Big up your back office.

The recruitment industry, like many sales- or commission-based sectors, is a multifaceted world: competitive, lucrative, high-pressured, rewarding and unfortunately, often inequitable. One recurring issue is the disconnect between recruitment consultants and operations teams. In many companies, operations functions are treated as entirely separate from the sales teams, often working in different offices with limited interaction with recruiters or management. Even in businesses where operations teams are integrated, this doesn’t always translate to a more collaborative or equitable culture. So, what’s missing? In my view, two critical factors: respect and understanding.

Recruitment consultants work in an undeniably high-pressured environment. Clients frequently have urgent needs, and juggling multiple roles and candidates often feels like an exercise in professional plate-spinning. With client satisfaction, candidate fulfilment, and personal targets on the line, consultants depend heavily on their back-office teams to ensure a smooth process. These operations teams handle a wide range of responsibilities, including onboarding, compliance checks, payroll management, supplier relations, and daily inquiries from candidates, clients, and consultants alike. Beyond this, they often shoulder a variety of ad-hoc tasks that keep the business running behind the scenes.

Given this significant and varied workload, why are operations teams so often undervalued compared to their consultant counterparts? One word: money. Operations teams are typically seen as a cost in sales-driven businesses, while consultants are the revenue generators. It’s common to hear consultants emphasise the importance of “not being a cost”- meaning they’re bringing in more revenue than their base salary. As the drivers of profitability, consultants are celebrated as the backbone of the business. But ask yourself: how many consultants can handle their own compliance, payroll, and reporting while successfully managing multiple roles and placements? And how much time would they have left to focus on recruiting if they were burdened with these additional responsibilities? The answers are “not many” and “not much.”

So, I implore recruitment businesses to shift this perspective. Operations teams should be recognised as a core part of profit generation. After all, their work ensures the seamless delivery of services that enable consultants to thrive. Perhaps they should receive a small commission, or be included in team bonuses, acknowledging the unglamorous yet essential contributions they make to the business’ success. At the very least, operations teams deserve opportunities for development, recognition, and respect from the consultants who so often rely on them.

Recruiters would also benefit from a deeper understanding of the vital role their Operations Team play. A business without its back-office support is like a Ferrari with no engine - flashy on the outside but going nowhere fast.

So, let’s ensure the value of operations teams is acknowledged and celebrated, building a culture where collaboration and mutual respect are the norm.