Head Administrator at Vivid Optical Sadie Saunders, sat down with principal consultant Owen Thacker to discuss his experience of being an optical recruiter.
(Sadie) How do you start your day?
(Owen) Each morning I start my day by going through my current processes and seeing if there are any interviews, I need to schedule in. I will send out any CV’s I received the evening before and make sure they are all sent out to clients. If I have a candidate interviewing that day, I will make sure I call them beforehand to clarify everything with them, making sure they are prepared. I will also liaise with the client to make sure everything is ready for the interview. If I have someone starting a job on a specific day, then in the morning I will call them to wish them the best of luck.
(S) What do you love about your job?
(O) Over 5 years of working at Vivid Optical I have enjoyed expanding my market knowledge on the optometry industry. Each day I get to speak to a variety of experienced candidates. In addition to this I get to speak to successful businesses and help to find the perfect candidate for their vacancies. The most rewarding aspect about my job is knowing I am making a difference in someone’s life –When in a more suited role, it makes a massive impact on someone’s life, and knowing I am a part of that is very rewarding in itself. Lastly, I love coming into the office each day surrounded by other hard-working recruiters and seeing everyone succeed.
(S) What are the challenges you face in your role?
(O) Within recruitment there is definitely a lot of challenges. One of the main challenges I deal with is when a candidate changes their mind regarding a job. I find not having the perfect position for a candidate very frustrating – as I want to get them into a new job as efficiently as possible, however this isn’t always the case. Sometimes, vacancies that need to be filled urgently are quite stressful as finding the best candidate for that role can sometimes take a while. Another challenge I face is ‘counteroffers’. A counteroffer is when a candidate’s current employer offers them a higher salary as a last-ditch attempt to retain service. This then has a detrimental affect on the employee’s final decision whether or not to change job!
(S) What’s your advice for someone interested in recruitment?
(O) Being flexible in recruitment is very important as you need to be able to be available at all times, making sure your able to speak when’s best for your candidates/clients. Being confident is a major part in your role as you will need to be on the phone to candidates and clients for the majority of the day. Dedication, being a recruiter definitely takes a lot of time and dedication, as you will have to go through hard times as well as the good times.