What’s a Tool You Can’t Work Without?

What’s Your Go-To Tool for Getting Things Done?
We all have that essential tool that we rely on, whether it’s for boosting productivity, sparking creativity, or simply keeping us grounded during hectic times. For me, it’s [insert your favorite tool/platform]. It has saved me countless hours and truly simplified my life.

What about you? What’s the one tool you can’t imagine working without, and what makes it special? Extra points if it’s a hidden treasure. Let’s compile a list of indispensable tools!

Why would anyone accept a role that seems like a step down?

Why would anyone consider a position that feels like a step back?

I’m currently a staff engineer at a mid-sized company with over 600 employees and more than eight years of experience. Recently, I was approached about a principal engineer role at an AI startup, which piqued my interest. After the initial screening call, they offered to move forward, but only for a senior position.

Given the tough job market right now, I understand the challenges—but I have a stable job with a likely higher salary as a staff engineer compared to what they’d offer for a senior role. Honestly, I find this offer a bit disrespectful; it feels like they don’t appreciate my experience since they reached out to me without my application. If they don’t see me as a good fit, I’d prefer they just say so.

So, I’m curious to hear from recruiters: why extend such an offer? And for my fellow engineers, what motivates you to accept a position that seems like a downgrade? Luckily, I’m not in a rush since I haven’t been laid off, so I’m genuinely interested in your thoughts.

Seeking Advice on Focus Areas for Recruitment in TradeOps, Quantitative, and Software Roles

Requesting Guidance on Recruitment Focus for TradeOps, Quantitative, and Software Positions

Hello everyone,

I’m an external recruiter with a background in technology, particularly in trading support, and I’m seeking some advice. Here’s a brief overview of my current situation:

Experience:
– 2 years in external recruitment.
– Developed a network of trading support engineers, successfully placing them at buy-side trading firms (which is the sole focus of my current company).
– Concentrating on TradeOps roles while being advised to steer clear of infrastructure roles (DevOps, networking, cloud), as well as Windows and desktop positions.

The Challenge:
I’m contemplating the next area to specialize in for recruitment.

I’m weighing the options:
– Quantitative Roles (research, development, trading)?
– Software Engineering (data, AI, algorithmic, FPGA)?
Is there significant overlap between quantitative and software positions that I should take into account?

Other Areas of Interest:
– Trading-related positions: trading analysts, traders (in volatility, macro, equity, FX, credit), business analysts, exchange connectivity, middle office, back office.
– With the growing prominence of crypto, should I pivot towards recruiting for crypto-related roles?

Should I prioritize software engineering or quantitative positions moving forward, or is there a more strategic direction I should consider?

My Aspirations:
– Currently earning around £200K annually, with a goal to double that next year.
– Commission ranges from 17.5% to 22.5%, depending on quarterly performance, with a target of £50K per quarter.

Concerns:
Is the market for quantitative and software roles becoming oversaturated?

I appreciate any insights or suggestions you might have. Thank you!

[Rant/question] Temporary recruitment is ruining my mental health

[Rant/Question] Temporary Recruitment is Taking a Toll on My Mental Health

Location: England, UK

Having spent the last 1.5 years working at a temporary recruitment agency, I can honestly say that this job has severely impacted my mental health and personal life. For some context, I’m a recent graduate, finishing university in 2023, and this was my first foray into recruitment. Prior to this, I worked in various roles—hospitality, healthcare assistance, and administration—and none of those experiences were nearly as stressful as this.

The company primarily focuses on sourcing temporary staff for seasonal and short-term positions, mainly in warehouses.

Here are some of the major stressors I encounter regularly:

• Unrealistic Expectations: Candidates are treated as if they’re on permanent contracts, even though most will likely never receive one. Meanwhile, the agency’s approach is inconsistent: some days there’s work for them, and other days they’re left at home.

• Picky Warehouse Management: Warehouse management is excessively selective about the staff we provide. They often give no opportunity for the workers to learn and will terminate their shifts for what they consider ‘poor performance’, despite not taking available candidates into account.

• Discrimination: I’ve witnessed rampant sexism and racism in the warehouse. I’ve heard comments like “they need a man, not a woman” and seen specific requests for Polish or Romanian candidates based on the assumption that language barriers are preferable. This discriminatory behavior is frustrating, especially as a woman, and I’ve seen people of color being dismissed after just one shift.

• Holiday Limitations: During peak periods, including June, taking time off longer than one day is nearly impossible. I’m limited to using my vacation days over just eight months rather than the full year, and only one person from our small office can take time off at any given moment.

• Overwhelming Workload: My hours are from 8 AM to 5 PM with a 1-hour paid lunch, but due to the workload, many of my colleagues don’t even take their lunch breaks. There’s no structured time for breaks; we have to step away if we can, regardless of how busy things are.

• On-call Duties: I’m required to be on call, responsible for answering phones day and night. Warehouse management and job seekers frequently misuse this, expecting immediate responses regardless of the hour. This on-call duty is outlined in my contract, yet it feels more like a burden than a responsibility.

• Lack of Support: My colleagues are dedicated workaholics who often dismiss any issues that arise. I had to plead for a new laptop that had been malfunctioning for six months. Their attitude is that work should be the top priority, which creates a toxic atmosphere.

To put it simply, this situation feels overwhelming.

I’m seriously considering leaving this role—it’s been a terrible experience. I’m curious: does your experience in recruitment mirror mine, or am I just particularly unlucky? Please, be honest with me.

Legal recruitment agencies in London – earning potential?

Exploring Earning Potential in Legal Recruitment Agencies in London

As an IT recruiter with nine years of experience based in London, I’ve been reflecting on the earning potential within legal recruitment. Recently, I came across a LinkedIn post from a recruiter-to-recruiter (R2R) professional discussing a client who specializes in hiring “private practice” lawyers in the London market, particularly in finance and banking law. The post claimed that a top biller at this firm had generated an astonishing £10 million in billings in just one year.

Honestly, I find that hard to believe. Billing £10 million translates to approximately £833,000 per month, which seems implausibly high compared to the typical earnings in the recruitment industry. While I understand that senior lawyers in London, especially at American firms, command impressive salaries, I can’t help but think this figure might be an error. After all, many privately owned recruitment agencies with over 30 staff members don’t even reach that level of total billings in a year.

How IT Recruitment so wrong!?!

Why is IT recruitment going so wrong?

I’m increasingly noticing recruiters relying heavily on AI for candidate pre-screening. It’s baffling to think that experience alone determines someone’s ability to excel in their role.

When searching for a talented developer, the emphasis should be on their understanding of testing, syntax, clean code structure, and their willingness to learn. Am I the only one who finds the current state of recruitment to be quite perplexing?

Experience for freelance recruiters

Advice for Freelance Recruiters

Are there any tips for those working as freelance recruiters? What are the best ways to find jobs and connect with candidates?

Best Recruiting Platform

Top Recruiting Platforms
Which recruiting platform do you typically rely on? In your view, what stands out as the best option?

Best recruitment software for small sales ops agency?

Recommendations for Recruitment Software for Small Sales Ops Agency

Hi everyone!

We’re Groove Consulting, a small women-owned and operated sales ops agency (www.grooveconsulting.io), and we regularly hire 2-5 sales representatives each month for our clients. We’re seeking an affordable recruitment software solution that can help us with the following needs:

1. Indeed Integration: We’re currently facing challenges pulling candidates from Indeed, so a seamless integration would be a big help.

2. LinkedIn Integration: We sponsor job postings on LinkedIn but don’t have the Recruiter plan. It would be great to have software that integrates with our current setup.

3. Budget-Friendly: As a small agency, we don’t require extensive features—just the essentials that can get the job done without breaking the bank.

4. Candidate Filtering: We often receive hundreds of applications per job. It would be beneficial to ask specific questions, such as “Do you have supply chain experience?” to help filter candidates and streamline our selection process (seriously, why do some applicants ignore qualifications?).

5. Client Views: If there’s a way to create a specific view for our clients, allowing them to see candidate progression without revealing every detail, that would be ideal.

6. Resume Scanning: We currently use AirTable, but it’s become tedious. A more efficient way to scan through resumes would be appreciated.

7. Communication Templates: It would be helpful to have templates for rejection letters, next steps, etc., and the option to organize files by client name.

8. Interview Scorecards: This feature would be nice to have but is not essential.

9. SMS Interview Outreach: An optional feature allowing us to contact candidates via SMS for interviews would be a great addition.

If anyone has recommendations that meet these criteria, along with cost details, we would be incredibly grateful! Thank you!

Is it okay to contact Company’s HR or recruiters about the vacancies they have to get more information?

Is it acceptable to reach out to a company’s HR department or recruiters for more information about their job openings?

I’m considering contacting companies about the vacancies they post to gather more details—such as the legitimacy of the positions, the ideal candidate profile, insights about the role, and any other relevant information. Is this approach appropriate? Do you think they would respond?