subject: How to become a Recruitment Branch Manager [print this page] Every workplace seeks the best employees, but how do they know where to start looking? As a Recruitment Branch Manager, you'd be their eyes. Watching over a recruitment team to make sure every employer gets the right staff.
You'd be in charge of a team of consultants or an entire consultancy division. But it's not just your team you'd be dealing with. Client relationships are very important and so you'd be meeting with them frequently to understand their needs and make sure they are fulfilled.
To help bring in new clients, marketing would play a large part in your role.
Hours/Environment
In most cases you'd be working from nine until six, Monday to Friday, although extra hours could be expected on some occasions.
For most of the time you'd be based in an office building, often with your own separate room. Due to frequent meetings with clients, travel would come with the job. For this reason, a driving license would be handy.
Due to the senior position, formal dress would be required at all time.
Skills and interests
To be a good Recruitment Branch Manager, you must:
have excellent communication skills, both written and verbal
be tactful and articulate
have strong leadership skills
be analytical and methodical in your approach to problems
be an excellent judge of character
be motivated and results driven
be able to act quickly and decisively
have good IT skills
have a good eye for detail
have excellent organisational skills
Entry
There are no specific qualifications needed to become a Recruitment Branch Manager, but a management degree or qualification, as well as a good academic background, would work to your advantage. More and more employers that deal with executive placements are now taking on graduates.
If working in a specific sector then a detailed knowledge and experience of the field would be extremely important and help stand you in good stead.
Good personal qualities would be looked for, particularly 'people skills' and your judge of character. You'd particularly need to demonstrate leadership skills, strong initiative.
Your success rate will be looked into, as employers will often look for candidates with a strong sales record.
Training
When you start your job as a Recruitment Branch Manager, you will be expected to already have good sales and management skills. Your employer will normally provide some training in their products and in-house sales administration systems.
In this role, you could work towards NVQ levels 3 and 4 in Sales, or other advanced qualifications such as:
Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) Advanced Certificate in Professional Sales Management Practice, and Diploma in Strategic Sales
Institute of Sales and Marketing Management (ISMM) Level 5 Diploma in Sales and Account Management
Managing and Marketing Sales Association (MAMSA) Advanced Diploma in Sales Management.
See the CIM, ISMM and MAMSA websites for more details about their qualifications.
You could also choose to take qualifications in general management, such as NVQ levels 3, 4 and 5 in Management.
Opportunities
There are thousands of recruitment agencies in the United Kingdom. Most deal with office workers, but if your interests or expertise lie in a specific area, there are many specialist agencies also. If you work in a general agency, it is possible to transfer your skills over into a specialist placement.
Annual income
As a Recruitment Branch Manager, your standard salary would range between 30,000 and 50,000. As much of the work is commission based, your earnings would increase depending on how well you reach your targets. With high levels of achievement, your On Target Earnings (OTE) can be between 35,000 and 60,000.
Salaries will depend on the type and size of consultancy and organisations in London are likely to pay higher. Some of the top OTEs can range up to 100,000.
