My #FrazerJonesJourney – Kimberley Kenneth

February 23, 2023

Being surrounded by specialists ignited my desire to recruit

I am a glass-half-full kind of girl, born and raised in Melbourne. My star sign is Leo which means I am passionate and at times theatrical. Having been in the business since 2017, my mentality helped my recruitment journey. You must be resilient, dust your knees off then get back to it. This can be easily achieved when you have a positive mindset.

I joined The SR Group as a Team Administrator for the Melbourne office. My day-to-day involved being surrounded by amazing recruiters. I observed their activity, listened to them on the phone and soaked up their knowledge. Each day, I was witnessing this energy that they all had. My desire to do what they did was then ignited. From what I could see, I had the right qualities to make a successful Recruiter. So, I expressed my interest in working for Frazer Jones specifically as their focus is Human Resources. If I was to take a step into recruitment, it had to be in a field that excited me.

‘‘If I was to take a step into recruitment, it had to be in a field that excited me.’’

The economic downturn that changed everything

My recruitment career started in March 2020 and it was not what I had anticipated. After a couple of weeks, we started to hear about Covid-19. Then before I knew it, I found myself working from home in a brand-new role. I was no longer surrounded by these amazing recruiters who I was learning from every minute of every day. Training and onboarding were moved to virtual and lasted for what felt like years. Although it was challenging, it taught me resilience.

‘‘Although it was challenging, it taught me resilience.’’

Despite the distance, the company ensured that we stayed connected. We would catch up online three times a week within our team. Working with such experienced recruiters at Frazer Jones meant that no question was silly. I could call them at any frequency in the day and they would answer. At times, I would run scenarios by them and role-play them. They had my back, whenever I needed it. One conversation that I wouldn’t ever forget was with Hayden Gordine. He said to me: ‘‘some of the best recruiters are born during an economic downturn.’’ That stuck with me, motivated and energised me – it was what I needed to hear at that moment.

A culture like no other

Frazer Jones has built a strong name and proud reputation across the globe. The business continues to expand and implement new technology. They are never complacent and have continuous learning and global opportunities. With the support that I’ve also received over the past couple of years, they have my full trust. Not only do they exceed expectations on their business front, but the culture is like no other. We know how to work hard and play hard. We celebrate each other’s wins and collaborate across three different states as well as with our team globally – we stay connected.

‘‘We collaborate across the three different states – we stay connected.’’

When you see the heart that is put into organising team bonding activities or special events, the culture shines. We’ve had morning tea parties, birthday celebrations, Christmas celebrations, lunches, dinners and so much more. You meet colleagues that become friends outside work. I even went on holiday with three girls from the office because we couldn’t get enough of each other. They have that culture that makes you want to go into the office more and that is due to the people.

‘‘They have that culture that makes you want to go into the office more.’’

The highs outweigh the lows

Picture the joy of landing your dream role. The excitement you feel when you get the good news and the relief that makes you want to shout your happiness from the rooftops. With every candidate I match with their dream role, I share those cherished moments. There are times when you have to deliver bad news but that’s part of recruitment – there are highs and lows, but the highs out weight the lows. Assisting them on their journey and checking in is a key part. Who knows? In a couple of years, you might move the person you placed into their next dream role.

‘‘Celebrating highs is such a fun part of the role and assisting them on their journey.’’

Another ‘high’ of working at Frazer Jones is the creative projects we can embark on. My manager Denise Harmer and I created an end-of-year wrap-up video for social media. We made so many bloopers – it was hysterical, but we didn’t give up and got there in the end. Watching it back, it was all smiles.

A word of advice

Watch and listen to the incredible recruiters around you. Observe, listen and ask questions. When they first start out, a lot of recruiters fear picking up the phone and being faced with an unknown scenario. Before you pick up the phone, think about why you’re calling and ask yourself: ‘‘what am I trying to achieve out of the call?’’ Have a script ready to guide you and get through the first few before you’re comfortable enough to have found your style.