Are you money driven or help driven?

The recruitment business is peopleís business. Thatís what most people would think, right? Wrong! If youíd ask many recruitment companies theyíd say: it is ìbiggest billing businessî. Recruiters are being paid high commissions for each successful placement. Nothing wrong with this of course. We all must make a living. And who is outstanding will receive outstanding pay. Yet, for many recruiters the billing is the main goal. Candidates and customers come on 10th and 11th place. Billing takes places 1-9.

ìOh no, you start to whine, not in my case...î. Well sure, not in all cases of course, yet in many cases.

Commission driven recruiters focus on just one thing: their end-of-month paycheck and as such they work for the short term only. This implies that these recruiters use their customers and candidates just for one thing: end-of-month paycheck. They think end of month. Candidates and customers only represent a means for them to increase their paycheck. And people feel that. And they donít like this.

The first secret for long-time success in recruitment is to think end-of-time. And to think of how you can best help your candidates and customers. Help driven recruiters are the final winners in the recruitment business. As the level of your monthly paycheck equals over time the level of help you provide to customers and candidates. Providing help without the expectation to get something in return is one of the secrets in successful recruitment.

Now, that sounds nice, you think. But how should I do this? Iíve made a list of actions, which help. This is not theory, these are actions I have tested, done them, and they work. They work extremely well (oops, the list is not complete):

1. Provide Rejected Candidates extra help.
If you canít place a candidate: provide him or her with an overview of other recruitment firms who can help with a great job. Yes...you read it well: send them to your competition...so your candidate can find a great job.

2. Be a valuable source.
Your customer doesnít only need CVís. They love to get information about salaries, about their image on the labor market; they love to get answers on all their HR issues when working with you. Take a pro-active role and become a valuable source of information for your customer.

3. Talk solutions and Answers.
Donít talk about commissions first with your customer. Talk about the solutions they need for their recruitment problem and give them solutions, answers and act on it. Than talk about commissions. Iím sure they want to pay what you ask.

4. Understand First.
Understand your candidate and customer first, before you start to offer any solution. You cannot offer solutions without knowing what it is they really need.

5. Get Feedback.
Talk to 10 of your recently placed candidates and ask them for feedback about your role in the recruitment process. Ask them what they liked, and what they didnít like, and what they expect and desire and wish for while working with you. Do the same with 10 of your customers: why do they use your service? I know you have some kind of idea, and I bet their answers will surprise you, as they will tell you startling, fresh new things you have never imagined.

6. More help driven actions.
Give your rejected candidates lists of other recruitment companies, tips for successful applications, tips with books for self-study etc. Same for your customers: information about the competition, their products, their employees, new trends in HR, introducing them to other customers of yours in order their business to increaseÖ

7. Go the extra mile.
Give more than they expect. Smile more than your competition, be friendlier than your competition.

8. Say thank you all the time.
Thank your candidate for coming to an interview with you, thank your customer for the business they give you.

9. Use the best recruitment software on the market.

10. Be a valuable source.
For both your (potential) candidates and for your (potential) customers. Did I mention this already?

Talk to your customers and candidates and ask them why they work with you, what it is they want, so you can help them much better.

If youíre help driven, and you take real genuine interest in the wishes of your customers and candidates, youíll be soon a shining star in the recruitment business. Ooh, I didnít tell you: doing this will also double your workload, and it will give you less time to spend in front of the TV. The good thing is: it will also double your paycheck. And I am a lucky person as I work together with a great bunch of help-driven recruiters. It doesnít matter if you chose for being money driven, or help driven. It is entirely up to you. But know it will influence your long-term successes in your career (or the lack of it).

I am curious what you will decide. Will you let me know? Thank you!

For more secrets read next timeís issue or write an e-mail to gerard.koolen@lugera.com (thanks again) and you will receive regularly all other secrets (also if you work at the competition, Iëll be more than happy to send you all the secrets). Gerard Koolen is Managing Partner at Lugera & Makler.