It’s a dog eat dog world out there, and with over 134 agencies in Parramatta for me to compete with, I have recently realised my work life is now all a game of Survivor - how to play the social game while you size up your competition.

How, as a collective industry, can we change the perception and get candidates to play with honesty and integrity and clients to do the same?

I’m now at a point in my career where I need to set myself apart from my competitors, but I need to do it with honesty and integrity. It’s tough to survive in the recruitment industry, as it is a fine art to win clients and candidates in the current market. You are competing with agencies who offer the same service as you do and who generally have the same candidate pool that you have access to.

How I want to be different is through changing the perception for all involved in the hiring process. What I want to communicate is - everyone’s perception is never a reality.

Candidate’s perception of recruiters is that we will lie, cheat and steal to sell a job that is in no way in the best interest of everyone involved. Then, the candidate’s perception of a client is that they hold all the power and could make or break the next step in their career.

The recruiter’s perception of candidates is that they will let us down at the last hurdle and are always looking at multiple offers. Whilst the recruiter’s perception of clients is that they are working with multiple agencies and will work us all against each other to reduce the value of our service.

Lastly, the client’s perception of candidates is that there is always a better one around the corner. At the same time, the client’s perception of a recruiter is that there is always a better one around the corner.

In a market where anyone who lies, cheats and steals their way to the top, will constantly come off second best, how can we change people’s perception and get the understanding that we are all trying to work together to make sure the right candidate is placed in the right role with the right business for the long term? This is the reality that I want clients and candidates to understand about me and the way I do business. I am in recruitment because I do believe we can all work together to make sure retention is high and that I partner with both candidates and clients that are “like for like”.

What I want to leave you with as a reader is, how can we all work together in a way where we are all winners? How as a recruiter can I work harder and communicate clearer to get a better result for my candidate, client and myself?