How is the rest of your recruiting year shaping up?

We’re halfway through the year and now is a great time to take stock, look back at the last six months, and look forward to the next.

Assessing your company’s performance to date, and devising a strategy to go forward is vital for strong business growth.

Maximise your existing revenue

It’s all too easy sometimes to solely concentrate on new business.

We all know that a constant stream of new business is vital in recruitment, but halfway through the year is a great time to talk to your existing client base, with a view to both retaining their business and maximising revenue. However well you may think it is going with a client, putting the extra bit of effort in will pay dividends long-term.

Rival agencies will be proactively seeking to take that customer away. A friendly visit could be all it takes to secure their custom for another six months, and you may even be able to get some more business out of it.

Have you lost any clients?

Even the most successful recruiters will lose clients, but what sets apart a successful recruiter from the rest is not seeing losing a client as a failure, but as a valuable opportunity for feedback.

Have a look at all of the clients you’ve lost. Call them, not with the intention of winning their business back, but a genuine call to get feedback about the service you provided and why they no longer use you.

There may be some things that are uncomfortable to hear, but if you can act on these shortcomings, it will help you retain customers in the future. Your former client may also be impressed at the fact you are being so proactive.

Have you won some new clients?

Just as you sought feedback from clients that you have lost, why not speak to new clients and ask them why they chose to use your company? Was it reputation? Was it price? Did they like your ‘brand’?

Whatever the reason, it’s valuable to know and can help you focus future business activity on relevant sectors with a relevant message.

It’s all too easy to get carried away when a new client comes on board, but taking the time to understand why they chose your company can help you build on what you have done well.

Assess your sector

How has your sector been performing to date? Is it experiencing strong growth or is it experiencing economic difficulties?

Understanding the financials of your sector helps you understand the needs and wants of your clients, and can be a valuable talking point with potential clients.

Past performance will give some indication of where in the sector there is potential for growth, and can be a useful tool in deciding where to focus your valuable resources in trying to grow business.

Whether your first six months of 2014 have been successful or not, make sure you learn the lessons to make the second half of the year a fruitful one.

Till next time,

Cheryl