Elite Executive column: Recruiters can (and do) change lives


I often get asked why I got into recruitment and why I set up my own business. As most people in the industry would attest to, I ‘fell’ into the industry, purely by accident.

However, after over a decade in the hospitality and tourism industry throughout the world and being very familiar with diverse cultures, languages and personalities, it was the perfect fit for me.



Now into my twelfth year in the business, I still jump out of bed every morning, excitement brewing in my stomach about whose life will I change today.

When I decided to go it alone seven years ago, it was a combination of flexibility and the desire to be different. To shake things up and to ‘change the face of recruitment’.

There are good and bad recruiters out there and I have heard many horror stories, in fact, I experienced a few myself before entering the industry. But there are also many amazing, passionate recruiters in the industry who truly believe in what they do and genuinely want to help.

Many of us spend copious amounts of time researching industries, companies and people before we even engage with them. At Elite Executive, we’re all about relationship building and focus on the long term benefits of working with our clients before we agree to partner with them. Being that extension of your business and knowing your future goals, internal fit and key skills are imperative in assisting us in finding that perfect candidate.

Our candidates however, are absolute gold. They are the key to our success. In searching and through detailed interviewing, we really delve in deeply as to what are their key motivators not only in their career but their lives in general. As we move people all over the country and in some cases, internationally, we take this very seriously. It takes a lot of work to uproot a family and move them somewhere else. We spend a lot of time ensuring firstly that as a family you are clear on what it takes to move away from your current home. We also assist in preparing them for the move, from researching your new town or city to finding the right schools and even assisting your partner in securing employment also.

Each and every placement is not taken lightly and we put our heart and soul into each role we place. We only work exclusively with our clients so that we can give them 100% of our time. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that ‘spreading the love’ amongst recruiters will give you three or four times the number of qualified candidates, if recruiters know that they are up against three or four other companies, you will also only get that fraction of work from them. Then there are those that will race to the finish line to get resumes to you first, but at what cost? Have they been thoroughly vetted, or are they just wanting to get that resume to you before their competition?

I learnt early on in business that the clients I work with will value what I do and the hard work and passion that goes into every single placement. I would rather work with less clients and deliver more quality than more clients and not be able to deliver what they need.

So how does a business engage with a recruiter and how do you pick from the 7,000 agencies currently in Australia? I recommend that you work with a recruiter that sits well with your values as a business and take the time to grow a professional relationship with them. Be honest and keep communication as open and fluid as possible. Good recruiters will ensure confidentiality and knowing all aspects of your business, warts and all, will enable them to better access the right candidate for your business.

Nothing gives me more pleasure than seeing a candidate contribute to the growth of a business and also their own career. In fact, today I am catching up with a valued candidate that I placed in a successful and growing business over three years ago. They have been promoted twice and absolutely love their job. This is why I do this and this is why I can and do change lives and I’m so very proud of that.

MORE: Click here to speak with Eva and the team at Elite Executive