As a well-known rec 2 rec agency we are sought out by many ambitious recruiters who are looking for the next recruiter role where; there are lots of great clients, high quality candidates that answer emails and phone calls and of course billings are easy to smash!

Well believe it or not there are still sectors like this available; provided of course you put in the hours.

Though we have been gripped in the UK by a recession; like most other countries in the western world- things are looking up. As a good friend of mine once said; recruitment is the first in and the first out of a recession!” This may or may not be true. Though the latest CBI survey seems to be providing some hopeful news for some business sectors.

Business and professional services – which includes legal and accountancy firms – saw a particularly sharp turnaround in business volumes. Activity in consumer services – such as travel, food and drink – grew at its highest level since August 2007.

All great news; particularly if you are a recruiter looking for a change of role into one of these business sectors. Is it something you should consider? Well it might be. The business world is changing and if you want a successful career you need to be open to change.

The UK is full of companies who have gone by the wayside because they did not embrace change and adapt and move onto where the market was heading.

So before you decide that you are going, gung ho into the world of accountancy or financial recruitment: Stop. You need to sit back and do what I call some R and R. Not rest and relaxation; more like; research and reflection.

Being a financial services recruiter might be a great role for you, only first you need to find out more about what it entails. This need to include what the clients and candidates are like.

What is their mindset? What is access and availability like? Remember you are going to be working with these people day in day out. If their personality is very different to your natural style it might just be a stretch to far.

Then of course there is the huge factor of;do you find this sector interesting enough to learn everything about it? The good news is knowledge about any recruitment sector can be acquired. With some application, study, great questions and an internet connection you can become quite an expert on anything in a relatively short space of time.

In his famous book Outliers Malcolm Gladwell talked about 10,000 hours; now that was to become a mega expert like; Bill Gates or the Beatles. So imagine how much you can find out with just a new recruitment sector in a few hundred hours?

If, after doing your research you are still keen to move on you are doing so with some knowledge.  Like anything it will take time. You might have the opportunity to take over a great desk and yet remember if this sector is new to you; you won’t have your own little black book of candidates and clients to call on straight away- though you will be surprised how quickly you can develop it!

Till next time,

Cheryl

As a rec to rec company we live and breathe recruitment and never a day goes by when we are not in discussion with one consultant or another about how to get the next job or be more successful.

Now here is something that we notice is happening on a regular basis; recruiters are asking us for tips and ideas on how to be more productive. In today’s internet fuelled world there is always a task to complete, an update to make or a contact to ring. So how do we get it ‘all’ done?

1. Get it on paper

Is your head full of ‘stuff’ that you know you need to do? Ditto join the club. Any ambitious recruiter will have a list of activities they want to achieve. It can sometimes feel over whelming. In my experience the easiest way to get through it all it to get it out of your head and onto paper. Then you can look at all the tasks and projects in a more rational way. You will even be able to filter them into tasks and time deadlines which is really helpful because……

2. Accept you won’t get it all done

Surprised? Just accept it and give yourself some relief. With everything that we all have going on in our lives we will never, I repeat never get it all done. Accept that fact and you will be amazed at the relief it will bring. We live in a very different world to our ancestors. Technology has benefits and downsides too. Smart phones may be wonderful if you want to always be in touch and yet so often we are driven by the next ping of a text or bugle call of the latest email arriving. Stop and use technology as it should be used as an aid to manage and screen your activities.

3. Don’t multitask

This might be a hard one for us girls to accept! Being so used to multitasking in our roles of; career girl, girlfriend, stunning cook, confidant, mum, daughter and general fetcher and carrier.

The truth is when we focus on one task at a time we produce better results. If you have ten clients to call; do it. Lock yourself in a room if necessary. If your mobile phone pings ignore it- it can wait. Switch off your email. Better still, if you can, move away from your PC.

4. Get to know your own body clock and when you perform best

It is true some of us are better at different times of the day. If you know you are;” full of the joys of spring” first thing, do the important stuff then e.g. selling! Leave the admin tasks till later in the day. This is a part of the productivity equation that most people miss. Know your strengths and when and how, you produce your best results. Then plan you days around these activities that produce results. Write it down do the maths and you will have your own blueprint for success.

5. Take breaks

As humans we are governed by cycles. Here on planet earth we live in a world where rhythms and cycles keep us on track. Summer and winter, day and night. You will have heard about circadian rhythms and the impact that has on our behaviours? The latest data has identified that we can break this down into even smaller cycles of approximately ninety minutes. For peak performance mentally we need to take a break every 90 minutes to two hours. If we don’t our performance can deteriorate. Thinking that classic though; “I will just finish this!” apparently isn’t our best course of action if we want to perform at peak.

6. Drink water

This might seem a strange one and water is important to us. Over 60% of our bodies are made up of water. A startling fact is that more adults are dehydrated then most people think. So how does it help productivity? There are hundreds of studies which confirm that adequate fluid intake can prevent headaches and fatigue and enhance memory. That headache that suddenly creeps up on you mid-afternoon is probably down to dehydration.

Till next time,

Cheryl

So you have finally landed the recruiter role of your dreams; great company, fantastic opportunities and a chance to show what you can do; including smashing billings!

Working in recruitment as long as I have, I notice that the recruiters who get on the score board quickly and get the positive attention of the director’s exhibit certain patterns and behaviours that seem to guarantee their success.

It is all about developing good habits that produce results. It is a well-known fact that it takes around 30 days to break an old habit or pattern and 30 days to create a new one. This was first observed with astronauts way back in the sixties. To a man (sorry girls there weren’t any female equivalents of Neil Armstrong till much later); it took about 30 days for the guys to handle weightlessness to a point where it seemed like it was their, ‘natural state’. So how about putting this idea into practice as you manage your new desk?

It seems logical then that if you implement some of the following ideas and strategies during your first month it is going to pay dividends not only for month one but for many months later.

1. Look the part

Image matters. If you looked good, and the part at interview do the same on a daily basis. Shallow though it may be; clients, candidates, team members and your new boss will notice. It also has an unconscious effect that might surprise you. It will make you feel; good, upbeat and positive-all essential skills for a recruiter; for many of us it is like putting on our persona.

I once knew a director who worked from home on a Friday and he still wore his three piece suit because he said it helped him connect more and make more placements

2. Be on time

We can all be late I know; traffic, the tube, no parking, late candidates all seem to conspire against us. Yet it’s possible to be on time consistently. Have you noticed how it feels when someone turns up on time?

It is a sign of respect, professionalism and focus.  It is about discipline; no I haven’t been in the army! This might be an unpopular message and having discipline works in life. The structure that discipline gives you brings results you never would expect.

3. Be a team player

I appreciate you aspire to be the companies top biller; that is fine. Just don’t walk over everyone else to do it; because you don’t need to. Being a team player is becoming more and more important in a business context. In fact I bet at your interview you will have been asked questions to find out how you work in a team setting.

As soon as you can, make it your mission to connect with everyone in your team. Go out to the pub after work, grab a sandwich together and find out about your colleagues. Do you need to be best buddies with everyone? No. We are all different and some people you will gravitate to more than others that is natural.

4. Do more than you are paid for

In a new company you need to listen and learn as much as you can. That is going to take time and effort including, late nights and early mornings. The good news is it will work. It is about practice and application. Imagine you have just taken up a new sport.

Unless you practice the moves and techniques as much as possible you will never get to a point where you can enjoy it and reap the rewards. Do you think Andy Murray whinges about having to practice every day? I am sure on occasion he might do and he does it all the same and reaps the rewards.

5. Ask questions

If you don’t know ask. Luckily in every organisation there is a period of grace where questions are encouraged and answers freely given. Top tip; take notes and refer to them. Most people don’t and then wonder why people get cheesed off when the same questions are continually asked.

6. Create you system

If you have worked successfully as a recruiter before you will know what you need to do to get the results you want. Make that your total focus. Yes it will be a steep curve learning with all the new systems and processes in a new recruitment company and make sure you stick to your KPI’s that you know deliver consistent results.

7. Set a goal

Set yourself a stretch goal to achieve in your first 30 days; with the right mindset anything is possible. Break it down into daily and weekly actions and stick to it. If it means getting in early to spend 90 minutes on the phone connecting with past clients do it. Keep a record of the actions you take and the results you achieve.

Even small wins the mind recognises and looks for more of. As human beings we are success seeking creatures and our minds constantly look for ways to be successful; at this time everything is on your side.

There you have it 7 strategies that if you take action on them will produce the results you want.

Till next time,

Cheryl

In today’s busy world of recruitment we all want to place amazing candidates with our clients who will turn out to be one of their best recruits ever! An aspirational goal maybe and one definitely worth pursuing. Think of the benefits that everyone will receive?

Your client gets a great, productive new member of the company that will add to the bottom line. Your candidate gets a great job where they will feel valued from day one. Finally you have a happy client that is likely to make your recruitment desk his or her first port of call when they have a vacancy to fill.

The ideal scenario? Yet how, as a busy recruiter can you make sure that the candidates you identify and put forward really will turn out to be your client’s employee of the year. Well we could do some digging around on facebook or Google. Much better though to ask some questions that will help you identify some of the key behaviours that will make your candidates get nine out of ten on your clients check list.

1. They have high standards

Every client wants an employee that is easy to manage. As a general rule people that have higher standards fit this box. Why? For a start you don’t have to highlight every single company policy or rule. They know the value of good timekeeping, standards and attention to detail. A few well placed questions and your own experience initial experience will shout out to you that this is the case; or not.

2. They enjoy learning

Every company want to grow. If that is going to happen they need a team around them that is willing to develop and importantly; without being pushed. An avid learner is luckily quite easy to spot. Just ask a few questions that focus around their favourite activities and you will soon see a ‘learning’ mentality come through. The sheer volume of ‘stuff’ they know will give you a big clue. Ask them about their previous roles and what it entailed. You will soon be able to identify the projects they were involved in and how they coped.

3. They understand people

Candidates can be mature at 18 and immature at 60! It is all about a state of mind and an understanding of people. Really great employees are self-aware. They know their own good points and what they need to work on. They can also spot it in other people and alter their behaviour when they need to. They are also grown up enough to understand the dynamics of balancing work and home and are ready willing and able to cut colleagues some slack or call them on their stuff when they need to.

4. They produce

Employees in any organisation have a job function and need to produce something. As a recruiter you are measured on the number of vacancies you fill for clients. That is easier to spot. What about the roles you are recruiting into? What would be key results your clients need? Can your candidates demonstrate that they can deliver, whatever it is consistently without whinging and whining!

Till next time,

Cheryl

Every employee has the desire to be promoted and earn a bigger income – that’s the dynamics of success in the corporate world and it seems especially so as a recruiter. However, the climb up the organisational ladder is rarely easy; competition is often fierce so you need to be able to exceed expectations and, in the nicest possible way; edge out everybody vying for the same position.

But just because the competition can be tough it is still more than possible to be successful without being sleazy and underhand. On the contrary, you might well be surprised that the more you hold onto your good values all the more as you work towards this professional goal; the more you will bill and the more successful you will become.

As a rec to rec agency we are constantly in contact with recruitment business owners who tell us exactly what their good recruiters do and the type of individual that will excel in their sector. It can differ depending which niche you are in; construction, finance, and retail etc.

However there are some basic fundamental principles that; if you demonstrate them, consistently will accelerate your chances of getting that promotion to a recruitment team leader or recruitment manager.

As you explore these principles, you’ll be able to redefine your motivations and really understand yourself in the context of what your recruitment company requires and values. To help you get ready for that promotion, below are some of our best tips.

1. Exhibit the right attitude.

If you have seen The Apprentice, those with a positive attitude easily gain the confidence and trust of their mentors. They are the ones who are completely focused on the goal; they present their contributions yet they are willing to step back and use the contributions of other members if the objective will be accomplished more successfully that way.

The right attitude creates a harmonious relationship in the workplace and this is something the managers and leaders in any recruitment company will look out for.

2. Always be ready and willing to learn.

According to Forbes Magazine, a well-known business communication if you want promotion; “You must be able to show the ability to evolve your thinking and the capacity to expand your skill sets.”

Since corporations are always growing, you need to be able to present yourself ready for that growth as well. Invest in yourself, take seminars, read books and display how you’ll be able to support the company’s endeavours.

3. Take calculated risks.

If you’re completely dedicated to your recruiter role in the company and you actually care about the company’s growth, don’t just keep your ideas to yourself. If you believe that there’s room for improvement but nobody is willing to voice it, take it upon yourself to be the catalyst for change and assume full responsibility.

Companies are always on the lookout for those who are passionate and unafraid even when odds are against them – these are the best people for high positions that constantly deal with challenging conditions.

4. Be loyal.

Working in rec 2 rec means we talk to business owners and directors all the time. One of the main things they look for is; loyalty. Recruitment directories and managers want high performing billers of course and they are constantly searching for consultants who have the company interests at heart.

Loyalty gains trust and trust gains favour – all these are testaments to a person’s true character that a company will truly value; and as a result it is these individuals that get promoted.

Till next time,

Cheryl

The recruitment industry is certainly thriving. The number of potential recruiters grows each year: fresh university graduates opting for a more time-efficient way of securing employment in the country’s established corporations, ambitious employees  hoping to find a fresh career start and individuals still looking for that job that’s fully compatible with their personal career objectives and skills.

On the other end are the companies and organisations that have important roles that need to be filled. It’s because of these people and organisations and their various requirements that it’s imperative for recruitment agencies to have high-performing recruitment consultants who are not only committed to the process but more importantly, have impeccable skills to make match the right candidate with the right company.

Recruitment agencies process is driven by very specific expectations. As a consequence they need their recruitment consultants to possess certain qualities and have the ability to carry out the entire recruitment process in such an effective way as to  ensure the satisfaction of both the client and the candidate.

If you’re a recruitment consultant and you want to be a consistently successful high biller, here are the top 3 things you must do to be the best in your field.

1. Ask the right questions.

There’s a big difference in asking questions and asking the right questions. The right questions will reveal truths about certain attitudes or behavioural patterns that are crucial to establish before determining a job match. Say for example, a candidate has experience and all the necessary skills to be successful in his or her field of choice but they are unable to hold a job down for a long time.

It’s important to find out the core reasons why this situation is occurring. There might be a simple explanation; or not. Better to know that now rather than place someone who will leave within weeks and tarnish the reputation of your recruitment agency.

2. Spot potential issues with employment.

Some recruitment consultants do not bother to look beyond the veil but the best in the field analyse and get background information on every job opportunity and every applicant’s resumé to see what could present some problems.

A top-performing recruitment specialist has to have a keen eye for these details (company culture, location, personal interests, spiritual background even, et cetera), spot these issues and be able to help both parties (the client companies looking for great candidates and the candidate looking for a great company to work for) come up with a solid solution that would work for everybody.

3. Establish a good working relationship with everybody.

There’s a lot of trust involved in the process and it’s always an advantage to be thought of in a positive light. Be approachable for help and your colleagues will help you as well.

Likewise, always do the best you can for all the people you represent because this will seal their confidence in you as the recruitment consultant they want to work with.

Till next time,

Cheryl

Social media is the present and the future. It’s fun, it’s social (obviously) and most people who you ask are on Facebook and Twitter. However, does it have any place in recruitment?

There’s no getting away from the fact that social media for recruiters and for candidates is a hugely powerful tool and by not using it, you could be missing out on a wealth of potential candidates and clients.

The Social CV is becoming big business

Many job hunters are creating social CVs to; generate an online presence, stand out from the crowd and demonstrate what they can do. Social CVs can include videos, websites and Facebook pages with some applicants even going as far as to cram their CV into a 140 character tweet.

This list is not exhaustive, social CVs created by ambitious candidates are becoming increasingly more creative with how they advertise themselves to recruiters.

How exactly is this Relevant to Online Recruiters?

Social CVs are great for recruiters because they give you the chance to check out your candidate before inviting them to interview. It’s saving you time, the candidate time and usually gives you a good indication of what someone is like before you even meet them. If you like what you see online, there’s a good chance you will like them in person.

You can often find out far more about someone from their social media presence than you ever could from a two page word document. If potential employees are putting their social CVs out there online to be seen, why shouldn’t recruiters take advantage?

Most decent recruiters know

LinkedIn is a well-known and established site used in recruiting and is useful for building connections and networking. What about the less obvious social media and social networkingsites ?

Did you know that when it comes to finding great candidates you can use; Twitter, Google+ and Facebook with apps such as BranchOut. Many recruiters are already posting their jobs on Facebook and Twitter, as well as looking for potential employees on these sites.

Recruiters are now able to use sponsored tweets and pages, and target them at specific groups of people. The great thing for recruiters about these sponsored updates and pages is that they come up in the activity feed alongside the usual status updates of friends and followers, making them difficult for your ideal candidate to miss.

Though social media and all its various platforms can be mutually beneficial tool potential employees need to be aware that their social media presence can very much work for or against them. For example, the recent Facebook timeline update lays bare a user’s full social history.

If left public, a recruiter could easily read everything their potential candidate has written and it may not always be favourable. From the recruiter’s point of view though, this could be a good thing! As social media is growing more popular, it seems a mutually beneficial tool for both recruiters and job seekers alike.

Till next time,

Cheryl

Being a recruiter is one of the best jobs in the world. It must be I have stayed with it for over ten years and I get bored easily! It is a great career choice and one that will reward you handsomely with: a great lifestyle, development and the opportunity to feel good about yourself and what you do; lets admit it we all love listening to candidates that call us to say; “I got the job!”

That’s of course if you are a successful recruiter. So what is the key? What are the habits, traits or personality quirks that will guarantee your success?

1.They have a goal

That might be; how many placements; a billings figure or a recruitment manager role in twelve months. They have something though. These recruitment consultants are ‘grown up’ about their career. They know that to be successful in business you have to have something to aim for. The thing is as human beings we are set up to have goals. We consciously and subconsciously are wired to be success seeking creatures.

2. They have a positive attitude

Yes it works. Being upbeat and positive attracts, rather than repels people. Think great clients and candidates here as a first step. Then think about all the people in your network that might be able to help you find; great candidates and clients. I am not talking about woo woo ‘stuff ‘here. Positive people have an air of confidence that people admire and makes them more likely to gravitate towards them; remember recruitment is about relationships.

3. They do the work

Being wildly successful usually comes after doing some work. Now I am not talking about grinding yourself into the ground. I am referring to doing the things that create results. A common term for this is KPI’s, in other words doings activates that produce results. Here is an important point; do them consistently. If that means making 10 calls in your first two hours in the office, do it. Why because that is what successful people do. Here is a fact for you; it is well known that successful people carry on when others give up.

4. They look after themselves physically and mentally

It is a well-known fact that the mind and body are all connected. Neglect one and it will have an impact on the other and of course vice versa. To be at the top of our game we need to be healthy and fuel our body with the right ‘stuff’ so it works well. Here is an interesting fact for you. One of the most successful and well known business leaders in the UK is Richard Branson. He is in his sixties. Does he look it? Not exactly. I also know that he has a strict fitness regime that includes swimming around his island most days. I appreciate we all may not have that luxury! However we can walk, cycle, swim or join a gym and look after ourselves.

5. They follow their own drum

Yes they do and definitely not anyone else’s. It is far too easy to get caught up in what everyone else is thinking or doing. Let’s be honest here, some people can be quite toxic and less than supportive when it comes to encouraging you in your recruitment career. You have to have the strength of your own conviction in what you are doing.

6. They are always learning.

A business mentor of mine pointed out an interesting fact to me one day. That was; if we are not growing by definition, we are shrinking. Think about it? If you are not the person learning the new selling strategies or how to use LinkedIn someone else is. That will mean you get left behind. There is nothing more predictable than change and recruitment is one business sector when change will always happen rapidly. The remarkable recruiters make it their mission to be ahead of the pack. They buy the latest books and attend the webinars where they can learn new skills that will make a difference to their performance.

Till next time,

Cheryl

Did you know that there is a scientific correlation between how fit we are and how successful we are in our careers?  It is about strong mind and strong body.

At GSR2R we pride ourselves on helping recruiters get great jobs…………of course :). For us though it doesn’t stop there. We also carry on that connection with every recruiter we come across. We provide tips here on our website such as ; motivational quotes and advice.

Something else we do is help in a totally different way and that is about helping connect that strong mind with a strong body. How do we do that ? Well we run free of charge exercise sessions with Brooke a qualified fitness instructor.

We are training in the park with Brooke on Friday lunchtimes at 12:15pm – 12:45pm at Finsbury Square near Liverpool Street and Moorgate in the City. We are initially doing it for 6 weeks.

All you have to do is call the office on 0203 696 1215 or e-mail claire@gsr2r.com and we’ll send you a reminder. We really hope that you can join us tomorrow and please don’t hesitate to bring along your friends to the sessions – the more the merrier and it is great for any level of fitness!

Looking forward to seeing you 🙂

Cheryl and the GSR2R team

As recruitment consultants we all have to deal with challenging conversations at some point or another. I found this great article on; 5 simple strategies that might help if you are ever have to have those tough conversations either with a client or candidate.

In the book Difficult Conversations by Douglas Stone, Bruce Patton and Sheila Heen, the authors write, “Our anxiety results not just from having to face the other person, but from having to face ourselves.”

Whether the source of the conflict stems from circumstance, a challenge to your identity as a leader, or protecting one‘s turf, stemming the tide of personal emotions and dealing in a direct, measured way can let the air out and diffuse conflict effectively.

Here are some methods to use with team members, your boss, or anyone else in the face of everyday conflict.

1. Draw out possibility.

Instead of using a blunt doorstop of a statement like, “This is the problem!” turn it into a question. “What would you say if…?” or “Could it be that…?” are both great disarming phrases.

2. Share the impact.

One tactic to disengage harsh feelings is to share the anxiety or tension that you feel about the conversation. Andrew Lightheart, who runs workshops about how to communicate in high-stakes situations and writes the blog, A Peaceful Resolution, says communicating your anxiety about the conversation can help you “step out of automatic roles and become a bit more human.” Just stating your discomfort can soften the prickliness.

3. Use silence.

Silence works especially well when facilitating teams of people through rough terrain like a strategy session or a pressure-filled meeting. Throw something out there and wait. See what bubbles up. Most people need to fill up the conversational space with words, so learn to embrace uncomfortable silences. Sometimes it just takes a moment for the important stuff to hatch. Just wait.

 4. Coax insight.

Not to be confused with giving advice. The phrase, “and what else?” lets your cohort formulate Option 2, usually a more measured and calmer, though less intuitive, response.  ”And what else?” is one of the most powerful questions according to Michael Bungay Stanier in his book, Do More Great Work. He offers variations on this theme: “Do you have any further thoughts on this?” and “Can you think of anything else?”

5. Extinguish blame.

The need to blame is a reactionary feeling; it’s quite normal. But blame usually signifies more complicated emotions. In Difficult Conversations, the authors encourage talking in terms of “joint contribution” rather than blame, even though that tactic can feel incomplete. Blame, they say, “is a stimulus to search further for hidden feelings. Once those feeling are expressed, the urge to blame recedes.”

Dealing head-on with your emotions can minimize anxiety and make tough conversations easier to handle. After all, a tough conversation is usually less difficult in hindsight.

How about you? 

What’s in your bag of tricks? How do you deal with tough conversations?

Till next time,

Cheryl