Number-one, this is not the time to quit the business, although there are still people folding up shop and quitting. There was a television commercial a couple of years ago where a CEO handed out airline tickets to his employees, and they asked him what they were for. He told them they were for visiting clients, and that’s what recruiters should be doing right now.
The bottom line is that you have to make the calls, you have to stay in touch with current clients, and you have to go out and meet prospective ones. This business is all about face-to-face networking and building relationships. If you’re in a split network, you should be talking with your Trading Partners and asking them questions like ‘What’s working for you? What are you working on? How can I help you?’ There are people hiring out there, and they’re not always at the lower levels. You just have to find them.
(The above information appeared previously in the Networking News newsletter, a publication of Top Echelon Network, the leading split placement network of recruiters.)
(Note: This is the fourth in a series of blogs that shares the thoughts of industry trainers regarding what recruiters should be doing to prepare for the economic recovery. Below are the insights of Greg Doersching of The Griffin Group.)
“Recruiters should be thinking about areas and the types of positions where the demand is still going to be high, regardless of a recession, and I’m talking mainly about math and the sciences. You still have to look at the degrees that clients are requiring, especially the demand for degrees that exceeds the number of graduates. There’s IT, Engineering, Research and Development . . . anything in the sciences.
“Recruiters also have to realize that even if times change, you can’t play the ‘one-hit wonder game.’ You have to develop legitimate clients, ones that might not use you as often, but if they have a need, they’ll call you first and give you exclusive rights to fill something. It’s all about follow-up and relationship building. Recruiters need to start building relationships now, even if they know they’re going to hear, ‘We don’t have a need right now.’ You have to say, ‘I understand that, but you’re going to have needs in the future, and I want to explain why we’ll provide a better value when you do.’
“Recruiters also need to upgrade the level of their deliverables. You can’t continue to just send a resume and think that clients are going to write a check for $14,000. You need to screen the candidates, tell the clients you’ve screened them, give them the interview notes and the reference checks, and let them know that the work has been done. If you don’t have a process in place for putting high-end deliverables in front of the clients you do get, you’re not going to retain them for very long.”
(The above information appeared previously in the Networking News newsletter, a publication of Top Echelon Network, the leading split placement network of recruiters.)
(Note: This is the third in a series of blogs that shares the thoughts of industry trainers regarding what recruiters should be doing to prepare for the economic recovery. Below are the insights of Steve Finkel of Professional Search Seminars.)
“The first key to current survival and future prosperity is both new and old clients. Every day, no matter what else happens, you must make at least five substantive presentations–not just calls–to new clients. In addition, you must call past clients at least once a month, even if they have quit hiring. Eventually, things will come back. Keep in touch with them.
“Second, on-going skill improvement is paramount, especially in today’s market. This business is not just ‘numbers.’ The most cost-effective way to achieve this is by reading the best industry-specific books. Amazon.com has several excellent ones available. As reading alone will not be sufficient, I have an article on my Web site addressing the critical step of implementation (‘The Most Cost-Effective Training’).
“These two critical keys will take any recruiter a long way towards being around during the boom market that will eventually return.”
(The above information appeared previously in the Networking News newsletter, a publication of Top Echelon Network, the leading split placement network of recruiters.)
(Note: This is the second in a series of blogs that shares the thoughts of industry trainers regarding what recruiters should be doing to prepare for the economic recovery. Below are the insights of Margaret Graziano of Keen Hire.)
“Recruiters need to be asking their customers about what their issues are and what they see as their most challenging issues going forward, as compared to focusing on their own issues. Unfortunately, the corporate world’s take on recruiters is that they’re more interested with the ‘problem of the day’ instead of helping them with their long-range needs.
“I’m not saying that recruiters shouldn’t be hunting for job orders and candidates, but they also need to be armed with strategic questions. They need to be looked at as strategic service providers who are committed to their clients’ problems more than their own. Recruiters need to combine the time they spend prospecting for job orders with time spent asking strategic questions. There should be less pushing and more pulling.
“In order to be positioned correctly, recruiters have to educate themselves more. They have to be educated about the same issues that Corporate America is knowledgeable about. These are issues like retention, competitive talent management, talent development, and being an employer of choice. They need to take courses on things like leadership development, the impact that millenials will have on the market, and the impact that outsourcing and off-shoring will continue to have. Recruiters should know everything that their clients know—and more.
“We need to evolve into full-service providers instead of just doing what we’re used to doing. As Corporate America spends more money on strategy and talent, companies are going to look at recruiters as transactional service providers and not as strategic partners. The recruiters who are thriving [in this market] are the ones who operate with their clients’ best interest in mind.”
(The above information appeared previously in the Networking News newsletter, a publication of Top Echelon Network, the leading split placement network of recruiters.)