For the past few months I have been engaged as a consultant/mentor to a team of 35 IT recruiters, and I’ve been trying to figure out the activities that separate top performers from their less successful colleagues.
I think I’ve cracked it:
Uncomfortable is where the rewards are.
Funnily enough, it came to me in a spinning class (indoor cycling). I am a spinning instructor in my spare time, and teach three classes a week at Almaden Valley Athletic Club in San Jose.
Now, anyone can sit on a spin bike (or at a desk) and look like they are working. But to truly experience the magical powers of indoor cycling you need to get outside of your comfort zone and really pick up the pace. The payoff is huge: lower blood pressure, cardiovascular supremacy, rapid weight loss, improved strength and endurance, high self-esteem, improved appearance, to name a few. And you learn to love it because you love the results.
Bit what could this possibly have to do with recruiting?
Everything.
Because all of the Big Billers ($500k billings per year minimum) that I know are highly proactive, and I am sure they spend a good portion of the time working “outside of their comfort zone.”
Sounds a bit esoteric, right? So let’s define the term “outside your comfort zone”:
Activities that stretch your communication and networking skills PLUS your powers of persuasion to their absolute limit. These are the activities that can potentially result in multiple rejections (which is, consciously or subconsciously, what most recruiters are trying to avoid), and that spur you on until you achieve the results you were shooting for.
You see, the nectar of the profession (“Show me the money!”) can only really be accessed when we go outside of our comfort zone. In other words, you’ve got to get busy, organized and uncomfortable!
Don’t let the day run you. You must run your day to hit your targets. (Important vs Urgent –you must read David Allen’s GTD. ) Spend a few minutes every morning creating a game plan for your day, customized to your current workload. Write it down. Stick to it and set some tough activity goals for yourself. Show it your boss if you have one.
How about scheduling 50 outbound client/candidate calls over two 90 minute Call Blocks every day? You’ll need to source a strong list of 25 names and numbers prior to each block and make sure those Call Blocks are set for optimum results (between 8-10, 11-1 and/or 5.30-7.30) Call Blocks are incredibly powerful and can literally double your “connects” and halve the time you actually spend calling.
Instead of just sitting back and counting the (diminishing) responses from your most recent inMail blast, pick up the phone and introduce yourself to the potential clients/candidates who didn’t respond. Don’t expect an instant result – but tell them that you are an SME (subject matter expert) recruiter in their space, and that you’d love to pick their brain sometime. Tell them you’ll be sending over a LinkedIn invitation and follow up a week later for a chat.
Engage with passive candidates and try my patented “I’m not headhunting you” technique. Identify a candidate (or group of candidates) that fit your spec. Call them at work and try this:
Hi John, It’s Mike from TopTal. I am so glad I caught you (never ask “is this a good time?”) I’m not actually headhunting you as I can see you’ve been at Research in Motion for 5 years and I am sure you are incredibly happy. But, I do happen to recruit in your space a lot – and thought it would be great connect for the future. I could be a very useful ally for you. If you give me your mobile number – I can try calling you at a more convenient time.
Are you attending regular networking events in your chosen niche and looking for ways that you can contribute rather than sell? Introduce yourself to 10 people and ask them “what can I do to help you?” (Instead of trying to recruit them.) This way you will build your referral network by investing in your potential candidate community rather than just coming off as another money-hungry recruiter.
Love Your Network
How about scheduling activities that do not have a direct or immediate payoff – like regularly keeping in touch with candidates you recently submitted (or placed) or checking in with consultants that you placed in the last year. The more love you give your referral network, the more referrals you will receive.
What about social media? Sharing some useful information on your LinkedIn news feed to remind your network of your position and value. Contributing to discussions in your LinkedIn Groups or starting your own thread is another way to raise your profile. Other sites like Stack Overflow and Github are a goldmine of candidates, if you engage in a non-transactional fashion. The biggest sin that recruiters make on social media is putting their own goals ahead of the goals of their potential candidates.
These are a few ideas that might take you outside your comfort zone and pay off in a big way when you stay consistent and committed.
Remember – “Uncomfortable is where the rewards are!”
Oh, and get yourself down to a spinning class.
Image courtesy of Duron123 / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
