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What’s It Really Like To Be a Female Recruiter?
06 Mar, 20234 - 5 minutes
To celebrate International Women’s Day, we’re shining the spotlight on Women in Recruitment!
Gender diversity in the recruitment industry (as a whole) continues to be a work in progress but with great benefits, equal pay & transparent pay, and incredible progression opportunities, we’re pleased to see more females choosing this exciting industry as their career of choice.
In 2022, 45% of new Recruitment Consultants joining the Spencer Clarke Group team were female and we hope to continue this upwards trend in 2023 as we fully embrace equality in the workplace and in the recruitment industry.
To help attract more females into the recruitment industry (and hopefully through the Spencer Clarke Group doors), we recently caught up with some of our female recruiters to see what life is really like working as a woman in recruitment.
Jenna McFarlane
What’s your favourite thing about being a female recruiter?
I love being a recruiter, I don’t see there being any difference between being a male or female recruiter. In our office, we are all equal and we all build each other up to help one another succeed. No matter what gender you are, it’s about you, your attitude and the work you put in to succeed.
Have you faced any challenges as a female recruiter?
I’ve faced many challenges which I have had to overcome in my years as a recruiter but I don’t believe being a female has related to these challenges at all.
Do you believe there are equal opportunities for women in recruitment?
Yes 100%. I’ve never felt I’ve been judged for my gender in this industry. I feel like times have changed now and although it was more commonly known as a male dominated industry, this isn’t the case anymore.
When I started in this office, I was one of two female recruiters and now the women are taking over the office!
Do you think being a woman has helped you to succeed in recruitment?
I believe my own ambition and hard work has helped me to succeed in recruitment, not my gender. The support I receive from my peers (male and female) helps me to stay focused and motivated on a daily basis.
What advice would you give to women thinking about joining the recruitment industry?
Be confident, ambitious and own it! Set yourself goals and make it your aim to smash them!
Which woman inspires you the most?
My sister. Career driven, hard working and an amazing mother of two who tackles every obstacle life throws at her incredibly. She’s always been my rock and the person I always go to for advice and support. She’s one of the strongest women I know who I’ll forever aspire to be more like.
Lauren Bailey
What’s your favourite thing about being a female recruiter?
My favourite thing about being a female recruiter is being able to be me!
Working in recruitment, you need to have personality, the drive and positiveness to be able to get through the many highs and lows of recruitment.
You need to be able to build good rapport with clients and candidates and if I show my personality to them, it works!
In some industries, you have to act and be a certain way - but in recruitment being you is the most important thing.
Being a female, I personally have more empathy and understanding of situations that maybe some in the industry don’t. Being able to listen and empathise enables me to work with my candidates and clients on a deeper level and make the experience more personalised.
Have you faced any challenges as a female recruiter?
Yes. Over the years, I have experienced that some clients prefer working with males over females. I have had experiences where a client has treated me differently than a male colleague and it is sad to say that some people still have this mindset.
I have to say, this was mainly when working I was working in the industrial sector in my previous role. Perhaps these clients underestimated me as a female recruiter which is unfounded because we are all very successful at what we do!
Do you believe there are equal opportunities for women in recruitment?
Yes definitely. This has changed so much over the years and you see more and more women becoming incredibly successful in the recruitment world these days.
There are also more women who are undertaking senior positions such as founder/director which has had a huge influence to encourage more females to join the industry!
I think in the future, you will start to see even more women leading recruitment agencies. If you put the hard work and effort into your role, there should be no stopping you from succeeding.
Do you think being a woman has helped you to succeed in recruitment?
Yes and no. I believe that it shouldn’t matter if you are female or male. If you work incredibly hard and do your job well, you should succeed no matter what.
However, people buy from people and I believe that as a woman in recruitment, my personality and the positivity I give out, helps me to succeed.
Being a woman, it means that I can effectively juggle many tasks simultaneously which if you work in recruitment, you know that comes in quite handy! Recruitment is multitasking at its finest!
What advice would you give to women thinking about joining the recruitment industry?
Go for it! There are so many rewards to working in recruitment. You can be a boss b***h and be hugely successful if you work hard for it.
There will always be many highs and lows but you can really help so many people - and the rewarding feeling after doing that is amazing!
It doesn’t matter what sector you recruit in. As a female, you can build solid relationships with clients and candidates alike and the rewards are totally worth it.
Kaylah Henderson
What’s your favourite thing about being a female recruiter?
My favourite thing about being a female recruiter is that it is such an empowering and supportive working environment. Since starting in this role, I have enjoyed watching other girls in the office work hard and achieve success which always inspires me to be better!
Have you faced any challenges as a female recruiter?
So far, I haven’t faced any challenges being a female recruiter. Even though it is a very male dominated working environment, you do need to be fully confident in yourself and your abilities in order to not be held back.
Do you believe there are equal opportunities for women in recruitment?
Yes, as long as you have the right amount of determination and ambition to want to be successful, I don’t think it matters what gender you are!
Do you think being a woman has helped you to succeed in recruitment?
I personally don’t think gender plays a part in success in recruitment at all! As long as you are willing to put the work in and have enough ambition to succeed, I don’t see why it would matter.
What advice would you give to women thinking about joining the recruitment industry?
I would say go for it 100%! With recruitment being such a competitive working environment, it is very empowering and motivating watching other women in the recruitment industry exceed and show they are just as intelligent, ambitious and capable as men in all capacities!
Which woman inspires you the most?
My mum inspires me the most. She has always taught me that you can achieve anything you want if you put the work in!
Taylor Kirkham
What’s your favourite thing about being a female recruiter?
As a female recruiter, we are given the opportunity to promote workplace diversity and inclusion by actively seeking and presenting qualified candidates from a variety of backgrounds to their clients.
Have you faced any challenges as a female recruiter?
Sometimes it does feel that you aren’t taken seriously or as seriously as other colleagues but this just gives me that extra push to prove that I am the best at what I do.
Do you believe there are equal opportunities for women in recruitment?
Yes. We have the same opportunities and access to technology as male recruiters which means there is nothing stopping us to be the best that we can be!
Do you think being a woman has helped you to succeed in recruitment?
I do think being a female has helped me make more personal relationships with female candidates as I can connect with them on a more personal level - this then builds up the trust between consultant and candidate.
What advice would you give to women thinking about joining the recruitment industry?
DO IT! My best advice would be to not to take things personally and always be yourself!
Which woman inspires you the most?
My mum! She has been through ups and downs since I was young but she has still managed to set an example of how important it is to be a career driven and independent woman.
Who is Spencer Clarke Group?
Since 2017, we've been changing the face of recruitment. From our employees, to the way we do business, to the culture within our office, we're determined to make a difference and create a positive impact on everyone around us.
Recruitment to us isn't just about matching candidates and clients; we’re passionate about finding candidates the perfect job which has the ability to boost their salary and standard of living, better their work life balance and improve their mental health.
Similarly, we understand the impact which an experienced and skilled employee can make to a business and we love seeing clients thrive through the hard work of candidates which we have placed with them.
We operate in two sectors:
In eleven specialisms:
Healthcare, Social Care & Nursing
Corporate Functions & Business Support
Planning, Development & Regeneration
Highways, Infrastructure & Engineering
If you’re searching for a new role, why not visit our job page to take a look at the latest opportunities? Alternatively, upload your CV and one of our experienced consultants will contact you when a relevant opportunity becomes available.
If you’re struggling to fill a role, why don’t you give us a call on 01772 954200 to see how we can help? One of our consultants will be happy to listen to the challenges which you are facing and advise on the best possible solution for you.
