I was only at the Hays for 2 months, straight after finishing university. This was a terrible experience, which felt a lot longer than the 2 months. The atmosphere in the office was awful (terribly Corporate), with 'Senior' consultants looking down on the new people and not letting them feel involved or accepted (having to earn respect - this should not be the case!) Also, as a new recruitment consultant, I was unaware of a good or bad commission structure. However, after being in the business for over 3 years now, it is clear that Hay's are getting away with murder. The commission structure is abysmal. Also, all consultants are competing with each other to fill the same roles - which means it is less likely to fill the position yourself. In my current role, there are no caps or thresholds with commission ranging from 10% to 25% of your billing. After receiving proper training and guidance, I have now opened a whole new sector for the company, having full responsibility for all clients - and after less than 3 years, are now the number 1 biller in the company. This would not have been possible at Hays.
The 'world class' training at Hays was average at best, feeling more like a school classroom and not getting a full understanding of the full recruitment life.
To sum up, it is no surprise that all the 'Associates' who joined at the same time as me, have all left the company. If you are thinking about getting into recruitment, DO NOT go to Hays. Choose a smaller, niche, company that will provide you more freedom, better one to one training, and ultimately you will earn a lot more money.
