Platinum People Group’s newest Recruitment Consultant Justin Geaney shares why he’s happy to be moving from generalist recruitment into specialist recruitment in the mortgage broking space.
Being a generalist recruiter doesn’t allow deep connection
In my last role, I recruited mostly for sales roles – positions in inbound and outbound call centres, Account Managers and Business Development Managers (BDMs) – but not for one specific industry. While the actual roles I recruited for were quite similar, the industries my clients worked within varied a lot. Some were energy retailers, some were software companies, some were health insurance providers, and others were telecommunications services.
As I was so spread across industries, I couldn’t connect very deeply with candidates. For example, I was once recruiting for web developers. While I understood what skills and experience to look for, when it came to working with candidates, I didn’t speak their IT language like a specialist IT recruiter would.
In a generalist recruiter capacity, I was a bit more limited in the options I could present to candidates if they had their heart set on working in a specific industry. I could help most people with a similar role, but for the ones who knew what space they wanted to be in long-term, I couldn’t help them much beyond one introduction to a client.
Being a specialist recruiter is more rewarding
Now at Platinum People Group I’m specialising in recruiting exclusively within the third party mortgage broking industry. It feels good to combine my previous experience, as a generalist recruiter from Smaart Recruitment and a Specialist car finance broker at Stratton Finance, into one!
Although I’m only a couple of months into the job, I feel that I’m able to help more candidates for two key reasons:
1. People are passionate about the industry
I now specialise in an industry that candidates are passionate about and see themselves staying in for the long haul. The people I meet are not just excited about the role I’m here to talk to them about, but about the industry as a whole. Mortgage brokers do a similar job to what we do as recruiters: they care about their customers, present multiple options, and guide them through a process to assist them in making the right decision for them. They love their jobs, and it’s so rewarding helping them do this!
The mortgage broking industry is going through so many changes right now, and because I’m talking to clients and candidates about it every day, I can understand what people are going through. This allows me to connect with people at a deeper level, and motivates me to help them find a fulfilling career path.
2. We’ve got exciting networks and relationships
To my knowledge, Platinum People Group is the only specialist recruiter within this space. We have a genuine point of difference and can introduce talented candidates to exciting opportunities that they may not have been aware of otherwise.
There’s a greater opportunity to provide a solution for someone, and that’s what motivates and fulfils me. It gives candidates more options so they’re spoilt for choice! We can really present great options for them and are a huge supporter for them in the process, coaching them along the way.
Mortgage broking is a thriving industry with exciting prospects
This industry, and brokers specifically, genuinely help customers navigate the difficult process of obtaining a home loan in a simplistic and non-stressful way. From a recruitment perspective, it’s exciting and refreshing to see the clients we work with still thriving despite the industry changes. Seeing how people are overcoming challenges and adapting is hugely encouraging, and confirms that I’ve made the right decision to join PPG and recruit within this exciting space.
Being a generalist recruiter certainly brings its fair share of rewarding and challenging experiences. While I’ve enjoyed my previous roles in generalist recruiting, I’m now excited and committed to specialising in the mortgage broking industry… and it feels good.
If you’d like to talk to me or one of PPG’s recruitment consultants about career opportunities or business recruitment advice, please get in touch.
