Article
Two: 'Oh Yes! I’m the Great Recruiter!' By Simon Bennett
We live in an age of exaggeration! From footballers to film stars and from academic achievement to business performance, we elevate the mediocre and applaud the average. Those with ‘presence’ suddenly acquire ‘charisma’; a minor ‘set back’ becomes a ‘tragedy’ and that which is merely ‘good’ has ‘greatness’ thrust upon it!
In his otherwise excellent article in Issue #302 (Traits That Turn a Good Recruiter Into a Great Recruiter), Brian Whitfield attributes ‘greatness’ to ‘RecruiterX’ who he describes as ‘skilful in sourcing, applicant tracking, networking, candidate qualification, closing and salary negotiation’. Beyond this, RecruiterX ‘avoids wasting customers’ time and is focused, energetic, hard-working and honest’.
Remove any one of these essential characteristics and I suggest that RecruiterX becomes decidedly average. In other words, the traits that Brian describes are ‘pre-requisites’ – the role of a recruiter cannot be adequately performed without them.
Meeting the minimum requirements in your role as a recruiter is a sign of ‘adequacy’. It might make you ‘good’ but, in your client’s eyes (where it really matters), it certainly falls far short of ‘great’.
In searching for that elusive quality which makes a ‘great’ recruiter, let’s start by accepting that ‘not being bad’ doesn’t by itself make you good! Brian acknowledges that “some in our industry have helped give us a used-car salesman image”. Every profession has its ‘bad apples’ and not being one of them is nothing to shout about!
Instead, let’s look at the vast (very professional) majority of recruiters and find a comparable sector where clients may have similar perceptions.
Perhaps comparison with an estate agent is appropriate. Operating anywhere from the most basic properties to the highly exclusive, the agent is skilled at facilitating a transfer from one owner to the next. At the end of the process, there is little to show in terms of ‘added value’, however good the service has been – and I’ve yet to hear of a ‘great’ estate agent!
In matching new recruit to new employer, the recruiter similarly facilitates a transfer. Again, however good the service may have been, there is a defined process which, once completed, often leaves little of value as a legacy beyond a satisfactory ‘delivery’ – and mere delivery is not enough for ‘greatness’.
Right or wrong, both professions share a common feature in that clients sometimes wonder whether they could have done just as good a job themselves! (‘Hands up’ everyone who has considered selling their house without using an estate agent!)
If ‘adding value’ beyond that which is necessary for successful delivery is a measure of the ‘great’ recruiter, where is it to be found?
Brian gives us a lead here when he says “Many average recruiters never get past simply looking for buzzwords to truly understand job functions.” I would suggest that many good recruiters never get past simply looking at job functions to truly understand how a business works – and develops.
At the head of your client’s organisation sits a Managing Director – the person you know you should be dealing with. Set on achieving the vision created for that business, the MD understands how a business works and is focused on three ‘measures of success’:
1. How well is the business performing?
2. How well is the business supporting that performance?
3. How well is the business ‘feeding’ its future performance?
The ‘good’ recruiter helps the MD with the performance of the business (#1) by facilitating the transfer of the ‘right’ people into the ‘right’ job functions – and may help to support that performance (#2) by advising on the best structure (terms, conditions, remuneration policies etc).
‘Great’ recruiters go a stage further. They understand the relationships between people, processes, products and services; they see how strategies are defined from suppliers through to markets; they recognise the importance of intellectual and customer capital; they appreciate what makes a creative culture and how innovative products and services come from people sharing, developing and using such creativity – and they see why and how a client’s business will change over time.
Of course, this awareness gives our ‘great’ recruiter a much better chance of predicting future recruitment and staffing needs but I think the benefits go much deeper than that.
It is no longer true that the person most likely to win a tender is the person who writes it. In recruitment terms, the ‘average’ recruiter reacts to a tender; the ‘good’ recruiter writes it. Both will lose out to the ‘great’ recruiter who contributes to the creation of the business opportunity which makes the tender necessary!
Whereas many good (and all average) recruiters shy away from contact with the MD in case their lack of corporate understanding is exposed, the great recruiter has no such fear. Armed with their ‘business appreciation’, great recruiters have the confidence to contribute to their client’s success beyond the strict limitations of each assignment.
As the MD starts to appreciate the ‘added value’ that the recruiter can bring – the relationship changes. The recruiter is viewed not merely in terms of ‘delivery’ (however ‘good’ that delivery may be) but as a valuable external asset to the business going forward.
The recruiter’s opinion and creative input is actively sought – on matters pertaining to people, of course, but increasingly in a wider business context. No longer on opposite sides of the desk, a strong relationship develops between MD and recruiter – one which differentiates the recruiter from the competition; which has longevity; and which brings significant financial reward to both.
Now that really is ‘great’ – or is understanding how a business really works merely a pre-requisite for the ‘good’ recruiter? You – and your clients – will decide!
© Simon Bennett 2007. Simon Bennett is a Sales Coach and ‘Relationship Marketing’ Consultant. With a background in recruitment and having contributed significantly to the (then) fastest sales growth in global corporate history, he provides coaching on ‘How a business really works’ for individuals (2 hour session) and groups (4 hour session). Tel: 01509 670612 Email:
info@enewsletters4.co.uk
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