TA dialogue | Key to a good recruiter: asking smart questions

At PageGroup, we believe that diversity is strength. That is why our teams consist of professionals from different backgrounds, nationalities, races and cultures. We believe that this creates an environment that fosters creativity, problem solving and different perspectives and insights.

Yury Karp is one of the many consultants at the Michael Page Shanghai office. Having transferred from Michael Page Moscow about four years ago, Yury is now the Associate Manager and looks after all of Shanghai’s commercial recruitment in the business service industry. Since moving here, he’s been inspired by his teammates and leaders, as well as the dynamic Chinese market at large.

Below is the interview with Yury conducted by Weiwei Xu, Talent Acquisition Head at PageGroup China. Discover the reason why Yury continues to stay in China after all these years, and what advice he has for those looking to start a career in the recruitment industry.

Weiwei: Why did you start the career in recruitment?

Yury: Short answer would be that I was really inspired by people who interviewed me. I was hired by Michael Page Moscow in Russia when I was 25 years old, just married and was desperate to get a proper job to provide for my family and pay the bills. Even though I had very little understanding about recruitment at the time, I was excited people I met during the interview process. I knew that I could learn a lot from them and I wanted to be just as successful as they were.

Weiwei: Why did you come to China to pursue you career?

Yury: It’s mainly because of the great people. The person who hired me in Michael Page Russia was the first one to move from our Moscow office to Shanghai. In 2016, he introduced me to the Managing Director who ran the Eastern China business, and who flew me over to Shanghai for an interview and team introductions. It was obvious how much potential this market had and how much I could learn by moving here.

Weiwei: As a recruiter, what are the biggest differences between Russia and China in terms of recruitment?

Yury: Recruitment in the Russian market is mainly client driven, meaning that the demand for talents is much lower than the number of available candidates. China is the opposite case. Over here, the number of companies, both international and domestic ones, that are looking for qualified experts is much higher than the number of available candidates. Therefore, a lot of companies are facing challenges, especially when it comes to talent acquisition and retention. This creates a great opportunity for headhunting consultancies to add value. At Michael Page, our approach is more consultative, and we are focused on much deeper understanding of the clients’ businesses. We believe this allows us to conduct better, more thorough candidate selection.

Weiwei: What are the main challenges for you when it comes to working in China’s recruitment industry?

Yury: The main challenge over the last four years has been in, ironically, recruiting the right people for the team. We have very high standards and expectations from the talents we hire, and it is very important to attract people not only with outstanding commercial and communication skills, but also those with the ability to learn, adapt and overcome various challenges — every day, month after month. It is not about doing a great job once, but it’s about consistency. Of course, at first, it is going to be very hard, but the people that are truly successful here are those that don’t give up. They just keep evolving.

Weiwei: Tell us a bit more about the Business Service Sales sector, which you are leading. What is the landscape like and where are the opportunities?

Yury: I look after all the commercial recruitments in Business Service industry in Shanghai. It’s an incredibly diverse environment that keeps changing. Any company selling an Intangible Solution falls into this category, such as management consultancies, advisory and market research firms, entertainment and events, HR services, outsourcing, education, creative and marketing agencies, etc.

This market is huge in China, given how many companies are selling Something-as-a-Service these days, it’s constantly changing and is often driven by technology — especially this year, with the significant shift towards digitalisation as a result of the global pandemic. In order to expand, our clients are all looking for individuals that are great sales contributors or leaders, especially those with hands-on commercial skills. And in this highly competitive market, a transactional approach will always lead to very serious consequences of hiring wrong talents.

This is where I see the biggest opportunity. We are helping our customers to recruit the best frontline people that will generate the revenue, secure their growth and win a bigger market share as the economy recovers from COVID-19. In the meantime, we are changing our candidates’ lives by helping them to find a great career. No other job can make such an impact!

Weiwei: What criteria must a candidate possess in order to become a successful recruiter?

Yury: We are very proud of being truly focused on organic growth and internal development. Every member of our senior leadership team started as a consultant and worked their way up. Over the last four years I have seen many great young talents joining the recruitment industry, and I truly believe that the most important characteristics are resilience and grit, positive mindset and ability to constantly improve yourself. I can’t tell you exactly what day, and it’s not a particular task you are going to do, but it’s going to be the accumulation of all of those little things that you keep improving that makes this work.

Weiwei: What tips do you have for those joining the recruitment industry with industrial experience?

Yury: While experience (especially sales) in any other industry could be very useful when moving to recruitment world, please be prepared that it is not going to be an easy transition. In recruitment, we sell our knowledge of people’s skills and motivation, and this ‘product’ is more than intangible. In our line of work, the ability to ask great questions is more valuable than any great sales pitch. So, keeping an open mind and listening are both crucial elements of success.

Weiwei: Looking back at your career, who’s been your most important mentor?

Yury: I have been very fortunate to be surrounded by great individuals, and many of them are inspiring in their own ways. It’s really hard to select just one person. If I could name a few I have been looking up to the most, I would mention my first manager, who showed me what it’s like to be a great leader. The Managing Director who moved me to Shanghai was also the one who taught me how to win in any client meeting. My current Managing Director who showed me how to ask better, more intelligent questions, and my Regional Director who is demonstrating grit and resilience on a daily basis.