You know you should manage recruiters by numbers and NOT by emotion. If you don’t enforce minimum standards, you can’t hold yourself or your sales team accountable for goals.
Most individuals who own a staffing or recruiting firm are kind, caring individuals who truly want to make a difference. You want to make a difference in the lives of your clients, candidates, and possibly future employees. It is critical to remember, however, that if you don’t manage your business by numbers (and manage recruiters by numbers), your caring personality can actually limit your success.
I worked for a man who for years always said, “Nice guys finish last.” I would give him endless examples of where that was just not true. However, there is a reason that so many firms close during economic turndowns. It’s due to the fact that the owner did NOT protect themselves and often didn’t make the tough decisions.
Our profession has been, is, and always will be cyclical. Our business is greatly impacted by the economy, job market, and what transpires on Wall Street. We now have the perfect storm, which will greatly benefit your business:
- Economy improving
- Job market improving
- Market is a candidate-driven market
- Job satisfaction at an all-time low
- Over 40% of all workers not working a traditional 40-hour week
- Baby Boomers continue to retire at the rate of one every six seconds
Manage recruiters: implementing minimum standards
Minimum standards for performance need to be presented in writing and explained to each individual recruiter.
Experienced recruiters—Standards are based on past performance
New hires—Standards are based on your averages
It is important to eventually include minimum standards in your hiring process, employee handbook, job descriptions, and performance reviews. This is one of your SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) that ensures success.
Manage recruiters: enforcing minimum standards
If there is no accountability, there are no minimum standards. There must be consequences set for non-attainment of standards. Numbers not attained must be added to subsequent days, weeks, or months.
Goals are never erased! They are added to future months because you don’t want you or your sales team to give up on income goals. It is important to always stress the “WIIFM” (What’s In If For Me) for you and your employees when you are enforcing minimum standards.
There is no better time than today to create, implement, and enforce minimum standards so you are on very firm financial ground when the next downturn occurs. What you don’t measure doesn’t count. When you manage recruiters by the numbers, it takes the emotion out of difficult decisions.
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Barb Bruno, CPC/CTS is a guest writer for the Top Echelon Recruiter Training Blog, and you can hire her for your next conference or event or for in-house training. Barb’s training techniques have guided thousands to a higher level of sales and profits. She is best known for her methodical, easy-to-implement strategies that she shares with her audiences. Her enthusiasm is contagious! If you would like to hire Barb, please call 219.663.9609, email support@staffingandrecruiting.com, or visit Good as Gold Training online.