Good Chemistry - Vicki Walker Winner of Permanent Consultant of the Year and Overall Recruiter of the Year at the IRP Awards
Your recruitment career
This month Recruitment Matters Magazine speaks to Vicki Walker, 27, of science-based recruiter the CK Group, who won Permanent Consultant of the Year and Overall Recruiter of the Year at December’s IRP awards...
RM: Well done! How did you feel when you learnt that you had won? VW: I wasn’t expecting it at all. I was a bit late to the stage I was so shellshocked!
RM: Why do you think you won?
VW: I’ve been trying hard to really listen and build good relationships, and I think that was the main thing people noticed. One client wrote me a testimonial for the awards in which he said that I had reminded him of something he had mentioned a few months earlier that even he had forgotten about. He was impressed by that I think.
RM: You’ve been described as both very professional and very friendly. Is it hard to strike a good balance?
VW: When I first started I was almost too professional. But recently I’ve mellowed a bit and tried hard to build friendly relationships. However, I still think professionalism has to be first and foremost – learning as much as you can about the company, making sure everything is clear both to clients and candidates and so on.
RM: How did you get into recruitment?
VW: I did a chemistry degree and I wanted to use that somehow, but not in a lab. I felt that would be too isolated, and the people side of the job is now one of the things I enjoy most.
RM: What would you be if you weren’t in recruitment?
VW: I considered teaching. And I like reading, so maybe a copywriter or proof-reader of some kind.
RM: Tell us something about you your colleagues don’t know.
VW: I’m really into swing dancing. I go away for swing dancing weekends and everything. My colleagues are laughing at me now as I’m telling you this!
To see a full list of the winners go to www.rec-awards.com
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