In today’s competitive recruitment landscape, strategic thinking is crucial. Be ready to discuss:

Client Acquisition and Retention:

Share examples of how you’ve successfully attracted and retained high-value clients. Discuss your approach to client relationship management, including how you handle negotiations, manage expectations, and ensure repeat business. Make sure you showcase your problem-solving abilities, negotiation skills, and capacity to restore and maintain strong client relationships.

Talent Pipeline Development:

Explain your process for building and maintaining a robust talent pipeline. Highlight any innovative sourcing methods you’ve used.

Business Growth and Market Penetration:

Discuss & outline your contributions to business growth, whether through expanding into new markets, increasing market share, or driving year-over-year revenue increases.

Remember to use the STAR answer format to provide examples:

S – Situation (what was happening, the context, the problem etc.)

T – Task/Target (what objective/outcome/target you set yourself)

A – Actions ((YOU took to achieve the objective/outcome/target)

R – Result (what you achieved specifically)

https://www.mindtools.com/ah3yoie/star-method

One of the common reasons candidates fail at interview is not knowing their numbers. Really knowing their numbers!

Make sure you prepare the following, be detailed and don’t assume the client knows what you mean. Be specific with what and how. Know your answers to:

• Billings for the last 3 years:
• Number of deals/360/270/180/Current average deal size
• YTD new business v existing client revenue split:
• If contract – current number of runners, max out, average margin and weekly GP

If there has been any reduction – what you think impacted your billings in X year and what you did to overcome this:

If year on year growth – what have you implemented to ensure NFI growth on your desk?

What performance metrics do you track, which are the most important and why.

Managing Your Desk

• What is your day plan?
• How do you set it out?
• Do you work in sprints?
• What do you expect to achieve in an average day?

• What do you typically achieve versus those expectations?

• What does a successful week look like?

• How do you hold yourself accountable?
• What have you worked the hardest on over the last year to improve:

Watch out for challenging questions like:

Personal Motivation

You have achieved a lot with your current firm, what are your biggest motivations for looking to move on from the business?

What is the most important thing to you in this next role?

Why do you want join our business?  / Why are you interested in us?

What are the personal and professional goals you’ve set yourself over the next 12 months? How are you tracking so far in achieving these?

What was your motivation to get into recruitment in the first place? What is your end goal? What is your WHY?

In your current role what is the biggest challenge you have overcome? And how did you go around this?

Position Your Unique Value Proposition

Every recruitment consultant has a unique value proposition—what sets you apart from the competition? Prepare to demonstrate your value proposition with examples such as:

• Personal Brand

• Client Testimonials and Success Stories
• Forward-Thinking Vision
• Commitment to continuous learning

Watch out for the more challenging:

• What other processes do you have at the moment? Where are you at with each of those?
• What salary and package are you looking for?
• What reasons do you have for leaving your current role and past roles?

A high-value interview is as much about the questions you ask as the answers you give. Prepare thoughtful, strategic questions that demonstrate your deep understanding of the business and your eagerness to contribute. Here are some examples:

• What are the long-term growth objectives for the division, and how can I contribute to achieving these goals?
• How does the company plan to navigate the challenges of talent acquisition in an increasingly competitive market?
• How do you stand out in a competitive market in order to win clients/candidates?
• My first 90 days – what does good look like for you?

What other questions will you ask which are important to you?

We also recommend you look at the interviewer’s profile and create 1 or 2 personalised questions such as:

What made you join the business from X firm? How different is it to your old firm?

End your interview on a high note by summarizing your fit for the role and expressing your enthusiasm for the opportunity:

• Address any concerns: Directly ask, “Is there anything about my background or experience that gives you concerns?” Or “what would stop you progressing me to the next stage?” This allows you to address any reservations immediately.
• Reiterate your interest: Clearly state your excitement about the role and your eagerness to bring your skills and experience to the team.
• Follow up: Send a personalized thank-you note within 24 hours, reiterating key points from the interview and reaffirming your interest in the position.

Final Thoughts

As a high performer, your interview preparation should reflect the same level of excellence that you bring to your work every day. Approach your interview with confidence, armed with detailed knowledge of your achievements, a clear strategic vision, and a passion for the recruitment industry.

What made you join the business from X firm? How different is it to your old firm?