We talk to Nereshpal Ganapathy, Randstad’s Senior Manager based in Malaysia, to find out what he gets up to in a typical day at the office. We delve deeper into cultural variations, team building and little ‘quirks’ that make a day in KL different to a recruiter’s day in other cities around the world.
how does a recruiter’s day in the Kuala Lumpur office differ from Randstad offices in other markets?
A recruiter’s day in Randstad Malaysia is unique, with colleagues from all around the world creating a truly special culture. The abundance of quality candidates in our database allows us to go and meet people from different walks of life. In terms of geography, our city is large in comparison to some others in the region, where we can travel to the outskirts sometimes to meet clients and candidates. There can be some very long drives on these trips, however it just makes the job all the more challenging and interesting.
what is the most rewarding part of being a recruiter? Are there any parts of the job that you find difficult?
The job of a recruiter can be very demanding at times, often making one question his or her ability to deliver. However, these challenging times can be fulfilling, as once you adapt to the nature of recruitment, a lot can be learnt from the experiences.
Recruitment can definitely be a very rewarding job but can often be misinterpreted as an archetype of another sales job. This is far from the truth! What we do is done with passion and a desire to change a candidate’s career for the better and support a client’s business objectives by providing the perfect candidate.
is the team in KL made up of a diverse mix of cultures?
Absolutely, Randstad being a multinational company we have a rich culture of people from all around the world. We have both Western and Eastern cultures blending together creating a one world office concept . It’s great to have such a mix in the workplace, as one can learn more about different cultures as well as exchange valuable cultural lessons and experiences locally and overseas.
what portion of your week is taken up by training sessions? How does this differ for other members of the team in KL?
Learning and development is very much part of the core of our business here. Training is crucial and is stretched out over the year, coming in phases at particularly important periods in a consultant’s career or for the business. My individual training isn’t particularly different than any other recruiter at Randstad, it is just delivered when it is most useful to the individual.
are you given the opportunity to travel regularly across the region for business?
Travelling overseas or around the region would depend on the seniority of a consultant; usually Managers and above travel for either in-house leadership trainings, meeting other leaders in the business, or to cross-sell and discuss market share in regards to our clients shared globally and locally. I would say I travel on average around 15% of my time annually.
does the KL team participate in social and / or team building activities regularly? What other rewards are offered for both individual and team achievements?
CSR is a large part of our culture at Randstad. In Malaysia we hold CSR events at least twice a year, our most recent event saw us head to the National Zoo to help with the maintenance of special areas such as the animal cages. On the team building front, we also held a Randstad Amazing Race where the office took the day off to race around Kuala Lumpur.
Individuals and teams are always recognised for strong performances and effort. Our office is quite competitive where teams and individuals compete for prizes such as cash or even trips every month, quarter and year! It is a great way of gathering the whole office together to celebrate success and promote a winning culture!
**This article first appeared in Smart Recruitment News website.