Mediocrity is the comfortable curse that some in recruitment seem to be willing to live with. The downside is that you cannot grow from being comfortable with mediocrity. For every star performer in the recruitment sector we have hundreds, who hang on, faint outlines and echoes of erstwhile resonance, or of managers they once hoped of emulating.
I’ve watched too many recruiters at all levels embarrass and demean themselves in futile attempts to remain what they once were a decade or more prior; or what they hoped they may have become. In the meantime, desperation causes them to behave in ways that negatively impact upon themselves, their organisation, their clients and their peers.
As soon as one recruiter discounts a fee, the ripple effect is swift and all-consuming. As soon as one of your competitors cuts corners and doesn’t complete all the necessary checks and balances – and it comes undone – you get tarnished by the fallout.
The critical factor for recruiters is the competency and expertise to continue to perform, professionally, at your best level, or to exceed that level. Once that level is no longer rising, the laws of entropy enter, and the plateau will ineluctably erode.
The challenges facing recruiters are immense:
- LinkedIn is now a recruitment tool
- The job boards have been a competitor for years
- Many organisations are now handling recruitment internally
- People can set up on their kitchen bench with little overhead costs and then discount fees and continue to have margin
- Panels and preferred supplier agreements are eroding fee levels
- Accounting firms are now including recruitment as a service
- and, on it goes
What do we know for sure about reinvention and innovation?
Well, for starters, planning, most of the time, is activity over results; kind of like bureaucracy! Most recruitment consultants don’t like cold-calling. Most clients don’t appreciate cold-calling. Clients will always think they can do their own recruitment, successfully. Candidates will always assume that you need them and owe them something, even though they don’t pay you. Does this make them any less important? No.
How can the recruitment profession become more innovative and what are some of the ways we can gain inspiration from reinvention?
- Stop benchmarking; rather form alliances with organisations and entrepreneurial thinkers.
- Use Ric’s Reverse Thinking (RRT); whatever you think, think the opposite and then consider the merits of that thinking.
- Forget your own personal history; you’re never as good as your last victory, nor as bad as your last defeat.
- Have a “Be/Do” philosophy.
- Be willing to walk away from business. A lousy prospect never makes a great client. And, the client will always expect premium service even though they’ve only paid you a deep-discounted price. Charge what you’re worth and expect to be paid.
- Celebrate successful failures and punish mediocrity.
- Diversify just for the heck of it.
- Change your pricing strategy to include project fees, retainers, payment in advance, etc.
- Thrive on ambiguity, because if the answer is known, then it’s no longer innovative, is it?
- Maintain accountability by cultivating your recruiters (and yourself) to be “Dreamers with Deadlines”.
However, the first sale is to yourself, if you don’t believe it, then nobody else will, either.
I agree with many things you have said Ric, but goodness point 7. “Diversity just for the heck of it”…are you serious? What about diversity as a source of suitable and often outstanding candidates? And yes candidates are important! I have turned down an interview with a company, as the branding and professionalism of the agency (or lack of) did not make me think the client was of high caliber. The agencies need to remember that recruitment is a two way process (clients select employees and candidates select employers). Agencies also need to remember that today’s candidate could be tomorrow’s client; I and other colleagues will not touch some agencies for recruitment due to the unprofessionalism and arrogance we have personally experienced as a candidate by some agencies.
Thanks for your comments, Jacinta.
The word I wrote was “diversify” not “diversity”. Meaning: that recruitment professionals should diversify their business strategy and operations. They should employ qualified and experienced people who can legitimately assist with on-boarding, assessing the culture of client firms, managing outplacements, helping clients with induction programs and alike.
I think you’ve also agreed with me that candidates are important. So, I’m not sure where you wanted me to respond on this topic. My point was: candidates are important, but it is the recruitment professionals role to manage the relationship with the candidate and help the candidate understand exactly what is on offer and how it may fit their career aspirations, while also being honest to those candidates who don’t have what the employer is looking for and tell them outright rather than glossing over the realities. It’s better to know that you were not considered for a second interview because, for example, you’ve not got clinical psychology experience and the client needed you to have that in your arsenal. Than to be told some other excuse so as not to hurt your feelings. On the flip side, in my consulting work with recruitment firms, I have been amazed at how consultants are run ragged returning frivolous telephone messages from candidates because “… it’s been three hours and I haven’t heard from anyone.”
I agree with you that today’s candidates are tomorrow’s hiring managers and it is a key point that I make to all my consulting and coaching clients. But rather than defining it specifically like this, an even more sincere approach is to consider that everyone is an individual, and we would do well to develop and nurture genuine relationships with all the people we meet and engage with during our business lives.
I hope I’ve clarified your points and that it’s reasonable to believe we’re actually in agreement with each other. Thanks for contributing, Jacinta.