It’s the start of a new year and if you’re like most people, you’ve at least THOUGHT about making a resolution or two. If you’re looking for some ideas on how to improve your recruiting performance, here are 5 resolutions for independent recruiters:
- Use the phone more. Resolve to spend more time on the phone TALKING to your clients and candidates this year. You’ll be rewarded with deeper, richer connections than you can possibly achieve via email. As the electronic landscape continues to change, real human interaction becomes more and more valuable. With the increase in email, texting, and automated delivery of messages, independent recruiters who rely primarily on the phone may find out they ‘stand out’ from their competitors.
- Grow your network. Independent recruiters, especially sole proprietors, often find themselves working in a vacuum. It can be lonely, and it can also be difficult when you don’t have a peer group where you can share questions, concerns, and best practices. Cultivate a peer network that you can lean on for advice, benchmarking, or other best practices. Joining a formal network is one way to do that, but there are plenty of other options!
- Invest in professional development. Everyone, including independent recruiters, needs to sharpen their skills. NPA members can attend our global conference for peer networking and industry training. There are other conferences, professional associations, and a variety of online learning resources. Whether you’re learning about social media, new recruitment technology, or getting ‘back to the basics,’ make sure you devote some time to professional development this year.
- Mobilize your website. Even if you don’t expect to attract candidates via your website, understand that mobile browsing is expected to surpass desktop browsing THIS YEAR. Visitors who come to your site via a mobile device will run away quickly if they have a poor experience.
- Consider adding split placements to your business mix. Split placements can help independent recruiters level out revenue fluctuations, offer economical business expansion, and serve clients faster and more effectively. Investing in split placement relationships now will serve you well when business conditions change.
What resolutions have you made this year?
