Three things recruiters should be focusing on right nowPosted about 4 years ago by Nick Boulton

The world has gone crazy! No one could have predicted where we are now and the impact on economic markets. The scary thing is, no one can predict how long things will remain like this…

There are four questions rattling around upstairs:

• What do businesses do?
• How do companies survive?
• What will happen to unemployment rates?
• How bad will the Economic recession be as a consequence?

The answer to survival in world of recruitment is adaptability and resilience, sprinkled with a generous amount of discipline.

Companies that are still recruiting in these uncertain times are few and far between, but they are taking advantage of a deluge of talent on the market.

How do you capitalise as a recruiter? There are three things you can do that will go a long way towards surviving, doing deals and making yourself invaluable to your company.

1). Discipline – Don’t lounge about feeling sorry for yourself, lamenting at how hard it is to get hold of companies, how few jobs there are or fooling yourself into thinking you have tried everything.

• Get up early, do some exercise and feel invigorated for the day. Call every contact, client (old or new), senior placement or any other person who might be able to give you a live job, market intel or a bit of valuable information. Quickly find a good routine that works for you, a new environment and stick to it!

2). Adaptability – Now is not the time to be picky over what jobs you work, how you work them or which ones will make you the most commission.

• You only need one job to fill. Gone are the days of sending quality candidates to 4 or 5 similar jobs – work that one role to death, find the best candidates and do everything in your power to prepare them, coach them and help them through the process. One deal a month will save your job!

• Find any job to work, qualify it properly, make sure they can do the whole process remotely, including onboarding, them work the bejesus out of it!
• Candidates and clients are in the same boat as you: they’re at home, available and happy to speak. You just need to find ways to get hold of them. Come up with ideas of how to get their attention. Market intel? Salary surveys? Insight into their given market? Anything! But you must find a way to speak to them so they remember you.

3). Resilience – Possibly the most important trait in these uncertain times and a hard one to muster up when roles are being pulled and offers withdrawn.

• Just remember EVERYONE is in the same situation. There is no point feeling sorry for yourself, you need to make deals happen no matter what, conjure them out of thin frickin’ air, I don’t care! Make something happen, show your inner strength and resilience.
• If you have a phone, a computer and a roof over your head, you still have fight in you, don’t give up, hunt down that deal that is hiding from clear view, be the most determined recruiter you can be. Just don’t give up – you’ll get through this!