3 Reasons Why Successful Recruiters Are Focused On Developing Their Personal Brand
There are a sea of recruiters out there, all competing for the same pool of clients. Clever recruiters know they need to make themselves stand out, and the most effective and professional way to do so is by building a powerful personal brand.
Here are three reasons why developing your personal brand will dramatically transform your fortunes as a recruiter.
1. Personal brand = standing out = more clients
Clients respond to power and knowledge, so it’s up to you to shape your professional reputation in a way that stands out. You need an edge.
What’s your edge? Moreover, what do you want it to be?
1. Have you got a vast network? Does it include influential people? Is it a strategic network, or a sheer numbers game? Do you have a talent and influence pool made up of top candidates, VIP clients, and industry movers and shakers? If not, it’s time to start building.
2. Are you an expert in your field? You should be a great conversationalist who always has an interesting bit of information to offer your client that might help them with their HR issues, whether that’s a recruitment trend, economic data predicting an upcoming boom, or a case study of a competitor firm. Start subscribing to recruitment magazines/blogs, and scour the business pages for forecasts and exciting titbits relating to your niche and the wider economy.
3. Is your online presence impressive? Creating a personal brand isn’t just face-to-face, as a recruiter, it’s just as important (if not more) to cultivate your name online. Write blogs, comment on industry forums, and make sure your LinkedIn and other social media profiles reflect your best professional self.
2. Personal brand = impressing candidates = larger talent pool
A positive personal brand creates a sense of power. Candidates are drawn to this power, recognising you as someone who can help them positively shape their careers. This is extremely useful when you’re trying to woo passive candidates, build your talent pool, or place a candidate in such an effective way that they remain loyal to you as a recruiter throughout their career.
Personal brand characteristics that candidates tend to be impressed by include:
1. Willingness to spend time helping the candidate with CVs and interview tips.
2. Detailed knowledge of the role and the company.
3. A genuine interest in the candidate’s goals.
4. Sharp dressing.
5. A large network.
6. A friendly, positive, ‘we can do this’ demeanour.
7. The long view: checking in on candidates after placement and through career.
What can you do to improve your personal brand in a way that the candidate will recognise your power to help them?
3. Personal brand= impressing the billing manager = promotion
For those candidates seeking promotion, spending some quality time developing your personal brand is one of the most effective ways to get your manager’s attention.
Often, managers have you ‘typecast’ within the first couple of weeks of working with you (and often much, much earlier.) This means they’ve probably already made up their mind as to whether you’re ‘management potential’ or not.
It’s your job to change their perception of you, through giving your personal brand a promotion-ready makeover.
Dressing for success can be a great start, but you’ll have to go a long way further to really change perceptions. Here are three pointers to build your personal brand in the eyes of the manager.
1. The first step is to speak to your manager and ask them for their opinion on what you need to do to improve. At the same time, tell them about your goal of promotion so that they recognise you as a contender (but make it clear you’re not after their job!)
2. Work harder and smarter. You need to radically change the manager’s perception of you. If that means staying at work a little longer, making 10% more calls a week, or getting dramatically better at managing your CRM, then you know what you need to do.
3. Focus on your teamwork. A manager needs to be collaborative and support others, rather than hogging the limelight as an individual. While you definitely need to keep up your individual performance, concentrate on how you can help others around you and build the team’s success. This highlights you as a person more focussed on business success than your own personal glory, which is a crucial characteristic of a great manager.
There’s so much you can do to build your personal brand to impress clients, candidates, and your billing manager. It’s an exciting journey, so what will you pick to start on today?
Until next time,
Cheryl