had never been to the US before, and it was great to be able to experience it alongside such a great group of people! As I had waited so long for this trip (hitting it for the first time in 2019) I think it only properly sunk in when we landed in Miami!” said Anna Lynch, Principal Account Manager in our DevOps team. “I qualified for the first trip in my first and second year at Understanding Recruitment, and both times have felt unbelievable. Trips like this are a completely different kind of experience. I’ve been able to visit places as a grad after a year that I definitely couldn’t afford and it’s great to take time off and relax, without actually taking time off. I really felt like I was being rewarded for all my hard work beyond my salary,” she added. Monique Hunt, our Management Accountant from our Finance team, commented, “Due to Covid, Miami has been a long time coming for me. I won ‘Business Operations Person of the Year’ back in December 2019. Miami 2022 was definitely worth the two-year wait though! I put so much care and attention into my work and it was nice that this was recognised by the directors when I won the award and got to go on this trip!” “After working here for three years, hitting the trip incentive twice during the COVID years and not being able to go made going on this trip ever so much sweeter! It was a massive draw for me to get into recruitment to go on trips around the world I wouldn’t usually get to go on,” added Cedric Sellmann, Principal Account Manager, from our Java recruitment team. “Sitting on that plane (there was a lot of standing up and cheers-ing though to be fair!) made all my accomplishments feel so much better. It definitely motivated me to not miss another one in the future!” My lasting Winner’s Trip memory is…   “It is hard to pinpoint a couple of highlights as the whole trip was full of amazing activities and memories, but going on the speed boat around Miami Marina and the Everglades tour were certainly standouts,” said Harry Sansom, Principal Account Manager for Tech & Data in our Charity & NFP team. “However, just being able to spend time with the team away from work having a laugh and relax was priceless. It was great to finally meet up with some of the US team as it has been a long time coming having only spoken to them via Teams previously. For me, it just reinforced the great culture we have that everyone got on so well and spent most of our time together. It is true when people say although we might be work colleagues it certainly felt like a trip away with your closest pals.” Emma Mathiesen, Head of Training & Development, added, “As a parent of two small children time on the beach to chill and properly switch off without having to worry about my little ones was amazing. Aside from the time on the beach, I loved the organised activities like going on a speedboat because they’re not things I’d ever done before. I also really enjoyed getting to know the team more than I’m able to on a day-to-day basis in the office and the group had a great dynamic which made it really fun!” Molly Boca, Recruitment Consultant from our US-based Acceler8 Talent office, said, “My biggest highlight of the whole trip was having a chance to meet my friends from the UK office. After two years behind a computer screen, it was a dream come true to be able to see everyone in person. But even beyond that, to be able to meet everyone on the US offices’ first full-year trip was an experience that I will never forget. Whether it was boating through the Everglades or just sitting on the beach with a cocktail the company was my favourite part of Miami!”   The secret to making the next Winner’s Trip is…   “I think quality over quantity and steadily working towards micro-goals is the best mindset for hitting a trip!” says Molly, when it comes to advice for making the next trip. Cedric adds, “We’ll train you up and give you all the tools you need to be successful here, not just to get on the trip but to hit your goals in life. You put in the effort, work closely with your team, and surround yourself with like-minded successful people and I can promise you’ll get on the next trip. The more the merrier!” Another year, another Winner’s trip! Will you be on it? “It was great to see the collaboration and cohesiveness between everyone. It was absolutely superb to be with everyone on one of the best trips we’ve ever done, and we can’t wait to do the next one and see who qualifies!” concluded Chris Jackson, Founding Director at Understanding Recruitment. A big well done to all the winner’s trip qualifiers, including James Potton, Emma Mathiesen, Josh Smith, Tom Rankin, Harry Sansom, Charlotte Young, Dan Nightingale, Anna Lynch, Tom Parker, Leo Sparkes, Cedric Sellmann, Monique Hunt, Lisa Booth, and Brad Howell from our UK Understanding Recruitment team, who were joined by Mat Ferdenzi and Molly Boca, from our Acceler8 Talent Boston recruitment team. Did you know we also take new graduate or trainee starters on a trip to our office on the other side of the point if they make their target on joining?   Read about our 'Road to Olympia' incentive trip our recent grads and trainees took earlier this year!

Recruitment is all about people: what you put in, working together with your team, and the ability to change the course of people’s lives by getting them that game-changing role they’d been dreaming of. We know there are perhaps some misconceptions (or lack of information) about what working in the sector is like, so we wanted to share some of the benefits of taking a recruitment consultant job or trainee recruitment job, and celebrate all the great things a career in recruitment can bring. Here are 8 things we think are pretty worth shouting about when it comes to what life can be like working as a recruiter:   1. Career Progression can be huge Working in recruitment is all about motivation and enjoying the rewards of your hard work, and that’s why we have clear progression routes outlined from the start with your manager. Hard work being rewarded is at the core of the best recruitment companies, so show you’re picking things up and soon enough you could be promoted from the Researcher role you will most likely start off in! For example, Java superstar recruiter Charlotte Young since joining as a Researcher in July 2018 went on to be promoted to Recruitment Executive and later Senior Recruitment Consultant, and most recently Managing Recruitment Consultant at the start of May 2022, and will be hiring for her own team soon. There’s also Josh Smith, who is now leading our growing Python tech recruitment team following a promotion at the start of January 2022, after joining as a Researcher only in July 2019! We’re delighted that 90% of our managers initially joined us at a junior level and worked their way up either our client delivery or business development route!   2. You can travel the world Many recruiters offer half-year and full-year trips, and we’re delighted that we just took 20 high performers on a Miami trip that’s been three years in the planning (due to COVID), but usually offer half and full-year holidays for our target-smashing high performers. We also just have a trip for new starters to visit our Acceler8 Talent recruitment office in Boston, Massachusetts after hitting the ‘Road to Olympia’ target for trainee and graduate new starters.   3. You don’t need experience Individuals from hospitality, retail, and estate agent backgrounds, have all walked through a recruitment consultancy like ours’ doors and shone – but also from some environments you may not expect, like banking and insurance! What’s most essential to thrive in a recruitment job is being a people person, as well as having a clear drive towards achieving goals and your ability to work as a team, over whether you have a University degree and what exactly you studied. Learning and development are huge for us, so from Day 1, we’ll cater a tailor-made learning plan around your experience to give you everything you need to succeed as a recruiter. 4. Your take-home pay can quickly increase (and isn’t dependent on time served) As a junior member of staff/trainee recruiter, your salary will start at around the £22,000 mark but can rapidly grow beyond that with competitive commission (we offer up to 40%) on placing candidates. Joining us at a more senior level as a recruitment consultant or account manager and your salary can range from around £30,000-70,000 depending on your experience, and whether you’re a Recruitment Consultant or Account Manager.   5. It’s all about teamwork There’s sometimes perhaps a perception that being a recruiter is all on you, but in the best type of recruitment companies you’ll find it’s not a solo, ‘every person for themselves’ type of role. Our teams are carefully formed, based on who we think will fit well where to ensure they bounce off each other’s energy and support each other. Every company runs differently, but we’re a big fan of catch-ups throughout the day as a team (virtually if working remotely thanks to Microsoft Teams) to make sure everyone has the support they need to hit their goals.   6. You’d be joining one of the ‘fastest-growing job sectors’ (and most exciting sector to be in, in our books!) In 2022, we’re proud to have many million-pound months as the tech industry bounces back with force and companies throughout the UK looking to bolster and expand their teams. According to ZD Net, technology was one of the fastest sectors for growth in jobs in the UK last year. The resilience of the industry in part down to the quick adoption of more remote and flexible working, which has continued into 2022. We’ve embraced flexible working too, with our introduction of two days a week work from home (after passing probation) on offer for all of our team. Working in tech recruitment, you’ll get to know one field extremely well and build long-lasting relationships in the sector (whether a household name like MasterCard or easyJet, or a start-up!), and about the tech talent that drives their success. ​7. Wellbeing is always a priority The pandemic had many companies thinking a lot about ways to ramp up our focus on wellbeing, and we’re one of them. It’s imperative for us to take into account that there are a lot of highs (like when a candidate accepts an offer!) but also some lows (e.g. when a candidate narrowly misses out or changes their mind) in recruitment, and the lows are often out of your control as a recruiter. During the pandemic, we set up a Wellbeing Committee including Mental Health First Aiders to look out for anyone that may be struggling with their mental health, in addition to our free gym and Calm membership, encouraging team members to take 2-hour lunches when needed, among other offerings. Some companies also offer unlimited holiday after a certain period (for us, it’s after two years), and we feel this is essential to allow our team to recharge and enjoy some time off from all their hard work.   8. You’ll be changing people’s lives every day Last, but perhaps most importantly, working as a tech recruiter (and other sectors) can change the course of someone’s life. Whether helping someone secure a role in London after years of wanting to move there, supporting someone get out of a job they’re really unhappy at, or getting someone a salary that will allow them to put a deposit down for a house or do something else they’ve always dreamed of, working in this role means you could be changing people’s lives every week… now, how does that sound?     Upload Your CV Ready to join the team?  We're always interested in finding the right people to join our team. We’re rapidly growing and doing amazing things in the world of tech recruitment from our UK and US offices, and are on the lookout for driven and ambitious individuals to join us on our journey!    Form ID:3677