The Recruiter’s Biggest Nightmare…

So… I was working from home yesterday. Woke up. Had a shower. Breakfast. Brushed my teeth… Am I boring you yet? Sat down in front of my computer. Looked at emails. Responded to the important ones. Made a list of calls to make later. Then I jumped in the car to travel to the other side of town, for my only meeting of the day. The plan was to meet the client… then find myself a nice little café, and use my phone to make calls and send emails for the next few hours…

I guess alarm bells should have started to sound when I got in my car and the battery charger wasn’t working… well I thought the charger wasn’t working. Then maybe the penny should have dropped over the next 45 minutes on route to the client, when my phone didn’t ring… not once. Then definitely I should’ve known something was up when I couldn’t get my phone to turn on after I parked.

You know that feeling you get… right deep down in your guts when you know you have just walked smack bang into your own disaster movie? The turning in the pit of your stomach… helplessness… desperation… I felt like crying.

I told myself. ‘Don’t worry… it’s a minor glitch… give it a second… it will work…’ As I smashed every conceivable button until my finger hurt… I shook the phone… kept turning it around & around… I rubbed it soothingly… it still didn’t work… and no sign of a genie either. I even repeatedly pressed the apple symbol on the back cover, in the vain hope I was sending a secret message to Apple™ office, alerting them of my plight. Still… nothing.

Refusing to believe the phone was de… (I can’t even say the word), I fished through the glove-box of the car. I found a paper clip, and pressed the pointy end into the little hole in the top of my phone… too technical for you? Sorry. The back popped off & I took out the battery, the sim card, took a deep breath and blew in the back. C’mon… that’s fix your Iphone 101… I lovingly put the phone back together and again tried to power on… nothing.

I was starting to hyper-ventilate now. I looked at my watch… ‘Shit! No watch!’ I screamed maybe a little bit too loud… if you were to believe the looks I was getting from the people passing me in the street. ‘That’s right!’ I screamed silently this time. ‘The effing clock’s on the phone… The same effing phone that’s not working!’

I shoved my de… (still can’t say it), phone into my pocket, and hot footed it to my client’s office.

The meeting was a blur… I just kept thinking. ‘What am I going to do? WHAT am I going to do? WTF am I GOING TO DO?’

‘Pardon?’ Mr Client said.

Oh… nothing… Please continue.’ Memo to self… DO NOT move lips or make sounds when thinking thoughts!

I made it through the meeting… picked up 2 roles thank you very much! And returned to the car. I pulled out my phone and absently pressed a few buttons. Nothing.

It made me realise just how dependant we have become on our mobile phones. When you misplace it, or it breaks, it’s like losing a limb…

In our industry your phone is the most important tool of trade. You speak to people on it… you send and receive emails & texts with it… you look up vital information on it… you check the weather, traffic conditions, news… It wakes you up in the morning and you tell time with it… Hell… it’s magic!

Utterly resigned to the fact that I had no contact with the outside world… at all… I went through my options:

1. I could go to the Phone Store and have them tell me I need a new phone… and buy a new phone… and try to salvage the remnants of my Lost day.
2. I could go home… draw a face on my basketball and talk to it until my wife & kids got home.
3. I could write the day off and go to the gym, movies, pool…

What would you do?

Craig Watson

Put your hand up if you’re different…

I just returned from a new client visit… well… given that it is 7:30am, as I sit in front of my sexy little MacBook Air (cash for comments if you’re reading Apple ™ – don’t be afraid to send a newbie my way), I didn’t really just return from a new client visit – it was yesterday… Now that we have that cleared up let’s move on… quickly…

So… I was on a new client visit yesterday… the early conversation went a little like this…

Welcome… pleasantries… how’s the weather… blah… blah… blah… etc…

‘If you don’t mind me asking Mr Miyagi,’ I inquired, with my very best let’s get down to business voice. ‘I understand you have a strategic need within your business… but why did you reach out to me?’

‘Well,’ Mr Miyagi countered, with his predatory eyes stalking an errant fly buzzing around the board table, and his left hand – clutching chopsticks – steadily poised for action. ‘I have read your blog…’ probably never again after this post I’m guessing. ‘I have seen the research you have conducted into the industry… you have a very strong social media presence, and I have spoken to a number of senior people in the market and you come highly recommended…’

‘Really?’ I blushed, barely able to contain the excitement at being recognised… finally… for being able to add value to a client’s requirements… ‘Go on…’

‘Pardon?’ Mr Miyagi asked.

Did I just say that out loud, I thought… ‘Did I just say that out loud?’ I asked.

‘Say what out loud?’ Mr Miyagi questioned, as he sprang at the fly with his chopsticks… and missed.

‘Oh… nothing.’ I responded… well saved Craig.

Anyway, the remainder of the meeting went well. I took a detailed job brief… made sure Mr Miyagi was on board with our terms of business… and even tied Mr Miyagi down… not literally, he’s a black belt… to a month’s exclusivity on the role… and to all you ‘retained or nothing’ people out there, I gave it my best shot!

We were bringing the meeting to a natural conclusion…

Thanks for seeing  me… warm shake of the hand… do you have any plans for the weekend… blah… blah… blah… etc… And then Mr Miyagi hit me with one right out of left field…

‘Wax on… wax off… wax on… wax off…’ Ok, I made that bit up… what he really said was…

‘And just before we finish up here… tell me Craig… why should I use you? There are plenty of recruiters out there in your space…’

I looked at him blankly for a moment, before gathering my thoughts… ‘Well Mr Miyagi… you really answered that question yourself… earlier on. I have an extremely unique candidate sourcing channel via our blog… We have conducted extensive research into the industry to make sure we understand it and can consult on it better than our competitors, we are very active in social media meaning we have created an interactive community of candidates… and in your own words… I come highly recommended…’

Mr Miyagi smiled… and as I entered the lift he called after me… ‘I expect to see the profiles of three quality candidates by tomorrow…’

‘In your dreams…’ I responded.

‘Pardon?’

Did I just say that out loud? I admonished myself as the lift doors closed…

Point is… we are in an extremely competitive market. Your recruitment process will rarely be the differentiator… and if your fees are what makes you different more fool you… so what’s left is what value you can provide that your competitors can’t… And the best way to ad that value is to be an absolute expert in your market.

Become the expert and you automatically differentiate yourself from your competitors… simple… and remember… ‘Man who catch fly with chopstick is capable of anything…’

Craig Watson

An Open Letter to (*Some of) My Clients…

Dear Mr Client,

Believe me, I understand it is a tough market out there. I also understand that you are under immense pressure to cut costs where you can. At the same time I recognise your need to grow your team and to improve productivity – and profitability. It’s a competitive market, and increasing market share is what you are being measured on – both internally and externally. I empathise with your challenges and grasp the fact that your competing pressures keep you up at night…

What I don’t understand is the way you are treating me… It is not your concern, nor is it your responsibility that I am facing similar pressures and stress… But I will tell you one thing. I respect your business. I respect what you need to achieve and mostly, I respect that you are good… no very good at your role… It is just a shame… no a damn shame that you don’t afford me the same respect.

I… we… in the Recruitment Industry work our butts off for you. Long hours… abusive phone calls and emails… candidates who don’t show up… sometimes we are teacher… sometimes counsellor… sometimes sympathiser… and sometimes a giver of the toughest love on the planet… Point is… if you let me… I could be the best friend your business has.

I know where the best talent for your business is. I know what your competitors are doing. I know what attracts and keeps the best employees in your market.

Sure you have LinkedIn… sure you have a whiz bang CRM and a ‘sh&t hot’ referral program… but you know what? I could buy myself a top of the range sidchrome spanner & socket set, a torque wrench and a shiny new non-contact IR thermometer, but it still doesn’t make me a God Damn Mechanic!

I speak to business owners in your market every day. And everyone is telling me that they need to manage costs. I get it… I really do. But at what cost to your own business? As business owners and managers isn’t one of your best skills actually developing your business? Using your network and experience to drive new clients and organically grow existing ones?

Top line revenue growth is surely a KPI you have set for yourself… So let me ask you one more question… How much time that you could be focusing on growth activities is being wasted by you on recruitment activities? Put simply… what are you being paid per hour? And how many hours do you spend on recruiting activities a month? Then multiply that by at least 6… don’t forget that this is time you should be focusing on revenue driving. (And I know I said 1 more question… and that quickly became 3… but I’m sure you find that when you commit to 1 hour on recruitment activities it quickly becomes 3… or 4… or 8…).

But let me get back to my main point Mr Client. It is time that you respected me for what I can do for your business. And do you know what? Below I’m gong to give you a couple of pointers on how to get the most out of your relationship… I like that word… relationship… with your recruiter.

1. Thorough Job Spec – If you don’t take the time to fully brief your recruitment partner, then don’t expect them to get it right. Simple.
2. Contingent is Crap – For both parties. Do you really… really… expect a recruiter to work as hard for you as they would if the role is exclusive? Or, better yet retained? Well, if you do you are kidding yourself. Don’t forget… if you set up 3, 4 or 6 recruiters in competition with each other… and then haggled on fee… do you really believe that you will get 100% commitment from a recruiter that has a 1 in 3, 4 or 6 chance of getting paid at all – and then at a reduced fee? Please have a little bit more respect.
3. Be Fair & be Honest – There is nothing I hate more than a client who tries to ‘re-negotiate- at the back end… ‘I’d really like to take your candidate, but you fee means I can’t. Is there something we can do about that?’ Pathetic! If you want to negotiate, respect the recruiter and candidate enough to do it up front. Bringing in hidden deal breakers at the end of a process is weak, dishonest and speaks directly to your culture.
4. Engage the Candidate – If I had a dollar for every candidate who has pulled out of a process because the interviewer was dis-engaging… I would buy a Pub… no really… I would buy a Pub. Anyway, for God’s sake… If you are going to take the time to meet with a candidate… be excited… sell your business… make them want to join you. It doesn’t mean you have to offer!
5. Be Transparent with me! – Mr Client, I am working for you. Have the decency, the professionalism and the moral fibre to work with me. If things change… let me know. If you are progressing with another candidate, or looking to promote internally… tell me. And, if you want me to get the ‘right fit’. Invite me into your business, so I can understand it… It’s not brain surgery…

Anyway, Mr Client… thanks for listening. I know I may have cut a little ‘close to the bone’ but all of this will help us work better together in the future.

And… If I have upset you to the point that you won’t work with me again… please… please…please keep this letter… and read it each and every time you partner with a recruiter… at the very least they deserve that.

 

Regards,

 

Craig Watson

No Blocking… No Wimping… No Hogging

I was lucky enough to attend (and speak at…yes… I just blatantly self-promoted), the RCSA Conference last week. It was… ummm… about…. ONE MILLION TIMES better than I thought it would be! Brilliant, in fact… life changing…epiphany producing…

It was a combination of industry intelligence, inspirational speakers and some cheeky techniques that will make me a better person… and a better recruiter… no, that’s not a contradiction in terms to all you cynics out there!

And… I also picked up some very juicy goss about some of my colleagues in the industry… but I won’t divulge that here… those stories are safely filed away under ‘B’ for Blackmail…

I could bore you with a blow by blow of some of the amazing speakers, but if you weren’t there I don’t think I could do it justice… and if you were there HOW GOOD WAS THE SUPERMAN RIDE?!!!

Anyway, one of the best, and easiest takeaways for recruiters came from the Improvisation Troupe Spark.

These guys are amazing… funny, witty and extremely clever. (For those of us who watch Aussie TV… one of the guys is the dude from the iselect ads).

During their presentation they shared the 3 rules for improvisation… and to be honest (or TBH for all you cool cats), these 3 rules apply directly to recruitment… So… without any further ado… I present to you a blog post inspired directly by a presentation I was lucky enough to attend. So much easier when I don’t have to think up something for myself!

3 Golden Rules

1. No Blocking – You know the feeling… you’re having a bad day… Maybe tired, hungover, had a fight with the girlfriend… or boyfriend… and you really don’t want to be at work? We’ve all had those days… Not only that… you also have to face your worst nightmare…you have an interview scheduled first thing that you really can’t be arsed doing… the candidate arrives… on time and dressed appropriately… no, this is not a dream sequence… it does happen… occasionally. The candidate is enthusiastic and actually pretty qualified, but you… yes you… are not feeling up to it. The candidate tries to give detail on an answer… tries to ask you valid questions… tries to engage… but you… yes you… keep blocking. You cut them off, give one-word responses, and find excuses to wind the interview up. Sound familiar? Well you my friend are guilty of blocking! And you have broken the first of the Golden Rules.
2. No Wimping – OK… you’ve been trying to get this Client meeting for months. You know that they have a HUGE recruitment spend, (one of your mates from a rival agency let it slip at the pub last year that they had made 17 placements in the past 6 months). And they’ve been ignoring your approaches ever since. But somehow… miraculously… they have agreed to meet. You rock up to the meeting ready to blow them away… but… you choke… They ask you questions like ‘We only want candidates that tick all the boxes, can you find me those candidates within the next week?’… You nod your head weakly, and squeak a barely audible ‘Yes…’ They tell you ‘Your fees are too high. We only work with agencies at a flat 12%. Are you willing to work at those rates?’ This time you feel yourself choking on the words, but can’t control your head from nodding… and hear a voice… that sounds like yours… repeating the answer ‘Yes…’ That is wimping… and may I say you are very good at it!
3. No Hogging – Unfortunately, our industry is full of people who love to hear the sound of their own voice… you know the ones… you are at a client visit and the Client tells you that they have recently returned from a trip to Thailand with their wife and kids… ‘Oh Thailand,’ you hear your colleague (damn, boss and her insistence on doing joint client meetings…), interject… ‘I’ve been to Thailand 5… no 6 times. Did you manage to get to Damnern Saduak floating market… or stay with the hill tribes on the Mae Kok River… or see Phang Nga by speedboat? When I was in Thailand the third time I actually completed a 5 day Thai massage course in Chiang Mai… happy to give to a demonstration if you like… blah… blah… blah.’ Don’t forget it’s not all about you… in fact, unless the client or candidate ask, it’s not about you at all! Stop hogging!

There you have it! 3 very simple, but very important rules for recruitment success:

• No Blocking
• No Wimping
• No Hogging

Thanks Spark!

My presentation was well received… thanks for asking… Filtered results (relevant to your business and sector) from our Consultant Census (1116 responses) are available at a small cost by contacting me directly.

Also, if you believe your business can benefit from a unique Consulting solution, based on data, trends, and success models derived from Recruitment Consultants contact me for an initial discussion. You will be impressed!

Until next week then…

Craig Watson

Recruiters… Are you using the ‘c’ word enough?

I’ve been in recruitment long enough to know that the ‘c’ word is a much maligned – often under-utilised – turn of phrase… At some places I’ve worked use of the ‘c’ word is actively encouraged, some recruitment businesses base their entire recruitment strategy around it, whilst at others it is denounced – much like a dirty word that should never be uttered – much less embraced as a corporate value…

But, recently I have had an epiphany.  Luke Collardand I have recently taken ownership of two additional Rec2Rec businesses in other locations.  It is a chance for us to radically revolutionise the industry, refine our strategy, improve candidate sourcing techniques, embrace social media & new technologies, squeeze our competition and provide the only true national mobile candidate database in our market… (Enough of the unsolicited advertising spiel… sorry…).

Part of the initial process is to find fantastic staff for our Brisbane and Sydney operations.  Now great recruiters are a rare beast, but if anyone can find them we can… Right? After all, isn’t our core business is to find amazing recruiters for our clients? (If you answered yes to the previous 2 questions your elephant stamp will be reaching you via pdf attachment in an email before close of business today…).

It is here that the epiphany (yes I had to use spellcheck… twice… to get that one right…), occurred.  I realised that in my… sorry Luke… in our… business the ‘c’ word is an integral part of our strategy.  No, I take that back.  The ‘c’ word is the most important aspect of our business…

Of course by now you will have worked out that by the ‘c’ word I mean culture…

In recruitment, I’m sorry but the skill aspect of the role is easy.  Yes, different businesses have different recruitment processes, but the same basic skills are employed – much the same as most competing businesses, in most industries.  But when you are sourcing candidates for your clients, skills & competencies make up only a small part of the puzzle… the other two really important must haves are motivation and culture fit.

Think about it.  When a candidate falls off within the first 12 weeks what is the most common reason? If you answered culture fit there’s another elephant stamp – or would you prefer star sticker – coming your way!

So I guess the message behind this post (albeit a long one…), is spend that extra time really understanding your clients and candidates.  When you pick up a job order ask to speak to some of the existing team.  Ask them what the work environment is like, ask them what type of person would be most successful in their team, ask them what is the best part – and worst part – of their job and company… With candidates spend a big ‘chunk’ of the interview understanding their drivers and what’s important to them – what they liked about previous roles and what they didn’t like… and most importantly, why…

Yes, it’s Recruitment ‘101’, but it is an important part of our role that we often forget.  The ‘c’ word is alive and well in recruitment… and using it more often will make you a better recruiter…

Craig Watson