FROM APRIL 2015'S RECRUITER MAGAZINE

The business value of resourcers is becoming increasingly understood and as a result, more recruitment agencies are incorporating such roles into their workforce planning strategies, master headhunter Irene McManus (right) stated.

While the role of resourcer has “always been around”, McManus said she had lately noticed an increase in such jobs. 

“Recruitment organisations are taking into account that having a resourcer on board will help that flow with candidates and therefore market presence and branding, and that penetration in their market.”

At the same time, resourcers should not necessarily be seen as junior recruiters, McManus said. 

McManus, who has been in recruitment since 1988, recently delivered a Recruiter-attended Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) resourcer course in which she offered her top tip for being a great resourcer: don’t be afraid to pick up the phone.

Following the one-day course, she told Recruiter a great resourcer should also have certain characteristics:

• Tenacity, drive and focus in their approach. 

• Resilience, the ability to bounce back and refocus and not be put off by rejection. 

• Confidence in the role, in the company they work for and in themselves, as well as market knowledge.

• Persuasion and influencing skills for when dealing with passive candidates. 

• They must be personable.

Resourcers focus on identifying potential candidates, leaving recruiters to focus on clients. While resourcing work can allow practitioners to build confidence before potentially moving into a recruitment role, resourcing has become a significant career in its own right. 

A number of major recruitment organisations have created senior-level resourcing roles, reflecting the importance of the function to successful recruitment. 

Sarah Marquet