Every Day is March Madness in Recruiting

by Liz Carey

basketball net with basketball in itRecruiters are constantly faced with challenges, obstacles, and the unpredictable nature of the job. Sound familiar? That’s because recruiting is a lot like March Madness – the annual college basketball tournament that captivates audiences around the world. In this blog post, we will explore how the recruiting industry mirrors the excitement, intensity, and unpredictability of March Madness. Read the rest of this entry »


Protect Client Relationships

by Dave Nerz

As a leader in a split fee network, I hear a common concern from members sharing job details. They are concerned that trading partners could go after their client relationships. Of course, in our network we have specific rules against that. Rogue partners who would take advantage of the information they gain from a partner would be putting their livelihood at risk for short-term gain. They would be expelled and gain a reputation that would be hard to shake. The upside is not worth the penalty.

For those not in a split network, it might become necessary to share client information with partners on rare occasions. So, what can you do to protect yourself? Here are a few options for any good recruiter to consider before sharing client details. Read the rest of this entry »


Relationships Win in the Recruiting World

by Liz Carey

Recruiting is a relationship business. Having conversations and building relationships with clients, candidates, and trading partners will lead to long-lasting relationships, loyalty, and repeat business, as opposed to one-off hires.

But due to the current nature of the recruiting business and a candidate shortage, recruiters must act quickly to fill roles, and because of this, there are many recruiters who treat sourcing and recruiting as a transaction. They don’t see the big picture, the long-term view that today’s candidate may be tomorrow’s hiring manager.

But relationships still need to be cultivated through frequent communication — preferably in-person or by phone. Candidates receive so many messages through LinkedIn and emails, that it can be hard to stand out amongst the masses. Similarly, potential trading partners may receive resumes thrown at them by so many other recruiters. Read the rest of this entry »


Building Recruiting Relationships

by Liz Carey

When you join a recruitment network or decide to work split placements, one of the things that recruiters find hard to wrap their head around is giving away their “insider” information, such as the name of their client. Some recruiters hold this info close to their vest, in fear of their trading partner trying to go around them and contact the client directly.

But when you join a recruiting network built on trust, comprised of vetted recruiters, and backed by member-owners who all adhere to the same rules, you will find that its most successful members are ones who are completely open and transparent, because they realize the value of open and honest communication. Read the rest of this entry »


Recruiting “Tools” Are Not A Golden Ticket

by Liz Carey

From time to time, we hear ‘Recruiting must be so easy.’  The logic is, because candidates are so accessible now through social media like LinkedIn, people think it’s an easy job to “match” candidates to open job requirements.  So then we hear of “recruiters” who think that because they purchased the latest and greatest in recruitment tools, they will become a super successful recruiter. It’s true, there are a plethora of tools that can HELP a recruiter – from job boards to applicant tracking systems to CRMs to AI sourcing platforms to assessment tools. But these are only tools on a recruiter’s toolbelt… they are not a “golden ticket” to success. Simply having the tools doesn’t make you a recruiter, just like having a wrench doesn’t make you a plumber. Read the rest of this entry »


Develop Relationships Before You Need Help

by Liz Carey

As a member engagement specialist at NPAworldwide, part of my job is to help members find success in the network. We always advise members that in order to build relationships in the network, it’s important to be visible by posting records, attending calls/meetings, and reaching out.

But sometimes, we have members who only reach out when they say: “I have a critical search and need help!”

We are always here to help, but I cannot help but wonder –“Who have you reached out to? Who do you network with?” If you don’t have relationships with your network partners, you may not get the help you need.

The best advice we can give members is to develop network partners long before you need them. As businessman/author Harvey Mackay says about networking, “Dig your well before you’re thirsty.” Read the rest of this entry »


Resources for Recruiting & Business Development

by Liz Carey

Members of our recruitment network have been sharing tips with each other about recruiting strategies during COVID, but the content applies anytime, not just during a pandemic. On a recent NPAworldwide regional call, members discussed an article about building client relationships as well as their own methods of business development they have found success with.

Here are some tools and resources recruiters can use to build business: Read the rest of this entry »


Relationships and Recruiting

by Veronica Blatt

Our guest blogger is Pam Robison of J. Gifford Inc. in Tulsa, Oklahoma. J. Gifford Inc. is a small, quality conscious firm providing highly individualized recruiting services to clients on a local, regional, national and international basis. The firm’s recruiting activities are focused on professional, technical and managerial placement, as well as contractor and international staffing for clients. Pam is a member of the NPAworldwide Board of Directors.

I’ve been in the recruiting industry for nearly 20 years now. I actually “stumbled” into this career after deciding to leave a large US-based manufacturer during a downtime in the industry. For 2 of my 17 years there, I was the human resource manager where one of my responsibilities was recruiting. Back in those days we would network as much as possible to gain referrals. We also placed ads in local papers and sat back waiting to receive resumes by mail. It wasn’t really much different when I began full-time recruiting in 2001, except technology had advanced to the point of website job postings and email. The advances in technology certainly helped reduce the lag time between the posting of a job and receiving responses from potential candidates. Read the rest of this entry »


Recruiters, Now’s the Time to Innovate

by Liz Carey

With Covid-19 shuttering the doors of retailers and restaurants alike, many businesses are thriving by thinking outside the box – sit-down restaurants have shifted to carryout service, grocery markets and butchers are now offering home delivery, salons are selling do-it-yourself dye kits, breweries are now manufacturing hand sanitizer, and apparel companies have shifted operations to make masks. Read the rest of this entry »


Thanksgiving Thoughts for Recruiters

by Liz Carey

Here in America, it’s the day before Thanksgiving, and a time to reflect and express gratitude for things that give your life meaning. In the recruiting world, this may be a time where candidates assess whether their work gives them satisfaction and if they find it meaningful. With the start of a new year coming up, candidates may be at the point where they want to make a change if they don’t feel they are making a positive impact in their current job.

I recently read a great article that suggests steps employers can take to help keep employees satisfied with meaningful work, which ultimately will help ensure the retention of top talent: https://hrdailyadvisor.blr.com/2019/11/27/how-to-make-work-more-meaningful/

Similarly, recruiters can take this time to reflect and express gratitude for all the people and tools that help make you successful. A quick email blast with a Thanksgiving wish can help remind candidates that they aren’t just a number to you… and it will reinforce that personal connection that makes your work meaningful.

Recruiting can be stressful and time-consuming, but take the time to remind yourself of the success stories of finding a candidate their dream job, or fulfilling a difficult need for your client, or sending a lead to a trading partner that helped them land a new client, and it may help you appreciate the hard times and realize how rewarding this line of work is.

Be thankful for your candidates, clients, and trading partners; when you make your next placement, they’ll surely be thankful for you.


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