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insights Inside the life of a recruiter

As part of our #PeopleDriveResults campaign, this week we have caught up with Alexandre Lefebvre, based in Montreal, Canada.

Image of Alexandre smiling

What drove you to become a recruiter?

I’ve always enjoyed working with people in different industries. Before starting university, I worked in agriculture, restaurants, construction, manufacturing, hotels, food service… Working in recruitment gives us the chance to have constant human contact and exposes us to all kinds of fields and individuals, so it was a logical choice for me.

What’s your favourite part of your role as a recruiter? 

I’ve always said that regardless of the means or strategies used, the results in our job are always positive. Our goal is to bring talented people into our company and the only possible outcome is to hire! It can take a lot of time and effort, but at the end of the day, you’re providing an interesting career opportunity to a new employee and strengthening the existing team.

What do you like most about a job interview?

I’m a curious person by nature and I love hearing candidates talk about their day-to-day work. All jobs are unique and I’m really interested in their responsibilities and the projects in which they’re involved. It also allows me to increase my technical knowledge and thus become a better recruiter.

What challenges do you face in your role?

The biggest challenges are the scarcity of available candidates. In engineering, we need very specific profiles, and firms are competing for those same profiles. The urgency of our needs also brings a higher degree of difficulty in terms of recruitment.

What qualities do you need to have as a recruiter?

Persistence! You must never give up, even if you feel like you’ve exhausted all your resources. The ability to build relationships and communicate well with managers and candidates is also critical in our role. Finally, being innovative and not being afraid to try new strategies is another important quality to have.

What does diversity mean to you?

In my role as a recruiter, diversity is a pervasive topic. It’s my job to ensure that everyone has an equal chance and is evaluated in the same way, avoiding unconscious biases. Diversity is also a strength within our teams, because we can benefit from our employees’ different experiences.

Why is it fun to work at AtkinsRéalis ?

AtkinsRéalis is the leader in its field. This brings us a number of advantages, including working on major and diversified projects, as well as working with experts known across the industry.

Tell us about your favourite hobby.

I’m a big fan of the outdoors. I enjoy hiking, cycling, camping, skiing, fishing… I also love travelling, admiring nature and discovering landscapes in other countries.