​Six months ago, I ditched pulling pints and working all hours of the day and night for a desk in the rural recruitment sector. I didn’t grow up in the rural space, and my politics degree didn’t exactly prepare me for having conversations around the challenges facing farm owners, DNOs or the difference between an easement and a wayleave! So how have my first impressions compared to the realities of rural recruitment? And what have I learnt along the way?

Besides “absolutely everything”, the biggest surprise has been just how complex and diverse the rural sector really is. I think I expected something more traditional, wellies, fields, sheep, but instead I found a world of land management, infrastructure, utilities and renewables, with roles that require a huge amount of technical expertise. And it’s the people who make it what it is. The industry is incredibly tight‑knit, and the candidates I speak to are some of the most passionate, knowledgeable professionals I’ve ever met.

Being new to the sector has actually worked in my favour. I didn’t come in with assumptions or preconceived ideas, so I asked questions. A lot of questions. And honestly, that’s one of a recruiter’s greatest strengths, the quality of the questions they ask. It’s something our managers have said to us since day one, and now at day 200-and-something, it’s something that is still at the front of my mind.

Why Rural Recruitment Is In Its Own World

One thing that became obvious very quickly is how well-connected the industry is. Everyone knows everyone, or knows someone who does, which means that recruitment here isn’t about loud moves and quick wins; it’s about building trust and staying present in the background until the right opportunity appears. Timing is everything.

I’ve seen firsthand how real the talent shortages are, especially when it comes to surveyors. The demand across rural and infrastructure keeps rising, but we’ve only got a limited number of candidates. You can’t rely on volume; you rely on relationships, patience, and knowing your candidates well enough to spot the perfect fit when it comes. In fact, one of my most recent candidates came back to me, ready to look, months after we had initially spoke. In rural, you have to play the long game.

The most important thing for me is becoming an expert in the sector. And while I’m certainly not that yet, I’m six months more experienced than when I started. Expertise doesn’t arrive overnight. My next six months will focus on building that foundation; building that network, knowing my candidates beyond their CVs, keeping up to date with the politics of the Rural world and noticing patterns of movement.

If my first six months have taught me anything, it’s that I’ve only scratched the surface. There’s so much more to learn; about the sector, the roles, the people, and the challenges facing rural businesses.