Recruiters may be optimistic about the second half of 2015, but what things do they need to do in order for their production levels to match their expectation levels?
Below are three ways that recruiters can finish strong this year:
#1—Bring only impact players to the market.
In a talent and skill set-starved market, trying to fill those needle-in-a-haystack searches will inevitably lead to frustration and few placements. It can feel like you’re pushing a boulder uphill all day, every day. But you can make your job easier by returning to the talent-agent mentality. That’s right, the old “MPC” approach. In today’s competitive market, it’s the best bet to make placements.
Impact players are most important to a team and a recruiter when a defined marketplace requires a specific skill set. My preference is to go to the market with three impact players whom I present in distinct ways. One is the main focus, another is one level above, and the third is one level below. If the organization has a need for that type of talent, chances are good that I will get send-outs based on a quick conversation.
#2—Develop your “paper route,” but on a larger scale.
Define a marketplace of 500 to 3,000 potential clients, and take your impact players to them. Not just once, but routinely. Develop a “paper route”: share the top talent in your specialty with them over and over again. Think of a hometown newspaper route. The paperboy delivers papers to the same houses every day. His customers get to know him, and most become fond of him. You need to develop that same relationship with your potential clients.
Touch every one of them every 60 to 90 days. Not all of your prospects will have a need for the talent you present in your first call. Don’t let that discourage you. As you get to know them, you’ll have a better idea of what they want so you can bring value to the table the next time you talk. By the second, third, or fourth “delivery,” you’ll be amazed at the send-outs you get and the placements that follow. Never get too busy to give personal attention—it pays big dividends.
#3—Don’t forget your candidates!
Establish regular contact with your candidate database. Think of it as a paper route for 2016. It’s a new concept to many, but it’s an exciting frontier for recruiters to explore, another way to add value to your candidate pool so when they’re ready to make a change, they automatically think of you.
Top candidates need to be touched once every 60 to 90 days by you or your firm. Many recruiters are getting creative in their approach to this, sending out mass emails, newsletters, or announcements, and making direct calls. Remember, it will always be the recruiter who can deliver the best talent who will win. Market to your candidate database, build your brand identity with them, and show them how you can help them achieve their career goals.
The best recruiters in this tight market succeed through a combination of time-tested recruiting truths and innovative solutions that benefit both client and candidate. Yes, we’re faced with a talent crisis, but who is better positioned to capitalize on it than talent agents—people with a real understanding of the market?
Success is ours for the taking as long as we’ve put into place real strategies for dealing with talent pool trends.
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Jon Bartos, a guest writer for the Top Echelon Recruiter Training Blog, is a premier writer, speaker, and consultant on all aspects of personal performance, human capital, and the analytics behind them. In 2010, Bartos founded Revenue Performance Management, LLC. The RPM Dashboard System is a business intelligence tool used worldwide for metrics management for individual and team performance improvement. In 2012, Bartos achieved national certification in Hypnotherapy, furthering his interest in learning the dynamics behind what motivates others to achieve higher levels of success. Click here to visit Bartos’s website.
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