Recruitment Matters International February 2023 Newsletter

So, food price inflation is running at 16.7%, and a staple such as pasta has nearly doubled in price in two years. Even if you can afford it, fruit and vegetable shortages, reportedly caused by bad weather in major producer countries, has led to supply issues and even rationing in a number of supermarket chains. Brexit complications are reported to have alsso contributed to the difficulties. Hopefully the weather factors will work their way through and pressures on price and supply will start to ease. However, the Brexit-related issues are unlikely to go away any time soon. It's going to be interesting to see how this one plays out..

Back in the world of recruitment training, RMI's supply capabilities remain strong, thankfully, so do have a look at our latest training schedule.

Articles in this edition of our newsletter include:-

Warren advises on how to hit this year's targets and how to ensure continued growth in your fee income.

Networking guru, Will Kintish looks at the role of gatekeepers when following up  on your networking leads..

JMW's Simon Bloch reviews the latest government consultation on 'fire and rehire' practices..

And I look at leadership and setting S.M.A.R.T. goals to enable you to focus and achieve more.

Lastly, for news of our full range of recruitment services, including upcoming training courses, check out "What's new?"
 

Contributor: Warren Kemp, CEO and Trainer, Recruitment Matters International. Warren is also a qualified Mental Health First Aid Instructor

Every year you should be increasing your fee income as a recruiter.
(I should add that maintaining the same revenue is OK if you are taking on additional responsibilities or if you want to work less hours for the same result).

So, let’s say that this year’s target is a big challenge e.g. a 33.3% increase. One thing is for sure. If you do things the same way as you did last year, you are extremely unlikely to hit it.

Here are some things that could help.

Evaluate what it was you did last year to get last year’s results i.e. Number of vacancies worked, number of CV’s sent speculatively, CV’s sent to a vacancy, how many client visits, average phone times, interview to acceptance ratio, margins/fees, bookings to fill ratio, revenue per client and so on.

Then take that information into account when making changes that could include:
• Increasing your fees/margin for new clients
• Maintaining your fees for existing clients in return for more vacancies/exclusivity
• Get more vacancies from existing clients
• Work more sites/departments across a client’s business
• Only work roles where your chances of success are high (working a role alongside nine other recruiters only gives you a ten percent chance of success)
• Increase your phone time by a third
• Put a third more people in the ring for every opportunity
• Get every candidate a third more interviews
• Visit clients more often
• Increase the number of contacts you have in every client/potential client company

How Gatekeepers can be your best friends
 

• They make preliminary judgements on behalf of their boss.
• They decide on priorities.
• They often decide what the boss sees and what ends up in the bin.
• They often decide who gets to see their boss.
• They know what their boss’s issues and concerns are and what future plans and schedules are in place .
• They know how the organisation works, who deals with what, where the decision making powers lie and how things get done.
• They just seem to know everything!

• Always be polite, showing them the same, if not more, respect and courtesy you are going to show their boss.
• Prepare what you are going to say beforehand and be concise, clear and to the point. Without being patronising, make it easy for the listener to understand why you are calling
• Be friendly but firm and strong. No rah-rah stuff, not yet anyway until you have built some rapport. No schmoozing, either, unless it is welcomed
• Don’t sell to the gatekeeper, as they’re not going to be interested
• If the person you wish to speak to isn’t available and you want to pass a message, which is more than “Can Pamela please call me back?” ask if they have a moment for you.
• Respect their time; they are invariably very busy people being pulled from pillar to post all day long. You’re probably as busy, so treat them the way you’d like to be treated
• If you feel they are in the middle of something, suggest you call back, asking their advice as to when is the best time to call back.
• When you have built some sort of relationship there is no harm explaining what it is you want. They can often help you and lead you in the right direction.
• You can often find out whether the boss is an easy or difficult person (whatever that means) by the way the gatekeeper talks about them

• When her boss is going to be available.
• Whether she received your literature (if you sent some) and what she thought about it.
• Whether she’d mentioned you to her.
• What her advice would be to get a meeting or at least a time for a short phone call.
• If she can find out if there is no interest. If so, can she call you and tell you. This is another option of offering a way out without the prospect not actually having to say the dreaded ‘no’ word.

Leadership - think S.M.A.R.T.

 

 

1. Wants to make changes to its employees’ contracts of employment; and 
2. Envisages that, if the employees do not agree to those changes, it might dismiss them and either offer them re-employment on those new terms or engage new employees or workers to perform the relevant roles on the new terms.