Was it the fall of the agency empire?

It might’ve felt like it. Some of those making the move were branded “failed recruiters.”

For those who succeeded it was the natural progression in their career. A chance to see things from the other side.

The internal revolution took huge numbers of agency consultants to “the dark side”. Of course, for sizeable salaries and the chance to eliminate business development to forgotten memory, it was a dream.

They packed away their specialisms in the loft and deleted the words “long-standing passion for IT Development” from their LinkedIn profiles.

But now, with hiring stalling for many startups and SMEs following an economic downturn, internal recruiters are looking back at the agency world with amorous intentions.

There’s a problem however.

For the last few years, internal recruiters have turned themselves into generalists. Solid, capable, responsible recruiters managing multiple stakeholders and financial responsibility.

But all the same, recruiting across multiple specialisms, technologies, levels and divisions.

And this might create a problem when they turn their hand once more to developing business. At least in comparison to those who never left.

Those who kept their niche specialisms and honed in on becoming the ‘go-to’ person in that industry.

Having a specialism doesn’t make you a specialist

In times gone by, agency recruiters who picked their specialism out of a hat on their induction week wrote the words ‘specialist’ in their job title. It followed whichever niche they were randomly allocated and BAM!

Welcome to the world of being a specialist.

I’d say the industry’s matured since then.

But the rise in Internal recruiters moving back to the world of agency is creating an interesting storyline for the age-old argument of Generalists Vs Specialists.

A wide net

The temptation to widen your net in times of regressing business is natural. To pick up a role outside of your focus. To broaden your niche.

But it’s my opinion this does little for those who do so, other than a small, quick win. And even less for the industry at large, as true specialists lose business and the industry gets muddied and muddled by a race to the bottom.

Generalists, like those who’ve come from internal roles are undoubtedly fantastic recruiters. But in terms of knowledge and added value within a certain niche, I don’t believe they’ll ever offer more than a specialist.

The bigger question of course is…

When does someone become a specialist?

If writing Java Specialist on your LinkedIn profile doesn’t make you one, when do you become one?

When you have business cards printed?

After you attend your first networking event?

Or is it, perhaps, after you’ve worked solely in that area for long enough to know it like the back of your hand? After you’ve learnt everything there is to know, and show a commitment to keep learning?

Is it defined by a timeframe? A number on the sales board? The size of the team you manage?

I’ll take answers in the comments in lieu of a post card.