A day in the life of… Stephanie Stewart Recruitment Coordinator

Steph has worked in recruitment roles for two years – before she had made her career change, she worked with children. Sadly, due to coronavirus pandemic and fear of working close with people, meant that she had to choose a different path in her professional career.

Steph said: “It was very nerve wracking during the pandemic. When working with children, you cannot really say no to them due to worry of creating emotional rejections. Which can take a toll on their emotional development.

After that she has worked as a solo recruiter for a Children’s Club and later as a recruiter for a care company.

In January she joined our Recruitment team and is really enjoying her role.

Here’s what she said about her role:

“My job entails screening the applications that are coming for regulated Community Care Assistant and Inclusive Employment roles.

“I also screen candidates for ECL Care Solutions. In my role within ECL, I speak to new applicants daily, doing a telephone interview and if they are successful, I will book them in for a face-to-face interview with the hiring managers. These calls can take between 10-15 minutes. If a candidate is successful, we begin the screening process and this is where I send off for their DBS and references, I also have the opportunity to develop the start of their relationship with the company. Building positive interacts ready for them to start an exciting new career!

“We have just gone through the biggest growth that ECL has had in a long time, so I would say that from January up until August I have spoken to minimum of a 1,000 people.

“We have had such a high flow of applicants this year, and I’ve helped to bring around 104 new starters on board.

“But we do also speak to people on the phone constantly that do not meet the criteria, so the overall number of people I have talked with might be even higher.

“There are some days that can be difficult, but in the end it’s all enjoyable.”

What does a typical workday look like for you?

“During my typical day, I take recruits’ calls and answer their questions or I’m answering hiring managers’ questions.

“And like before, I manage job applicants for Community Care Assistants and Inclusive Employment roles.

“We do initial telephone interviews, and in these calls, we run through telephone scripts, that ask questions and if the candidate is successful, we book them in for a face-to-face interview.

“If everything goes well, and they are offered the position, we take over and begin the screening process – I reach out to their references, DBS their DB screening and keep them updated along the way.”

What do you love about your job?

“What I enjoy the most is the outcome.

“When you interview someone and help them get all the way to the onboarding process and induction – you have helped them to join the company and I find that rewarding.

“It feels good that we have helped so many people into employment, especially as most of the people that have applied have no previous training within the care sector, have not worked for a while or they’re older people who were looking to get back into work.

“We try to help them as much as possible and I like to keep in contact with them to make sure they are kept updated throughout the entire process.

“I do really enjoy the finish – initially getting them started and finishing with the job offer.”

Would you recommend roles in your department?

“Yes, I would recommend jobs within the recruitment department, but you have to be prepared to work in a fast-paced environment.

“Every day is different and busy – you need to be ready to multitask.

“Overall, it’s a great team to work in.”