Jerry McMillin: From Agency to TA Leader: Insights, Strategies and Reflections

In this episode of Recruiting Trailblazers, Marcus Edwardes engages in a revealing conversation with Jerry McMillin, the director of technical recruiting at ClickUp. They delve deep into the intricacies of internal and agency recruiting, the role of personalized outreach, the impact of tenure, the importance of work ethic, and the changing dynamics of the recruiting industry. They also explore candidate experience, relationship with stakeholders, and the outlook for internal recruiting.

Insights into Internal and Agency Recruiting

Marcus speaks with Jerry about the different and similar challenges of internal and agency recruiting, how each role requires a unique mindset, and the consideration of individual transitions in hiring decisions....

The Role of Personalized Outreach in Recruiting

Jerry explains how personalization, relevancy, and flattery are essential in outreach. Whether contacting candidates or clients, it's crucial to ensure each message is genuinely pointed at the recipient, rather than being sent as a blanket statement....

The Influence of Tenure in Hiring Decisions

The discussion pivots around the influence of tenure on hiring decisions. Marcus asserts that tenure importance varies based on context and that every resume tells its unique story providing nuance and insight into the candidate's experiences....

Work Ethics in Recruiting

Following the premise on the unteachability of hunger, Jerry shares how a candidate's degree of dedication and passion can be a determining factor in hiring decisions, often going beyond raw skill....

Outlook for Internal Recruiting

Touching on the future implications for internal recruiting, Marcus talks about its evolution, how the focus on quality over quantity will become increasingly important, and the potential for more contractual roles and relationships with agencies....

Candidate Experience

They round up the conversation discussing the significance of the candidate's interview experience and how enhancing this experience can also benefit the company in return if the candidate now acts as an ambassador to your brand.

Here are the top 3 takeaways from this podcast:

1. Personalized Outreach: Personalization in outreach can have a significant impact on the responses received by recruiters. Jerry emphasises how adding a personal touch, highlighting relevancy, and consistent quality communication can build a long-lasting relationship with both candidates and hiring managers. 

2. Work Ethics: Jerry stresses the importance of hunger and dedication toward one's work. Regardless of the skill set currently possessed, if a candidate is passionate and willing to learn, they can become valuable assets to the company. 

3. Role of Tenure: Both Marcus and Jerry brought up the role of tenure in hiring decisions. They discuss how every resume tells a unique story and the role of tenure is often contextual rather than an absolute deciding factor. Inspection should be done on a case-by-case basis and interpretations should be made in light of the candidate's entire job history. 

This conversation provides insightful perspectives on the nuances of recruitment and how certain strategies can affect the hiring process. The primary theme across points is that both candidates and recruiters benefit from a personalised, committed approach with a focus on long-term growth and adaptability.