Meet the Team: Stefan, Our Senior Recruiter for the Industrial and Logistics Sector

We spoke to Senior Recruiter for the industrial and logistics sector, Stefan about his role at AKA Recruitment.

What does a Senior Recruiter for the industrial and logistics sector do?

The sector I recruit for is different to the sectors the rest of the team recruit for. The industrial sector requires roles that are less office-based than commercial roles and are more practical. Industrial roles include positions such as warehouse workers and production workers. The logistics sector requires roles such as drivers and transport managers.

How did you come to be Senior Recruiter for the industrial and logistics sector at AKA Recruitment?

I started my career as a driver myself. I was working for a recruitment agency when they asked me to use my knowledge and experience of the logistics sector to recruit for them in a trainee position. I began to branch out into the industrial sector and slowly worked my way up as general recruitment consultant, senior recruiter, branch manager and then company director. The opportunity to work for AKA Recruitment came after I was approached by a recruiter as they were looking for someone to build up the industrial and logistics desk.

How have you developed in the role?

The role demands you to become more organised but also to have the versatility to be unorganised – things can change so quickly and it’s important to be able to react to circumstances and make the right decisions quickly. I’ve also become confident enough in my knowledge and experience to be able to urge clients and candidates to reconsider things occasionally. For example, a client might look at a candidate’s CV and think them unsuitable for a position, whereas I may see potential in that candidate and will often plead their case for them.

What key skills are essential in your position?

Patience is essential in this position, as is the ability to respond quickly to changing circumstances. There may be a situation where 30 temps have been placed at a company and the company may suddenly no longer need them. It’s my responsibility to find work for these candidates as effectively and quickly as possible.

What makes AKA Recruitment a great place to work? Why is it different?

Our team is built on good values. The work is hard but the people I work with genuinely enjoy what they do. Consequently, we always go the extra mile; so much so that it almost seems effortless, it’s just what we do. For example, I’ll always let candidates know where the nearest bus stop and sandwich shops are to their new job to make the transition into work as easy as possible. The key is to put time and effort into making sure clients and candidates are happy.

Can you describe a typical day in the office?

My day is very different from everybody else’s. My day can start as early as 3 am with problems for me to solve like drivers being ill and needing a replacement for a job. A typical day involves speaking to candidates and clients and matching the right candidate to the right company but even this can differ every day as the company, candidate and job change.

What projects are you most proud of?

I’m most proud of developing new processes in the role and a new client base at AKA Recruitment as the company didn’t have an industrial section before I joined. It’s different to permanent recruitment and there are things that I’ve initiated that no one in the company knew about before.

What advice would you give someone interested in a career in industrial recruitment?

Be prepared. Be prepared to be bombarded with a lot of things happening at once. In industrial recruitment there’s often a quick turnaround and things can change in an instant. Be prepared for it to take time and effort to build up relationships with clients and candidates. A lot of people focus on the salary in recruitment but it’s a slow process.

What advice would you give someone interested in a career in the industrial sector?

Be an extension of the company. Separate yourself from being an agency worker without overstepping boundaries with the company. Work hard; treat every day like it’s your first day. The company will notice this and it could lead to permanent contracts. Lastly, be versatile and resilient as things can change very quickly and while one company may no longer need you, another company might.

What is the biggest challenge in industrial recruitment?

The main challenge in industrial recruitment is finding the right staff at the right time but if you have a good client and candidate base you can make good matches. Building that base takes time but if you consistently get things right then companies and candidates will see this and keep coming back to you.

What exciting things are on the horizon for AKA Recruitment?

AKA Recruitment is going from strength to strength. Our ultimate goal is to become one of the biggest recruitment agencies around but it’s a slow process. The client and candidate base we’ve built is built on trust so I’m looking forward to our steady expansion.