Recruitment Consultant Tips – 3 Ways To Stand Out As A Recruiter In 2014
The recruitment market is growing again in the UK and the good news is that means more roles for recruiters and more candidates to place. Happy days! Well maybe.
With an upturn also comes the fact that candidates and clients can be discerning about which recruitment company and consultant they work with.
Like estate agents in the 80’s, recruitment consultants can have a bad reputation. This is usually due to lack of; thought, preparation, detail, mixed with a significant level of desperation. We all want to make placements and hit billings and not if the candidate and client aren’t a fit and a match for each other.
So how can you become the recruitment consultant of choice?
Well the good news is it’s much easier than most people appreciate. So here are some key parts of your role to really nail in 2014.
1. Give a damn
When Rhett Butler uttered those famous words in gone with the wind; ‘frankly my dear I don’t give a damn!” he probably didn’t appreciate the trend he would start. It might be trendy to have a ‘whatever’ attitude down the pub and not when you are working in a relationship business like recruitment.
People matter and if you are in recruitment for the long haul your candidates and clients have to experience that from you. If you only get a buzz when you place a candidate because of your placement fee you are in the wrong place!
The truth is people know if someone is truly ‘bothered’ about them. When your clients and candidates get this about you I guarantee you will never be short of placements to make and awesome candidates to fill them.
2. Know you stuff
People love experts. It makes them feel safe and in good hands. Demonstrate this to your candidates and clients and you will become the ‘go’ to person in your sector. The good news is that with a little application it is incredibly easy to do.
Malcolm Gladwell’s book Outliers talks about ‘10 000 hours to become supreme’; we are talking the Beatles and Bill Gates here. Trust me you don’t have to be at that level unless you really want to.
Instead get yourself a copy of Brian Tracy’s book; The Psychology of Achievement. He talks at length about starting to study for an hour a day and how rapidly that can take you to a different level when it comes to being an expert in your field.
3. Be organized
With today’s tech ‘stuff’ we all seem to possess, there is no excuse for not being organized. Yes we can all be bamboozled with the sheer volume of information we are exposed to. Yet know what is important. Keep in touch with candidates and clients regularly and when you say you will. This is guaranteed to bring you rewards and help you stand out from the crowd.
Did you know that one of the biggest gripes from candidates is that recruiters don’t keep in contact enough? As a breed we are a pretty hardy bunch; however our candidates might not be.
Imagine as a hot candidate you have been encouraged to move organizations and then as you start the process,suddenly the friendly recruiter you thought you had a connection with;doesn’t contact you. Suddenly you start to wonder if you are better staying put.
I am sure you can think of other attributes that will make you stand out? Why not add to the conversation and make a comment below.
Till next time,
Cheryl Wing