With all the uncertainty in the world right now, it is easy to go into panic mode – from international conflicts and rising gas prices, to a lingering pandemic and supply chain issues. But seasoned recruiters who have weathered economic storms before know that it’s not time to panic, it’s time to partner and pivot.
If you are part of a recruitment network, now is the time to invest time and energy into building and further developing relationships with trading partners. You’re in this together. Your partners are a great resource – not only split-wise by providing you with candidates you may need, or job opportunities to work on, but also just as a collaborative business partner that you can brainstorm with.
If you work in a niche/industry that is on a downturn right now, or maybe you are in an area of civil or political unrest and hiring has come to a full halt, now’s the opportunity for you to pivot and turn to your global trading partners who have needs – healthcare, biotechnology, pharma, food and agribusiness – areas that continue to need talent. If you typically focus on the client side and you aren’t getting many reqs, you can pivot and check out what jobs your partners have, and see what candidates you have that may be a fit.
Now is not the time to slow down… continue to build relationships with trading partners, clients and candidates – they will remember you reaching out to them during this time. This too, will end. We will come out on the other side prosperous if we do these things.
In past downturns, it’s sometimes the brand new recruiters that fared better than those recruiters set in their own ways. You have to open yourself to new ways of thinking, and be somewhat creative with clients and candidates. For example, remind your clients that you can help them with video interviews; extended start dates with candidates; bringing candidates on virtually; offering contract / temporary start; or backroom processes and support services.
Whatever we do today will pay dividends months from now. If you can use this time to build strong relationships with your clients and candidates, whether just talking and commiserating or offer services/solutions, chances are, they’ll remember you when we come out on the other side of this.