So, who looks after the Recruiters career when the Recruiters recruiting?

Part Two

We excel in managing other people's careers, but what of our own?

Surely the same principles we prescribe to our clients/candidates applies, recognise the/our strengths and build, utilise, match those. Recognising your strengths/talents is the first step in managing your career. In determining how we best fit in the recruitment cycle, I find the analogy ìfinder, minder, grinderî most useful. We almost certainly feel we understand recruitment issues, but have we examined the full recruitment cycle process and made a conscious tabulation of how well we meet, fit those requirements. And what of our personal preferences, what do we enjoy, what do we dislike?

Finder ñ the hunter, the consummate sales person. Loves the thrill of the chase, loves coming back to the office with a ìbucket loadî of jobs to fill. Always on the lookout for new opportunities. Will identify a new prospect and quickly cold call the organisation and offer a solution. A great closer.

Doesnít usually like the paperwork that follows, ìyou want a written job spec!?!?!?î

Enjoys reading through resumes, but not that keen on candidate interviewing.

Minder ñ Great at managing the processes, can even handle account management (or aspires to that), builds rapport easily with candidates and clients alike, excellent interviewing and influencing skills, can read ìbetween the linesî of a job spec. A talent spotter. Good organisational skills, always on top of the projects, nothing slips between the cracks. Not afraid to call candidates, but has some reluctance to cold calling clients.

Grinder ñ usually the research person, trolls through the database, great at getting candidate referrals, headhunting and long lists for the Minder. Develops an affinity with candidates, and great with follow-up and paperwork. Terrific organisational skills and has a solution to every problem.

So which one of these are you? Or are you somewhere in the middle, a little of both perhaps? How many recruiters have examined their own talents, strengths on the basis of the above or similar? And how many are able to tailor their jobs to fit their talents and strengths. It shouldnít be so difficult. If you enjoy people and recruitment, but don't enjoy all the processes of the 360 cycle, it shouldn't mean you're a failure. As I mentioned last week, the recruitment industry has an exceptionally high turnover, and I believe this is why.

Is there a solution?
By far the most effective is the team-based approach. This not only provides greater flexibility for the recruiters work environment, but outstanding rewards for the organisation. Rewards not only for the bottom line, but rewards in reduced staff turnover, rewards in high levels of staff moral, rewards in the development of client relationships.

The total 360 recruitment process can be broken down into modules and while these are interconnected and interrelated, they can individually be broken up to form a number of separate position descriptions. Communication is the key to success. Understanding and setting the objectives, allowing each person in the team input to the strategy, gaining a consensus will ensure Together Everyone Achieves More Success (TEAMS).

Next week Michael Webb will examine ìwhy is it so difficult?î

Michael has worked in the industry for 27 years with large and small recruitment companies and assists many with their recruitment issues. He has managed and owned recruitment businesses and addressed Recruitment Conferences.

Email: Michael@WebsNet.com.au