Today’s guest blogger is Patrick Long, founder and managing partner of Provision People based in San Diego, CA. Provision People works in a variety of industries, namely: financial services, accounting, manufacturing, sales, technology, agriculture, defense, and a few other verticals too. Patrick is also an NPAworldwide Board Director with responsibility for the Western North America region.
It’s been a tough year for most of us, both job seekers and recruiters alike. Job flow has been challenging, and candidates are ghosting more than ever before. Last year was quite similar for many of us. In times like these, it’s easy to feel out of control and question how we invest our time and resources. I often remind myself to step back and be more strategic about recruitment, although it’s easier said than done.
The first strategic step I recommend is reviewing what we were doing two to three months ago, as this is the result of most of our current performance. I then evaluate where I focused my efforts during that time to understand what I could have done differently to improve my current performance. One of the biggest benefits of NPAworldwide membership has been the ability to benchmark. Look for ways to do this in your own business if you’re not part of a formal network or other organization that can help supply the data points. Observing where fellow members find success through our Money Letters and split updates is a valuable resource I’ve been studying closely over the past several months. More valuable to me, however, is understanding where my fellow members face challenges. This is less straightforward in quantitative reports but is front page news in our network meetings and calls. A well-developed peer network can help you become more strategic about recruitment as well.
The culture in our network is supportive and collaborative. Let’s not forget this for a second. It’s rare to ask an NPAworldwide member a question and not receive a straightforward answer. I’ve greatly benefited from simply asking questions within the network to top performers. This practice becomes easier as you get to know members better. Don’t discount the personal connections that encourage members to share more. Some best practices to consider include: ensuring it’s a good time for a call, avoiding lengthy and unspecific emails, and being respectful and unassuming with your requests. Reach out within your own network of recruitment professionals (and don’t forget to share your own experiences).
We are all eager to return to the successes of 2020 to 2022, and the good news is our data and experience suggests that this will happen sooner than later. In the meantime, let’s collaborate, lift each other up, and strengthen ourselves and our networks both formal and informal as we keep moving forward.