‘A successful IT recruiter speaks the IT professional's language’

Evie Klok has worked as an IT recruiter at recruitment process outsourcing agency Pro Contact since December 2021. And that's despite having promised herself she would never take a job that kept her behind a screen. With a hotel school diploma in her pocket, Evie worked in hospitality for a long time. But the pandemic forced her to leave the sector, after which she stepped into the world of IT. Although she still has a big heart for hospitality, her curiosity about technical gadgets wins out. A conversation about her remarkable career switch.

Why did you choose hotel school first, despite your interest in IT?

‘Even at a young age I found technology and IT fascinating, and it made me curious. My interest in IT came from my father, who was always busy with new devices. When I was fifteen, I had to choose what to study. Although I had a real affinity with IT, I chose hospitality. I couldn't see myself sitting behind a computer all day. Besides, this course let me spend a period abroad. My parents often took my brother and me on holiday to small, idyllic villages in Italy, so I was itching to go somewhere else for a change. That's how, at eighteen, I left for Tenerife for six months to work behind the front desk of a hotel.’

What lessons did you learn there?

‘I discovered that I love talking to people of different nationalities and speaking English. The people I met back then all had a unique and interesting story. By having lots of conversations, I improved my people skills and became more self-confident. My studies and internship were good lessons in how to approach people and how to read body language.’

What did you do after finishing your studies?

‘I started working as a barista at Starbucks at Schiphol. I saw it as a nice stepping stone, because I wasn't ready for a ‘serious’ job yet. My experience abroad came in handy, because once again I came into contact with lots of different nationalities. After a year, I started looking for another job.

“At Pro Contact we recruit candidates for companies in the client's name”

That's how I ended up in the reservations department at the Radisson Blu Hotel at Schiphol. But when the coronavirus pandemic started, everything changed. The mailboxes, which on average received 350 requests and enquiries a day, were suddenly practically empty. That caused a bit of panic. Although I had a permanent contract, I enjoyed my work less; there was basically no work left in my department. And at that point my hotel diploma suddenly wasn't worth much either, given that the sector had ground to a halt.’

And then?

‘At a birthday party I got talking to someone who works at Pro Contact. We covered all sorts of topics and at the end she said: ‘I work at a great company and I think your personality would be a really good fit there.’ From that moment on, everything moved at lightning speed. I was invited for a job interview and then hired as a recruiter.’

Why Pro Contact?

‘At Pro Contact we recruit candidates for companies in the client's name. We work for various sectors, including the IT sector. I found that interesting straight away, because my interest in IT had never gone away. Since my brother also ended up working in IT as a software developer, the subject still comes up a lot at home. I'm also learning how to code in HTML now. Not to do anything with it straight away, but it's nice to be able to do something. For these reasons, I quickly told Pro Contact that this sector was my preference, and so I got more and more IT profiles. I also regularly consulted my brother, because I soon found out that a successful IT recruiter has to speak the IT professional's language.’

Shortage of IT professionals

What makes you a successful IT recruiter?

‘I'm not an IT professional, but it is one of my areas of interest. That's an advantage. There's currently a shortage of IT professionals on the labour market. They receive dozens of messages from recruiters every day. That makes it tricky for me. If you want to get in touch with someone and convince them to switch jobs, you have to bring your A game. One of the most important things is the first impression. Messages from temp agencies or recruiters are often clichéd. I put a lot of time into this. If you approach someone in a creative way, it leads to much nicer conversations.’

How important is IT knowledge in your role?

‘Very important. IT professionals drop out immediately if they can't have a proper, in-depth conversation with a recruiter. They're passionate about their projects and the software they've developed. As a recruiter you can work through a standard list of questions, but that doesn't lead to a good conversation. You have to ask the right questions and make the candidate feel flattered. A good recruiter does more than just place candidates. Fundamentally, we have to judge whether it's a good move for someone. In other words, there has to be a match.’

Do IT professionals switch jobs quickly?

‘Sometimes it's a struggle, but they often start looking around again after a year. People are more relaxed about switching these days. IT professionals are ambitious people. So when I have a great project they can work on, they're definitely open to it.’

What else do you want to achieve in your career?

‘I'm really enjoying myself here. When you do something you love, it shows. That's definitely the case for me right now. Whether I'll eventually move to the technical side, I can't say. For me, this job is the best of both worlds: I'm in contact with people and active in the IT sector.’