It doesn’t matter in which industry you work. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been in the recruiting business. It doesn’t matter how much success you’ve enjoyed during your career.
A slump can happen to YOU.
Heck, it might have already happened to you multiple times during your career. You might even be going through one right now. Anybody who has endured a slump on their recruiting desk can attest to how frustrating it can be and how difficult it is to break out of it.
Recruiting slump buster
However, there are steps you can take to emerge from the doldrums and start scoring the job orders you need to get “back in the groove.” Actually, all you need to do is generate enough activity to make one placement. Because, really . . . after you make that placement, the slump is pretty much over.
Below is a five-step plan for breaking out of a slump on your recruiting desk:
#1—Review past successes.
This can encompass a great many things. If you’ve received thank-you notes from candidates, read those thank-you notes. If hiring managers have sent you thank-you notes and/or emails, read those, too. If you’ve won production awards, take those out and look at them or as they hang on the wall of your office. If you keep track of your placements, review your placement history. The key is to get back in touch with the value you provide to candidates and clients and to believe in that value. Belief in the value you provide is crucial to being able to put forth the energy and effort needed to break out of your slump.
#2—Call favorite clients.
Don’t call asking for new job orders. Instead, call just to get their take on the industry. Ask about what they’re seeing and how things are going. These are people you already know and with whom you’re comfortable. Use these calls to build up momentum. Once you’re in a rhythm, start making actual marketing calls. The momentum and confidence you’ve gained from calling favorite clients will spill over into these calls and make them more effective.
#3—Listen to motivational speakers and industry trainers.
Desire is one of the most important factors influencing a recruiter’s desk. A slump is often a symptom of a lack of desire—or more specifically, from being burned out. Just like you need to get back in touch with the value that you provide, you must also get back in touch with your passion for the profession. Nothing in the world happens without somebody’s desire to make it happen. You’re not going to break out of your slump unless you have the desire to do so. Listening to motivational speakers and industry trainers can help you to kindle that desire again.
#4—Review your current goals and awards.
Recruiters often plan their daily, weekly, and monthly activities by setting production goals. This is only one-half of the equation. You must also set rewards for reaching those goals. Sure, placement checks are a great reward in and of themselves, but nobody is going to give you a placement check for making 50 cold calls. No, you are responsible for rewarding yourself. Consequently, you must first identify the rewards that will motivate you the most, and then you must make sure that you reward yourself accordingly. The rewards may seem small, but the rewards themselves are not the focus. The focus are the long-term behaviors that result from those rewards.
#5—Market multiple MPCs.
Everything in today’s hiring environment starts with candidates. Not just any candidates, though, but the right candidates. Highly qualified, superstar game-changers that hiring managers simply can’t ignore. The best way to get the attention of hiring managers is to present the top talent in the marketplace. This one ties back to #2. Once you’ve gained momentum by calling your favorite clients, you can use MPCs when making your marketing calls. They’re another great way to bridge the gap between your past successes and your future job orders and placements.
You might not be in a slump right now, but you never know when one will rear its ugly head. If you do find yourself in a slump at the moment, then this article is especially applicable. Whatever the case may be, follow the five steps outlined above.
Believe in your value, re-ignite your passion, and build the momentum you need to break out of your recruiting slump!
