We have shared a lot with you about our company, our events, the Netherlands as a country and their traditions. We feel like it is high time you got acquainted with some of our colleagues. This blog will give you more insight into the life of a recruitment professional, the challenges they face, their most memorable moments and their guilty pleasures. This week we will introduce the Utrecht Branch Manager, Koen de Geus. Enjoy!

1. How did you end up in recruitment?

After finishing my study, I travelled for a year and when I was back in the Netherlands I was approached by a recruitment agency for a recruiter position. I was doubting whether I was interested, but it turned out to be a challenging position with a lot of responsibilities. That was already 7 years ago and I’m still happy to work in this industry.

2. What are the most/least enjoyable aspects of recruiting?

The most enjoyable part is in my opinion finding the perfect match in which the company and the candidate are both happy and there is a perfect fit together. I also really enjoy that it is possible to work as a partner and really give advise to a client about what is possible and what might be the best way to really find the candidate they are looking for.

The least enjoyable aspect for me is when a client rejects a candidate for a reason I really don’t agree with and I can’t persuade them to still consider the candidate. I’m also disappointed when a candidate is not performing well during an interview because they haven’t prepared themselves for the interview.

3. What is the biggest challenge of the job?

I think the biggest challenge is that every client (and candidate) has their own preferences and peculiarities and you have to keep these in mind. This can be challenging, especially if you are working on a lot of different vacancies at the same time for different clients and with different candidates. Time management can be challenging as well, because every day is different and priorities can change any minute.

4. What has been your most memorable moment in the job?

When I was working with a small and quickly growing client I managed to find them a lot of their employees and in the end I think half of the staff started to work there through me. Because the company was growing rapidly, they were also turning to me with other questions (regarding the company structure and HR regulations). Finally the CEO wasn’t able to manage everything by himself and he asked me to come over for a meeting. During this meeting he explained to me his difficulties and told me that he actually was looking for a strong “right hand”, but he wasn’t sure what the profile should be. We discussed this in detail and because I was familiar with the company I was able to understand the difficulties and what was needed. Together we made a profile/vacancy which I also filled and what turned out to work perfectly for the long term.

5. What is the most common mistake you see candidates making, apart from the obvious typos?

I think the most common mistake is that candidates send general applications. I understand that some candidates (have to) apply a lot, but it makes an application so much better and notable if an application is really directed to the specific vacancy (and company).

6. If you were to have a job outside an office environment, what would be your dream job?

My dream job would be in a country with an excellent climate (warm, dry, and sunny) and with a beautiful environment (preferable with a beach). I think it would be awesome to work as a dive master or surf instructor in Australia, Asia or South America. You will meet a lot of adventurous and open-minded people from different cultures, which will broaden your perspective to the world. I would miss my friends here though.

7. What's your guilty pleasure?

I think a lot of people don’t know that I’m a urban music lover and also a fan of 90’s parties. I go quite often to parties and concerts and I always join (or create) the moshpits. Sometimes this will lead to some bruises, but so far it has never caused serious injuries. Let’s keep it like that.

Quickfire questions

Q: Frikandel or Kroket?

A: Kroket (easy choice)

Q: Sun or snow?

A: Sun (even easier choice)

Q: Game of Thrones or House of Cards?

A: House of Cards (but still have to watch it…)

Q: The best trip you took with Undutchables?

A: Scotland