Be it in an agency or in-house environment there are key pitfalls that every recruiter should avoid at all costs…I should know, having operated in both environments I have made and seen them all, but it’s only a mistake IF we don’t learn from it, right? It’s all development!
Our industry is changing and rapidly at that, so it is important to stay ahead of the competition. I truly believe that this is easier to do than you may think, just do the simple things well. Do the basics and do them better than anyone else, you would be amazed at the people out there that look beyond this and fail.
It won’t come as a shock that I am a firm believer that we often over-complicate situations, looking for the most creative, mind-blowing solutions for our hiring-managers or clients to impress them…why? “Any darn fool can make something complex; it takes a genius to make something simple.” – Pete Seeger said that and I completely agree!
Why not highlight, promise and commit to delivery that will see you carry out EACH and EVERY duty better than the next recruiter and then ACTUALLY do it! I am going to give my mum credit here, she told me many moons ago, “Euan, promises are like babies: easy to make, hard to deliver.” Not that I would know, but mums are always right!
There are many pitfalls in recruitment, it is not an exact science - but avoiding these key ones will see you relationships flourish, business grow and your own career develop:
Over-promise then under deliver
I had to start with this, my mum would kill me if I didn’t! This is for either clients, hiring managers or candidates. In any environment, do not promise the world, only what is realistic. People will value your honesty rather than a yes man (or woman) who then go on to let them down. In the long run you let yourself down, people remember you let them down and that will be hard to shake.
Clients and candidates are people NOT products
Treat people the way you would want to be treated, put yourself in their shoes. I was once told, “Everyone is a number”…I disagree with that and believe the best recruiters are the ones that are can empathise with either client or candidate but remain focussed on the service they have promised also. It is a fine balance, but one that needs to be perfected.
Never assume
Always get confirmation or clarification. Do not be afraid to ask questions, as nobody knows everything! If there is an abbreviation, something you are unsure of, or you did not get confirmation on dates/times…ASK, and never sit in silence. How can you add value to any process when you do not know what you are looking for? Or if you assume a candidate will be at an interview, then they don’t turn up as they never got your message…ouch!
Work smart, not hard
OK, you have a lot of jobs to manage. Challenging ones at that and a difficult set of stakeholders…PANIC!!! No…take a breath, take a step back and then put together your plan of action. So many recruiters dive in, start writing an advert, running searches and calling candidates. Yes these approaches are standard practice, but are they needed? Why create more work if you have the perfect candidate or solution? Ask your hiring manager the question, you might get a quick win, while saving time and money!
No speeding
This is not fast food, if recruitment was as easy as a drive-thru we would all be out of work! This is Michelin star dining here people! So take your time, understand your clients’ needs, put together detailed plans, get buy in, confirm time-scales and add value for your client and candidates.
Keep your word…If you say you will do something by a certain time, do it! It really is as simple as that! Never adopt the attitude of, “I will do it tomorrow”…you are at the edge of a slippery slope called complacency. We are all human though, so, if you have be unable to achieve your SLA be upfront be honest…oh yeah and see point 1!!
Honesty
Like Ronseal, (other varnishes are available) make sure you stick to what you say on the tin. Be true to yourself and honest in your approach, and people value that more than any sales pitch or impressive statistics.
Looking at projects I have worked on, I feel that the above can be transferred to all recruitment environments. So be it in an agency, RPO, in-house or your own business, taking heed of the above will add significant value to your set up. Use them, make them your own and make them work for you.
As a parting note and until next time, ”In the middle of difficulty lies opportunity” – Albert Einstein said that and he was a fairly switched on cat! The reason I bring this up is yes there will be mistakes made, yes there will be set-backs, counter-offers, circumstances changing…it’s recruitment after all! But always take something positive or development opportunity from it…it’s by doing exactly that which allowed me to write the above!
Credit: Images from Stuart Miles & cooldesign via freedigitalphotos.net
