Why I Love Recruitment Featuring Tony Taylor, Honorary Fellow of IRP

Tony Taylor HFIRP is an experienced management and HR consultant and is a Chief Examiner for the IRP.

When I first started work in the industry, recruitment was not necessarily a career choice option. I often wonder how many recruiters in the past got their first break when talking to a recruiter who asked the proverbial “Have you ever thought of doing my job?” question.

Now, of course, recruitment is rightly a definite career option and, in my capacity as a Chief Examiner with the REC, I see at first hand the progress that is being made. The REC courses are important features of the IRP Career Routeway, giving individuals in the industry - and those who are thinking about work in recruitment - realistic and practical skills. Let’s face it, nobody would want an unqualified accountant to do their books, so it is no surprise that qualified recruiters are in demand.

We are extremely fortunate to have a dedicated and hugely experienced team of people involved as Chief Examiners across all levels of the REC qualifications. All are subject experts in their own right and ensure that the training and examinations are progressive and value added. We know that industry reps who participate in our examinations committees, whether its to do with writing papers or the final awarding, are impressed – and I suspect surprised – at the depth of discussion. 

As far as the examinations are concerned, it is certainly not a “turn up on the day” and get a pass. It does require work and commitment and anyone who gains the qualification can rightly claim this as an achievement. It’s not just a few initials after the name, or a piece of paper in a frame on the wall. It shows that recruitment is not an accidental career, but one of choice, supported by professional and technical training, development and qualifications.

Featured read: How the Level 4 Diploma in Recruitment Management helped me progress in my Career

So why do I love recruitment? In a nutshell, it changes every day. When I started work in this industry, sales consisted of picking out names from Yellow Pages and picking up the telephone; assessment techniques and technology have developed at a pace and things are now (thankfully) much more sophisticated and even AI is likely to have a huge impact on our work.  

But the ultimate buzz still remains, and it is not just a strapline - recruiters genuinely do transform lives. What more could you ask for in any job?

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