Recruitment Consultant Review

I have mixed feelings about my time at Hays. The first few weeks were great, the office atmosphere was lively as it was year end, my department and team were both doing well and everyone was in a party mood. This atmosphere deteriorated quickly. The company has a massive staff turnover which means that it is hard to get close to people because they usually leave within 3-6 months. The company also has a very top down structure, it seems as if senior management shouts to the directors, the directors shout at the team managers and most of the managers shout at their team members which doesn't help when a team is not doing well. This is what has forced many of my colleagues to leave. A good thing about working here is that you will meet some of the nicest people you can imagine. I have made two really close friends who I still meet up with despite the fact that they have since left. Hays knows how to match your personality to the personality of a certain desk.

My manager for the second half of my internship has been great. My team has gone through some tough periods and my manager is under pressure, but he makes sure the team feels valued and that we are given the correct tools and the correct conditions to start billing again. All of my colleagues on my current desk appreciate all the work I do and it makes me want to work for the team.

Management is initially very hands off. I was thrown in the deep end and expected to swim. I react well to this so I started off hot. On my first desk, there was not any guidance when the team hit a rough patch. My manager did not give us any help on how to get out of the rut and despite the fact that I was bringing in a considerable amount of money, I got no recognition.

On my first desk I was incredibly busy, there was not enough time in the working day to fit everything in. I would frequently have to stay for 30 minutes to an hour late after work. On my current desk, I have the opposite problem, I now have too little work to do. I work in a very small market and there is truly a limited amount I can do.

I was treated like a proper member of staff. I had the exact same role as a Recruitment Consultant. You are actually doing a job when you work at Hays, they don't just force you to shadow a member of staff or do simple admin-type tasks as some companies make their interns do. You get proper industry experience at Hays and get treated like an adult and a worker, not just an intern.

Communication skills are crucial to this job so being able to talk to candidates and clients in a professional manner is crucial. I have therefore developed these skills greatly, I feel as if this will be beneficial in my post-grad career whatever I do. Sales writing is also important so I have refined this skill and can now copywrite effectively. The company has a 12 week training programme which isn't actually that helpful, I learnt best by doing the tasks and learning from my mistakes.

For the past 8 months, the office has had an unsettling atmosphere. People don't seem to be recognised for their work, if you have a great period then you don't get praised as it is expected, if you then have one bad period then you will get shouted at you will be taken aside for private talks. This lack of recognition has helped keep the staff turnover high. This high turnover of staff is also a problem for the office atmosphere as you don't really get to know your colleagues.

Hays structures it well, but after the initial 12 week training programme, it is more about how you organise yourself. Hays managers don't tend to micro manage, at least most don't, and allow you to set up what you want to get from the year more than anything.

Hays have a well structured placement scheme and they both run and recruit for it very effectively. They have face to face training sessions both in the office and outside. Interns attend a 3 day training camp after about 6-8 weeks of working there. You are also expected to complete e-learning modules to amke sure you structure your desk well. After these 12 weeks, it is up to you and your manager/team to be organised.

Hays will welcome you back with open arms after your final year if you have proven yourself as a good recruiter. They understand that you might not want to do the same desk and will make sure that you can try a new one on your return. The company encourages its interns to return to the company upon graduating.

In one department they had a great amount of interns and they had a brilliant atmosphere. I was stuck in a team which had one other intern and everyone else was married with kids so they would usually have to go home after work and I couldn't really go out for a drink after work. I had to work very hard to make friends from other teams and get myself in with them, I feel as if the company should make more events to let interns interact because I am on a different floor to the majority of interns making it hard to even have small talk with them.

Pints are over £5 and some interns' rent would take up 80% of their pay check. Pay isn't that good so unless you live with parents or have other funding have multiple days of socialising a week is difficult. The company doesn't run many events to improve mass socialising either.

I am working in the City of London, surrounded by a variety of classy establishments, or places with character if I walk slightly north to Shoreditch. If you can get a placement anywhere in London than you will enjoy the nightlife because it is so diverse and there are so many things to do.

Living in London you will find anything you want to do outside of work. Whether it is sport or socialising you want to get involved in. You will be able to find something. Hours are long and may affect your work/life balance though. The company wouldn't really host activities though.