Question for agency recruiters! Would you go back to a KPI driven environment?
Attention agency recruiters! Would you consider returning to a KPI-driven environment?
As an agency recruiter, I’ve had a diverse career trajectory, which I’d rather not specify by industry at the moment. I started off in a well-paying niche, where global specialists earned at least £90,000 annually. In contrast, my more recent experience has involved placing a high volume of unskilled workers at lower wages. While I generally enjoy my current company, I occasionally find myself questioning their ethics—it’s just part of the job.
One of the biggest advantages of my current role is the absence of KPIs. We have manageable short-term targets set daily and less daunting monthly goals. Although my commission is on the lower side (which is expected), my salary is under £30k. My workdays are long but relatively stress-free.
In contrast, my early years in recruitment at my previous company were incredibly intense. Depending on the role, there were often fewer than 50 qualified candidates worldwide, making it a challenge to meet daily, weekly, and monthly KPIs. Each placement garnered £200-£800, but opportunities were scarce.
Recently, I’ve been approached by an agency offering a significant salary increase, but the role emphasizes KPIs repeatedly in the job description. Reviews on Glassdoor echo concerns about this KPI focus. The salary for the positions I would be filling would fall somewhere between my previous experiences. However, this would require me to delve into a new industry and leave behind the comparatively relaxed target environment—even though the financial incentive is appealing.
I’d love to hear your thoughts and advice!
