MEET THE TEAM – GEORGINA
At Property Personnel we’re firm believers that the secret to our success is down to our fantastic team. Meet Georgina, a Specialist Recruiter (and self-confessed ‘grammar freak’!). We sat down with Georgina to ask her some questions about her role here at Property Personnel.
Name: Georgina Eastwood
What do you do? I recruit for the property industry across London & the Home Counties – particularly focusing on lettings, management & administration.
How long have you worked at Property Personnel? I started here in September 2011, after I had graduated – so almost 11 years ago!
What was property recruitment like when you first started and has it changed? When I started at Property Personnel, there were far more candidates looking for roles, but now it’s the shortage of candidates that is the challenge. My role has evolved since working here, and I tend to now focus on the lettings side of the business, which is an ever-growing and developing industry in its own right. Property management in particular has grown massively, and has become an integral part of the business, and therefore a major part of my role as a specialist recruiter.
What challenges do you face on a daily basis? Finding quality candidates is harder than ever! There is a significant shortage of experienced staff looking for jobs at the moment, which means there has to be an even bigger sense of urgency when you do find someone fabulous. Unfortunately, my competitors are all feeling the same, so building a strong relationship with the candidate from the start is the key. Throw internal recruitment departments into the mix, and my role is certainly kept challenging!
What is the ideal candidate like? The ideal candidate is one that is engaging, determined and has a good attitude. A great candidate to me is one who really wants to succeed in his or her career, and shows real focus and drive. I really appreciate someone who always phones you with feedback, and listens to your advice – honesty is the key for me!
What’s your favourite thing about your job? There is nothing more satisfying than finding someone the perfect job – especially in those trickier cases, where the candidate is looking for something outside of the norm, and it may have taken some trial and error to get there. The excitement in their voice never gets old.
How do you unwind after work? It depends on the day…but often a nice Gin & Tonic helps!
What makes a good client? One that listens to you, is approachable and contactable, and actually wants to speak with you over the phone rather than on email. Knowing you’re going to be able to get hold of a client quickly undoubtedly makes them top of your list when you have a good candidate.
What’s the weirdest job that a candidate has come from? You’d think after ten years I’d have a lot of crazy stories, but unfortunately not! The majority of my candidates have come from hospitality or sales backgrounds, or are already working within the lettings industry. Ask me again in another ten years!
What makes a CV stand out for you? Honestly, I’m a bit of a grammar freak – if the spelling and grammar are correct that’s a good start for me. I do look at qualifications and experience, of course, but I think you can tell a lot about a person from what they say in their opening paragraph. The best ones are short, concise and focused – without looking like a thesaurus has been used on every word!
What makes a CV go in the bin? Job-hopping, mainly. That, and huge, unexplained gaps in employment – that’s not particularly encouraging.
If you could give one piece of advice to a candidate what would it be? Be honest – you’ll always get caught out in the end!
If you would like to have a chat with Georgina, or any other member of our team about how we may be able to help you, please feel free to get in touch– we’d love to hear from you.
