Helen Easter - Frazer Jones, Leeds

Helen Easter – Consultant
Frazer Jones, Leeds

Academic Background
BA Hons French, Leeds University

Previous work experience
3.5 years working in recruitment at Michael Page.

Why did you move into recruitment?
Money was and continues to be a driver, although there’s much more to it than that. I like the fact that you can manage your own time and see the direct correlation between the effort you put in and the results you get out.

Why did you join Frazer Jones?
Frazer Jones is a great place to work as you benefit from the infrastructure and support of an international business, whilst reaping the benefits of being in an organisation small enough for you to genuinely influence and drive change. If you have ideas on how you can work more efficiently you can suggest these and find that things begin to change in a matter of days.

Compared to other places I’ve worked, there is a much greater level of communication both between offices and between people at all levels. I find it really inspiring to see our Directors on the phone, recruiting alongside Consultants.

What is a typical day?
A typical day revolves around talking candidates through their work experience and pinpointing what they’re looking for from their next job, as well as liaising with clients to get a feel for their business and recruitment requirements. These are often face-to-face conversations over a cup of coffee, and will require you to go out to client sites.

A small amount of the role is about setting up interviews, taking feedback and hopefully delivering good news in the form of an offer! But above all else, we need to keep up-to-date with what is happening in the market, whether that involves a company relocating its head office to the local area, one of our competitors opening up a new office or a shift in attitudes towards HR.

What do you enjoy about the role?
It’s a cliché but it’s great to work in such an upbeat, dynamic environment. It’s also extremely rewarding when your clients value your opinion and learn to trust your judgement. It’s immensely satisfying when a candidate calls you a few weeks into a job to tell you how much they’re enjoying their new role and to thank you for all your help in securing it.

Any downsides?
It can be demoralising when you’ve put a lot of time and effort into an assignment only to see it withdrawn due to things beyond your control such as a merger, or an internal candidate who has suddenly decided to move back to the UK.

What do you think makes a good recruiter?
You need to have lots of energy and enthusiasm and the ability to pick yourself up, brush yourself down and move on when things don’t work out your way. If you’re the sort of person that hides behind email as opposed to picking up the phone then a career in recruitment probably won’t suit you.