Most of what I write is pretty "recruiter brain": salaries, counteroffers, and the gap between internal salary bands, what the market is actually paying etc. This one's a bit more personal.
This quarter was an epic one – fantastic clients, strong candidates and some great results for me and the team. But in the last week of September, four candidates pulled out of four processes. Different companies, different roles, completely unrelated reasons. After the fourth one, I sat in the office and cried. The thought I couldn't shake was, "What if the common denominator is me?"
Thankfully, I've got a great team and great leadership around me. I felt really supported and snapped back into my usual way of working pretty quickly. Then Rhonda, our marketing manager, gave me a gentle nudge about my next blog (she always seems to know the right time), and I started thinking about what I actually wanted to say.
I don't think people outside agency recruitment always realise how much this job can get in your head. You can spend weeks sourcing someone, getting to know them for who they are and not just what they do, briefing them, prepping them, managing expectations on both sides and negotiating the offer. Then something you had no control over changes everything, and my brain goes straight to: Did I miss something? Should I have handled it differently? WTF did I do wrong?
When you're tired and invested in the outcome, four things going wrong in a row can feel like proof of something much bigger. But it wasn't. I'm still working with every one of those clients. We're still talking, still partnering, still filling roles together. One process falling over doesn't undo a relationship you've spent time building, and four candidates making four personal decisions didn't cancel out a strong quarter or the trust I've built over nearly ten years in this industry.
And honestly, those four people are great. If I go back to my first conversation with each of them and ask whether I'd still advocate for them today, the answer is 100%.
Agency recruitment is really good at celebrating the wins: placements, billings and record months. We should keep doing that. But there's often a different story going on behind it. You can be a good biller and still sit at your desk doubting yourself. You can be confident in what you do and still lose sight of it for a day.
Almost ten years in, I've learned that resilience isn't about nothing getting to you. It's about feeling it, giving yourself a minute and carrying on, because not every outcome is yours to control, and not every outcome says something about you.
It's also a good reminder of how it feels on the other side. When a candidate interviews and doesn't get the role, I want to really acknowledge how they feel, because it sucks. And when a client has put their faith in someone accepting an offer, I understand what it's like to be back at square one.
So if you work in recruitment, remember that the person having the biggest month might also be having a really rough week. You just might not see it.
And if I can leave one thought for clients and candidates too, it's this.
To clients
I know a lot of you are tired. Teams have been running lean for a while, people are covering gaps, and hiring managers are carrying the load while trying to fill roles on top of their day job. I see it in almost every briefing.
I caught up recently with an internal recruiter I used to work with in agency, and he summed it up perfectly: "attitude and aptitude". If someone has the right attitude and the ability to learn, the rest can be taught. I've seen so many great hires come from people who didn't match the job description perfectly but had exactly that.
If there's a candidate you've been on the fence about, take another look. That might be your hire.
To candidates
If you've been doing great work and not feeling seen for it, know this: you're allowed to want more, and you're allowed to go and find it. Not every move has to be a big, scary one, and having a chat doesn't commit you to anything.
And for those of you still searching, I see you too. I recently spoke to a contractor who'd been out of work for six months, finally landed a three-month contract, and is now back on the market. I could hear the tension in that conversation, the relief of having work and then the panic of being back at square one. If that's you, I know how heavy that feels. So prepare well, do your research, and walk in with confidence. It's just a job interview, but how you show up is what matters. You've got this.
Every process is a bit of a leap of faith, for the client, the candidate and the recruiter in the middle. Sometimes it doesn't land. But when it does, it's the best part of this job, and it's why I'm still doing it almost ten years on.
Teresa Jordan is a Senior Consultant for Tribe Tech, specialising in uniting tech pioneers with the organisations driving tomorrow, working with great clients and candidates throughout New Zealand If you're looking for your next hire, or keen to make a move, talk to the team who put the human at the front of recruitment. #FindYourPeople