Recruitment International CEO talks to Total Assist Group about why recruitment is a thriving industry
With an abundance of digital magazines, print titles and websites stacked up in his portfolio, it’s little wonder that Recruitment International Director David Head has become the go-to expert for recruitment gurus. Having currently worked in the industry for an impressive 27 years the self confessed Leader of Vision, Values and Ethics now enjoys a prominent place advising the world of recruitment, with his UK based publication now spreading its wings to both Australia and Asia with unique online mags. Eating, breathing and sleeping recruitment, Total Assist Group couldn’t resist the opportunity to pick the brains of one of the industry’s key influencers…
You are obviously very passionate about the recruitment industry – how did you first get involved in recruitment?
“Way back in 1987 we owned a magazine for estate agents. Atlas Staff Bureau were our most regular and one of our biggest advertisers so we arranged a meet. During the conversation they mentioned there was not a publication for recruiters, so 6 weeks later we launched a magazine called The Interviewer in September 1987.”
What do you find so appealing about the recruitment sector?
“The people who work within it. Recruitment is one of the most entrepreneurial industries in the UK, anyone can do it and you don’t need to have a classical university education. Honesty, integrity and hard work are now easily definable traits of the people who started out small in 1986 and are now huge in 2014. It’s a bright vibrant buzzing sector. Work hard, play hard.”
Why did you decide to start up Recruitment International?
“I was a minority shareholder in The Interviewer and despite working six days a week from 7am to 7pm we couldn’t keep it from going bust as a result of the early 90’s recession. I decided that rather than be a junior partner I would take the plunge and launch RI in June 1993. The past 21 years has flown by.”
Was there any reason why you decided to focus on a digital magazine?
“The world has changed and for the new generations coming through they want everything immediately and on a hand held device. Its us old grey dinosaurs that still love the smell and the feel of a real printed magazine. That’s why RI UK will remain in print and our new areas, Asia and Australia will be digital only – that and it saves a fortune not using printers.”
How do you predict the recruitment industry will change / develop over the next few years?
“Fundamentally it will not change that much, after all the process remains relatively the same. Until we have the next leap in technology (fax machine, internet, etc) recruiters will be filling vacancies. The real winners will be those who do it better than those who are just ‘me too’s’ – that’s actually always been the case. There are always threats and opportunities for us – don’t forget the job boards said we would all be out of business when they launched in the mid 90’s. In reality there’s not too many of them around because they made the process a commodity and that’s not what our industry does.”
Any advice for people working in recruitment?
“Be honest and don’t lose track of what it is that makes you successful. Employers have far more choices today other than just using a recruiter – make them happy they chose to use not just your business but a representative of our industry in the first place.”
[testimonial name=”Recruitment Influencer – David Head” who=”Director of Recruitment International” imagelinks=”https://totalassist.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/David-Head-e1408721591653.jpg” vertical=”no”]”Enjoying a lifelong career in recruitment for the past 27 years, David Head’s industry focused publications cover the UK, Australia and Asia, proving his passion for the global recruitment sector.”[/testimonial]
