Driving Successful Recruiters

How do business owners drive successful recruiters? This is a tricky one.  The old school recruiters amongst us will remember the days when targets were hit purely as a result of set activity levels. Driven by an over-zealous manager! If those activity levels were achieved, then the assumption was that the rest would fall into place. Being a very sales-driven industry, the rewards/incentives were financial gain, and that ought to be enough. Didn’t like the office very much? Tough – get on the phone.

The evolution of recruiting

Recruitment has evolved over the last few years. A determined shift away from a high volume activity “it’ll stick” attitude. Now, a professional, valuable industry with great career progression. As a result, the management styles of recruitment business owners have had to change accordingly.

The easiest way to manage a sales business is by using the classic key performance indicator. For example, laying down a set of easily measured activity-based targets based loosely on the law of averages. Then they measure their delivery against those KPIs. It’s simple to enact, easy to administer, and the management of such is black and white. The more activity you do: calls, visits, etc, the more results you will get.

Short-term versus long-term

KPI run recruitment businesses still exist, and the model can still work. More often, though, this business model will churn through (younger) staff who burn out or become immune to the KPI whip. Innovation and creativity can be stifled. Likewise, the foundations of the business are more short-term than long-term, with client relationships likely to suffer.

Why would they suffer? Let’s face it, KPIs can be fabricated and consultants praised for busyness rather than effectiveness. Client relationships rely on providing a good service along with results, and if activity KPIs create pointless meetings or interviews, clients become disillusioned.

Customer service

So activity isn’t important?  Yes – it is, but not in isolation.  Successful recruitment business owners ensure that whilst activity levels need to be relevant, their consultants understand there is a correlation between activity, conversion ratios, and therefore profit.  Treat each individual “desk” as though it were a business in its own right. That allows consultants to focus on efficiencies i.e. what works for them and their clients, therefore delivering on that customer service.  

What does great customer service lead to? Hopefully, greater levels of client exclusivity, and a brand identity associated with that agency that then transfers across to other areas of the client’s business.  That agency becomes one that delivers on its promise of service, not one that shouts loudly but achieves little.

Conversion rate is key

So, how do we define successful recruiters? One that is engaged with the business and understands the need for constant monitoring of their conversion rates to see what activity or metric works best, depending on economic conditions, competitor decisions etc. That commercial-savvy consultant will be significantly more effective and profitable in the long term

The modern-day manager needs to ensure that consultants are trained and develop the skills required to review their own activity to make the relevant decisions to drive improvement.  

A successful recruiter runs their business, and the manager focuses on their engagement to ensure they are driven to produce more outcomes.