The Beatings Will Continue Until Morale Improves
But if you don’t actually ‘get it’, how can you actually motivate Recruiters? Threats? Dire predictions? Crazy metrics? If you’re a member of ‘Corporate’, then yes to all of the above. The more fearful and stressed your recruiters, the harder you know they’re working, right? But if you are someone looking to actually increase efficiency and success, read on:
ROI – Follow the Money:
If you have Agency Recruiters working for you (or if in fact you ARE an agency recruiter) the fastest way to increase efficiency and success is to determine what job requirements are closest to the money. A lot of times with competing job orders, a lot of clients and a deluge of candidates, important details can be lost. Slowing down the hectic pace and really defining which open roles will move the fastest and pay the best is a key to success. Filling those roles first and fastest should be made a priority. Believe me, a good recruiter follows the money and will close the best jobs first, making their money and then moving on to other priorities that might take a bit more time and effort. At the end of the day, when Recruiters see light (and dollar signs) at the end of a short tunnel, they will be motivated.
Focus, focus, foc…What, a new job order came in?
Along with defining the best and fastest opportunities for success, actually sticking to your priorities is essential to actually closing business. In recruiting we all tend to have a little ADD, in fact, we probably have to. Our business and priorities can change so quickly though that sometimes we risk coming down with JHD; Job Hoppers Disorder. Always jumping to the freshest job order isn’t going to help you. While it may seem like you’re getting bogged down on a few frustrating orders, simply taking off and jumping on to the newest thing in the door will more than likely hurt you in the long run. The time and effort you’ve already spent on your ‘best’ orders will be a waste and your focus and attention will have been split too many ways. So evaluate, estimate and act. Recruiters need the leeway to change course when necessary, but avoiding the pitfalls of constant job hopping is a must. Making sure you’re helping your team make the best choices on open jobs will help close business and keep everyone motivated towards the next placement.
Sell Your A*& Off:
Not all recruiters have the opportunity to know or meet with clients. So if you’re a Manager, a Sales Person or an Account Manager, motivating your recruiters is all about your ability to sell and keep people bought in. You know those times where you just know you’re going to fill the job? You know that there was a connection between you and the Hiring Manager? Those are great, but if your team doesn’t feel the same you’ll likely lose the business. Making sure you keep your own level of excitement and positivity up is essential to keeping teams around you motivated and driven. It will help keep them moving and inspired day in and day out. That doesn’t mean false positivity and promises; it means being bluntly honest and being clear about the lay of the land including your intuition and positive feel for the role. If a Recruiter sees someone else excited about closing business, you can be sure; they’ll be fighting to be the one closing it.
When all is said and done, motivating recruiters isn’t about threats or stress or insane metrics. It’s about helping your team close business and make money. Agency recruiters are dollar driven and if they trust that you’re there to help them make those dollars….well, you can be sure you won’t have a shortage of driven successful recruiters.