17th March 2010
Issue 445
CONTENTS

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Weekly Tips - Job board posts - What they say vs what they mean

You're ready to make a real impact: Punching the office joker for us would be an excellent start

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You have lots of self-belief: You'll need it.  The office is full of moaners and cynics

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Why not submit something for this section? If you want to submit content for our "If I've learnt three things..." feature you can fill in the form to submit them. You can also send us an email with three websites you think other recruitment professionals would benefit from using (at least two need to be business sites and you can't suggest your own website!).  Simply send an email to newsletter@ukrecruiter.co.uk with the subject "three things".

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Article: Slow Bob Asks the Expert by Steven Finkel

Dear Steve the Expert:

After five years in this business, I seem to have lost my edge. I sort of fumble around through most of the day and don’t seem to accomplish much. I put together a deal occasionally but feel sort of slow. Does this make sense? Can you help?

Slow Bob

Dear Slow Bob,

First of all, don’t despair. It speaks well for your good sense that you recognize this and don’t like it. Plenty of others feel what you feel, do not adjust, and, in today’s market, generally go out of business. That’s unfortunate. I have seen six Recessions and they do eventually end. When the market comes back, every owner will try to add to staff as quickly as possible. Seasoned recruiters, however, cannot be developed quickly, and people such as yourself will have enormous edge on the flood of new people trying to ride the wave of an eventual strong market.

There are three parts to the solution of your problem, and you’d best pay attention to all three.

A) Attitude

Maintaining a positive attitude in the face of a slow market or just the difficulties which life has in store for each of us is not easy. But rather than recounting what has already been written, I’d like to refer you to an article addressing this very subject entitled “Staying Up (and Productive) in Down Times”. It will require multiple readings to fully absorb this extensive article.

B) Skill Improvement

Many times, what we think of as “lack of focus” is in reality lack of progress at improving our skills. To do the same thing over and over and over without any improvement or hope of it leads inevitably to boredom.

The only product designed specifically for experienced people, especially in today’s market, is the author’s own book Breakthrough! Exploding the Production of Experienced Recruiters. My suggestion is go to Amazon US, read some of the reviews posted there, and then do what seems indicated.

C) Mechanics

This is the main area of the solution we’ll discuss here. Rather than focus on total fees or placements, just focus on doing things right. Doing so will yield you fees, but you must first do the up-front things which will lead to them. George Washington’s favorite quote was by well-known 18th century author Joseph Addison from a play entitled Cato about an incorruptible Roman statesman who struggled against the tyranny of Caesar. “It is not in mortals to command success; but we’ll do more, Sempronius – we’ll deserve it!”. 

Here’s the first part of deserving it.

1) Early Arrival

Did you arrive in our office on time this morning? This means no later than 8:30! If not, you have been “coasting”, just sailing along on a good market. That market is gone for the moment. Get back the right habit patterns right now. Otherwise, you are forfeiting the income that should be yours.

2) Daily Planner

Was your written planner fully filled-out this morning? A brilliant but unplanned search consultant will be out-produced by a good well-planned one. Paul Hawkinson, former editor of The Fordyce Letter, the leading US industry newsletter, has written that “one of the things all top producers have in common is that they are well-planned”. Is that you?

3) Five Calls before 9:30 A.M.

Survey after survey has shown that most business sales are made before noon. No early time on the phone means wasting the most productive time. Even if you are not a “morning person”, grit your teeth and do it! To quote the author, “push the stupid buttons on the phone!”

4) Early “Reward Program”

It is not easy for some to acquire the habit of hitting the phones early. But with a little effort, you can psychologically train yourself. Just give yourself a “reward” (cup of coffee, short walk around the office, whatever works) after five substantive presentations. No five presentations, no reward! By doing so, you will develop the habit of an early start.

5) Limited Non-Business Calls

Personal calls are business killers! They significantly interfere with your concentration, besides taking time away from work. No more than one a day, either incoming or outgoing. And no more than five minutes! For information on how to reduce these calls without irritating the caller, see the book “Breakthrough!”

6) Five New Prospective Account Presentations Daily — Minimum

Every day in any market, but especially in this one, you must search for new clients. Client relationships are not “forever”; your clients today will not be the same in three years … and shouldn’t be! Expand and upgrade, or lose. Equally to the point, too few searches means working on what you do have.  

This article is continued later in the newsletter.

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Jobs in Recruitment

Here are a selection of the latest traditional, on-line and corporate HR recruitment vacancies from the Changeboard site:
- Interim HR Manager - Staffordshire
- Recruitment Consultant - Tunbridge Wells
- 6 month Internal Recruitment Consultant role, based in the City, salary £40,000
- Head of Resourcing - Finance - London 80k - London
- Recruitment Consultant - Brighton
- Recruitment Specialist - Technology - Docklands
The UK Recruiter job board is run in conjunction with Changeboard. We are currently offering free trials for recruitment consultancies to post their recruitment jobs. 

To set-up a free trial, please contact Joe at Changeboard on 020 8675 8851 or email joe@changeboard.com and quote UK Recruiter. 

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UK Recruiter News 

Louise's UK Recruiter blog
You can read Louise's UK Recruiter blog at http://ukrecruiter.typepad.com. She has recently posted about Social Media In Recruitment. You can also keep up to date with other recruitment blogs from the UK via the UK Recruiter blog watch page at http://www.recruitingblogs.co.uk. 

Discussion Board Summary
Don't forget to visit The Discussion Board. Current topics on the site include:
- Is this a good deal
- Webrecruit and gurarantees
- Handing in my notice
- Tenders
- cost of software
You do not need to be registered to post or view messages on the discussion board.  Visit the site, ask questions and share your knowledge.  

Slow Bob Asks the Expert by Steven Finkel continued 

7) Thirty Extensive Conversations

There is much more to “numbers and ratios” than “hash marks”.  But keeping track of extensive business conversations is the place to start. New people will need more calls to achieve this number than will the experienced. But every day, thirty real conversations a day will keep the bill collector away, if your skills are right.

8) An Interview a Day

Your first thought on planning your day for tomorrow must be “where will I get my interview?” Phone interviews count. A first contact between candidate and client is an interview. A daily push for an interview will yield you results — in any market. Many days, of course, will not produce an interview .. but it should always be your goal and first thought!

9) New Sign on Your Phone

Improving your skills is a habit. An easy way to do this is to post a note on your phone every week reminding yourself to implement a new on-the-phone habit pattern.

10) Stay Till 5 PM….At Least!

A habit of “ducking out” early will get worse and worse over time, eventually becoming a downward spiral. If you try to “beat the traffic”, eventually the market will beat you!

11) Skill Improvement Tonight?

Andrew Carnegie wrote that “careers are made or marred after working hours”. At least three days a week, you should be reading a chapter in an industry-specific business book, critiquing your own taped call or watching part of a business DVD, always striving to improve. If you commute, listening to good CD’s on the way to work (suggestion: Successful Search and Placement! by Larry Nobles on Amazon US) makes a great deal of sense.

12) Reading in the Office?

Office time is for planning and implementing. Whether general newspaper, magazines, or industry newsletters, reading should be done after hours. Stay focused on production in the office.

13) Office Conversations

Whether non-business discussions or pointless conversations started by non-productive people, this is a trap! Pleasantries are fine, but more than five minutes is too much. See the author’s newly-revised book “Breakthrough!” (on Amazon US) for how to reduce these.

14) Stay Off the Internet

Innumerable surveys have proved that most web shopping, surfing and chat is done during business hours. If this is you, it will drain your results. This author was recently quoted in Investors Business Daily’s “Leaders and Success” section saying, “click your internet connection off, so you are not tempted to use it. Turn it on only when you really need to, and then turn it back off!” What is recommended for Investors Business Daily readers is also recommended for you. 

15) “No Computer” Day

So you think your computer helps you to increase production? Maybe. But try this. At least one day a week, implement a “no computer day”. If you have everything computerized, just do hard copy print-outs (known as paper) the day before, and roar through your day until planning time without turning it on. If you’re a manager, try this for your entire office. Expect to see your staff completing all planned calls early in the day. Why do you think that might be? 

How do you measure up? There is more to success in our business than staying effective and focused. Without solid skills, you will be out of luck. But good markets and bad, it is the place to start.

Our industry and your production will be doing better in coming years. Staying focused and doing the things you need to do will enable you to deserve – and maximize – the good times that will eventually return.

Questions? If you have a question for Steve Finkel, e-mail to Louise@ukrecruiter.co.uk. Put “Ask the Expert” on the subject line. We cannot reply to every question, but will publish those that are most broadly applicable.

Steven Finkel is a veteran of 30 years and 6 Recessions in our industry. Referred to by The Fordyce Letter as universally regarded as “our industry’s leading trainer”, he is the producer of many excellent training products including his newly-revised 380-page hardbound book “Breakthrough!”, available on Amazon US. His timely public speaking program, “Certain Strategies for Uncertain Times” has been drawing record attendances and great acclaim from industry associations and franchises on four continents. For information, access his website at www.stevefinkel.com or call 314-991-3177.

Industry News 

Vacancies on TalentPuzzle
"TalentPuzzle gives you access to more vacancies, new client relationships and offers an avenue to make more revenue. Employers post their job vacancies and specify the fee they are willing to pay when making a hire. You can browse those vacancies, request engagement, submit CVs and earn the advertised placement fee. TalentPuzzle acts as your outsourced sales force enabling you to make more candidate placements without any additional effort. Current employer vacancies on the site:
- Operations Manager, London, £40,000 @12%
- Kiosk and Retail Sales Manager, London, £55,000 @ 12%
- Norwegian Translator, Cambridge, £23,000 @ 10%
- Finance Manager, London, £40,000 @ 10%
- Office Manager, Bristol, £22,000 @ 10%
- Head of Marketing, Mansfield, £50,000 @ 15%
To get access to all vacancies, sign up here for free"

E-PPL Launch “Get Britain Back To Work” Campaign
"E-PPL launched their new Internet Jobsite on 1st March and are currently offering all businesses, employers and recruiters the opportunity to advertise jobs on the job board for free. The site has been designed to be easy to use and registering as either a Recruiter or a Job-Seeker can be done in less than 5 minutes, although the more time you take to complete your profile will improve the quality to responses from Recruiters searches our candidates. To commemorate the launch of the site, we have also started our ‘Get Britain Back To Work Campaign’ meaning that any business can advertise an unlimited number of vacancies on the site for free for the whole of March, candidates will apply via the site directly to the recruiter. The site can be found at www.e-ppl.co.uk"

Six Weeks To Go Until Social Media In Recruitment Conference 
"The second Social Media In Recruitment Conference takes place on Thursday 22nd April 2010 at the British Library Conference Centre in London with Google, LinkedIn and some of the UK’s leading Social Media in Recruitment specialists sharing their knowledge at this prestigious event. The subject areas to be covered at the Conference will include:
• Strategies for using LinkedIn as part of your online recruitment plans.
• Insights from Google to help you recruit using social media. 
• How to maximise the use of Facebook pages as a recruitment tool for your company. 
• Key strategies for using Twitter effectively in recruitment, including the use of automated tools. 
• How online communities can play a part in your social media recruiting strategies.
• The legal issues surrounding social media and employment.
• Social media strategies for Generation Y job seekers.
• Social Media Success Stories
• Social Media Discussion Panel
For further information about the Conference visit: www.SocialMediaInRecruitment.com where you can also save £50 by booking before the 31st March 2010."

Hitwise top 10 Recruitment Sites, week ending 13th March 2010
The most visited UK recruitment sites last week, starting with the most popular, were www.linkedin.com, www.jobcentreplus.gov.uk, www.reed.co.uk,www.totaljobs.com, www.jobs.nhs.uk,www.jobsite.co.uk, www.tes.co.uk,www.monster.co.uk, www.jobrapido.co.uk, and www.cv-library.co.uk. For more information about Hitwise, visit http://www.hitwise.co.uk
View online: http://www.ukrecruiter.co.uk/recnet/ukrecruiter_newsletter_445.html 

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