Ebony Smith

7.30 AM

I am an early bird and love time to myself in the morning. Sometimes a walk or swim to start the day - if it’s not too cold! I also enjoy my morning coffee in the comfort of my home before I start my commute to Robert Walters. I try to leave with plenty of time to avoid that dreaded peak-hour morning rush on the train.

8.30 AM

Every morning at 8.30 am we have a ‘review’ where my team and I link up (virtually or in the office) with our coffees, catch up and debrief about candidates we have spoken to the day before. Since I am the Candidate Manager for the HR team, I connect with a large number of candidates every day and hear about their current work situations, whether they are actively looking on the market for job opportunities and also to get more of an insight into their personality and what motivates them. When we have review we get the chance to essentially pitch the superstar candidates to our team to see if across the team we can match them with their dream role.   

9.30 AM

After review, I would have had a chance to speak with my team and manager about the current roles we are working on at the minute and clean up that busy inbox folder from the day before. My job from there is to work out what roles are of the top priority and where my team needs the most support. I will have one-on-one catch-ups with the consultants in my team to understand the roles they are working on in more detail so that when I speak to potential candidates on the phone, I can understand if their experience aligns with the job opportunity. I have worked out quite quickly that no day is the same at Robert Walters and it is something that excites me each day as it is always fast-paced in the office.

10.30 AM

At this point, during the day I should have a clear idea of what to do with my day and I set a to-do list to complete. I will then start to reach out and find the amazing candidates out there. My conversations with candidates can be short, medium, or long depending on how chatty they can be or if they even pick up the phone. I am a people person and have had some great conversations with candidates every day. The office turns into a vibe when everyone is on or between calls which creates a buzz and an amazing atmosphere in the office. It’s something I (a grad) have never experienced before but it is great fun.

11.30 AM

Another great thing we do as Candidate Managers is meet up with the candidates that we want to put forward and represent for roles. We can meet up with them virtually or in our office and speak with them in more detail about their experience, go through their CV and start building that relationship with them. As the first point of contact for many candidates for my team, I normally try to schedule meet-ups with candidates throughout the week. When I meet candidates in person it really helps to pitch them back to my team and tell them exactly who they are and what they are looking for. 

12.00 PM

Lunchtime! I am a ‘bringing from home’ sort of person. As a grad, we all know how the budget life goes. But it’s great to sit in the office and chat with some other colleagues or even sit outside if it’s nice and sunny and get some fresh air. 

1.00 PM

Time to check back in with my team. My to-do list is underway to be completed and I will be back to speaking with candidates. It really depends on the structure of your team and what roles you are working on, could be across one or a wide variety. But, by now I may have a couple of stand-out candidates that I will share back with the consultants on my team either right away or save for review the next day to pitch.

3.00 PM

Mid-afternoon is time for a snack and another push to find those candidates. I go through LinkedIn or job advertisements on SEEK and speak with candidates who are actively looking or keep in touch with some candidates we have already been in contact with. It’s all about forming those relationships and maintaining them – by flagging their name to the team, popping them in review, organise an in-person or virtual registration with them are all things that continue to foster the candidate relationship.

4.00 PM

Time to have a quick catch-up with my manager, updating her about what I’ve done today and any candidates I think are perfect for the roles we are working on. I then see if she needs anything urgently done for the day and make sure to prioritise those tasks for the rest of the day. As the day is wrapping up, I make sure all my emails are up-to-date, I have contacted and re-engaged with candidates that I believe should be put forward for roles and I check in with the rest of my team to see if any support is needed elsewhere.

5.00 PM 

When all the admin is complete, urgent tasks are done and I have touched base with everyone in my team, I make my way home. Put on a good podcast to distract myself from the peak-hour rush and either go to the gym to clear my mind or for a walk. 

7.00 PM

Dinner time and relaxation. After dinner, I start to prepare for the next day because I am super organised and love doing it. I wind down by either popping on the current Netflix show I am binging or reading.

9.00 PM

Call it boring, but because I am an early riser, I am in bed setting the alarm ready to do it all again.

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