We all have that feeling after attending large conferences or networking events where our minds are completely fried. Knowing all the great ideas that were swirling around your head the past couple of days now have to be implemented can make you feel more overworked than you have energy for. However, the key to good follow-up after these events is immediate action. So go for a walk, get your favorite coffee drink in hand, and sit down and try some of these tips. Read the rest of this entry »

“You can always train on the technical side”, states Hilarie Geary of Executive Connections during an interview with Business Advice Centre regarding top recruitment tips for small businesses. Since the recession, many changes have occurred in the recruiting process, the top one being that strong candidates have become a commodity. As a small recruitment firm with limited resources, sourcing top talent can sometimes be difficult, but knowing the warning signs and following some of these tips can help step up your game as the economy begins to improve.

1. Sell and Showcase. In order to stand out from other recruiters you must present a stronger face on the market, putting yourself out on public domain. Invest time and resources in a strong campaign both on your site and on social media that will drive candidates to you, and also create a network for yourself that will cause people to respect your brand. Post in special interest groups on LinkedIn or Facebook, and share with local business organizations as well as professional bodies. Sell your flexibility as a small business to attract clients. Small recruitment firms are able to be lenient around working hours and locations, and provide both clients and candidates with personal attention that they could not receive from a larger agency.
2. Hire for Behavior. By reference checking your candidates, you are not only able to verify where they have been or what they have accomplished, but what their behavior has been. Being able to find out how flexible they are and how they need to be managed can be the best knowledge for a candidate your client is going to have to transition. If they do not have the technical skills, those can always be learned, while behavior is impossible to train.
3. Recruitment Plan. Always have an ongoing workforce plan, don’t panic recruit. You can do this by matching planned headcount to projected growth rates so you can drive your own business growth. Be analytical about which tools you have used and make sure you always have a way to track and measure what where you had success, so that you do not repeat failures.
4. Analyze. Consider using additional tools such as psychometric and skills testing to offer more information regarding your candidates and strengthen your recruitment process. By analyzing each tool and campaign you are able to ditch those strategies that provide poor return on investment and therefore evolve your process to be as effective as possible.
5. Make the Right Hire. By setting up processes such as a training guide that covers the new hire’s duties and expectations of them, you will establish a client respect leading to more business. If you are unsure of a candidate, perhaps a short term contract or a freelance arrangement would be a better fit for them.

As independent recruiters, it is difficult to keep up with the rapidly changing industry and not get caught up in the standard pitfalls that come with the territory. In order to stay ahead of the competition, it is easy to make promises you can not necessarily keep, take on more than you can possibly handle, or let those tasks on your list fall off without completion.

It is important to stay true to your brand, and most importantly to treat each client and candidate with the same respect to keep your reputation of integrity. Below are some common recruiter mistakes that seem to happen when times are busy:

1. Stop working dumb. This is another way of me telling you to find the smartest strategy to manage time and a full desk. Jeremy Sisemore speaks on how to build a $1 million dollar recruiting desk, and his strategy starts with planning. Use your time on clients who will give you full fees and fire those clients that won’t accept your competitive fees. Learn to walk away from low fees, and strive more towards getting exclusivity from those clients who have proven to be good clients.
2. Strive for high level searches. Have influential hiring managers introduce you to other hiring managers within the same organization. On these, Jeremy Sisemore gives the advices to offer a performance guarantee if you are granted a retainer on the search. Tell your client that they will get the retainer back if you fail to deliver X amount of qualified candidates within a specific timeframe.
3. Under-promise and over-deliver. In any aspect of life, always remember to only promise what is realistic. This will gain respect and clients will value your honesty. Once you begin to let people down by not being able to deliver, your reputation will be tainted as that is what you will be remembered by.
4. If you don’t like them, your trading partners won’t either. If you happen to be in a split placement network such as NPAworldwide, have respect for your partners when asking for help filling a position. If you hate working with a particular client, chances are high that your trading partner will also be frustrated by the long wait, uncertain decision making, and unstable fees. Be upfront with trading partners as to how difficult a position may be to fill, and let them make an honest decision if they want to help you with the search. Same with candidates. If you have had difficulty placing a candidate due to several concerns that arise, do not place them in front of a trading partner in hopes of them having any better luck.
5. Have a healthy desk. A desk should have about 20-30+ assignments and job opening with clients at any given time. If you have much more than that, you are probably not able to devote the appropriate time to the searches, and if you have less, look to adding split placements to your business model to build your business.
6. Keep the relationships you have. With technology making things less personal, and the pressure to grow and quickly accomplish searches building, it is easy to forget about those clients that have been loyal and have made you successful. Strive to visit those key account or local clients on at least a yearly basis, quarterly if you are able.

If you have an interest in adding split business to your independent recruiting firm, feel free to contact me.

Every independent recruiter or entrepreneur has had one of those days, weeks, or even months where the road to success can be full of bumps and dead ends, and ultimately seem like a lonely game. Especially here, where the end of the year is coming close, and holiday gatherings with family and friends will start taking you away from work, and it may seem easy to write off time, thinking that you will regain momentum next year.

I encourage you to keep going. I challenge you to pull out the business goals you set for yourself at the beginning of the year, and if you have not hit them, realize you have over two months left to crank out some results, or set up your business to perform better in the upcoming year. If you have a running list of vendors, marketing programs, or recruitment networks you planned on checking out, invest the time now. If you had plans to hire more staff, or devote more time to certain tasks, invest in that planning now.

It will take many failed attempts to eventually hit the business model that fits in with your vision and goals, as well as lifestyle. When I find myself struggling in business or lacking motivation, I turn to inspirational quotes to regain focus and change my mindset to positive. Here are my some of my favorites:

• “A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.” ~ Henry Ford
• “It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you’ll do things differently.” ~Warren Buffett
• “You have to trust in something – your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.” ~ Steve Jobs
• “People become really quite remarkable when they start thinking that they can do things. When they believe in themselves, they have the first secret of success.” ~ Norman Vincent Peale
• “If you can’t fly then run, if you can’t run then walk, if you can’t walk then crawl, but whatever you do you have to keep moving forward.” ~Martin Luther King, Jr.
• “Take up one idea. Make that one idea your life – think of it, dream of it, live on that idea. Let the brain, muscles, nerves, every part of your body, be full of that idea, and just leave every other idea alone. This is the way to success.” ~ Swami Vivekananda
• “Nothing is particularly hard if you divide it into small jobs.” ~ Henry Ford
• “I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” ~ Thomas A. Edison
• “The biggest risk is not taking any risk… In a world that’s changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.” ~Mark Zuckerberg
• “Progress always involves risks. You can’t steal second base and keep your foot on first.” ~ Frederick B Wilcox
• “If you don’t value your time, neither will others. Stop giving away your time and talents. Value what you know and start charging for it.” ~ Kim Garst
• “Success in business requires training and discipline and hard work. But if you’re not frightened by these things, the opportunities are just as great today as they ever were.” ~ David Rockefeller
• “Forget past mistakes. Forget failures. Forget everything except what you’re going to do now and do it.” ~ William Durant
• “Someone is sitting in the shade today because someone planted a tree a long time ago.” ~Warren Buffett
• “If you’re not stubborn, you’ll give up on experiments too soon. And if you’re not flexible, you’ll pound your head against the wall and you won’t see a different solution to a problem you’re trying to solve.”~Jeff Bezos

Do you have any that I did not include that you turn to personally? Share them in the comments!