The Resilient Recruiter

It’s tough work being a solo recruiter. Everything in your recruitment firm depends on you. Many in the industry choose to remain solo and struggle while others who make that same choice do extraordinarily well. Rich Rosen fits into that latter category. He consistently bills $1M per year and has lots of repeat business and clients. What’s his secret? I wanted to talk with him to find out and we recorded this episode as a result.  You’ll hear Rich transparently share how 2019 was one of his worst years in the industry in over 20 years—and how he made a comeback to close out the year with right around $700,000 in placements. You’ll also learn how he sets goals, prioritizes his time, and sets himself up for success every day. I hope you listen. This is a fun conversation full of insights from an everyday guy with a successful track record of recruiting success. Outline of This Episode [0:40] Getting to know Rich Rosen, million-dollar producer year after year [2:01] Why Rich has focused entirely on recruiting for software sales professionals [4:36] The reasons Rich has chosen to stay a one-man firm [13:15] Rich’s toughest year in the last 20 years - what happened [21:40] Setting ground rules with clients enable Rich to work smarter, not harder [30:29] What does it take to become a million dollar biller?  [42:01] Rich’s tips for being as productive as possible and planning well 2019 was a disastrous year but Rich rebounded nicely 2019 was a perfect storm for Rich’s recruitment firm. Market conditions, industry trends, and outright strange events combined to prevent him from progressing at a normal rate. He started the year with only $30,000 billed within the first 4 months, which was far below his normal average for that time of year. Many deals fell apart at the last minute and $522,000 in billings evaporated. Rich says that among those losses were a handful of clients who rescinded deals weeks away from hiring the candidates Rich had provided. He says he’s only seen that happen a handful of times in over 20 years in the industry. But by the time we recorded this conversation—early November 2019—Rich had rebounded to a hopeful $700,000 year-end revenue total. It was still shy of his $1M average but far above what many recruiters realize even in good years. How did he do it? Part of the recovery came from restructuring of his fees. Up until that point, his business operated 99% of the time on a contingent fee structure. He pivoted to a partial retainer model and included up-front fees of $8,000 to $16,000 for many clients. He said this change helped him discern which opportunities were serious and which would likely turn out to be a waste of his efforts. It also enabled him to attract clients who were truly serious about their search. Listen to hear the details of how Rich learned to scrutinize opportunities, increase his cold calling, and reconnect with old clients to overcome his early deficit. Setting ground rules for good communication is key to success as a solo recruiter Every client's situation will be different but Rich has learned that there are fundamental understandings that need to exist if a recruiter is going to work efficiently and effectively for the client. The most important of those ground rules is good communication. As an example, Rich communicates deadlines to his clients to impress on them the degree to which he’s willing to help them accomplish their hiring goals quickly. He routinely says to clients that if he sends a message or piece of information to them and does not hear from them within 48 hours, he will put his work for them on hold and send any candidates for their position that he’s communicating about to others in his database. This urgency tells his clients that if they truly want to get things done, they need to communicate. Rich realizes this might sound extreme but he’s found it essential to deliver on what clients want and expect and to help them be accountable for those results. At the very least he expects a text from the client with basic information about the things he’s sent to them. He sends them information for a reason and expects them to help him streamline the process and be effective on their behalf.  Key ingredients to becoming a million-dollar biller No recruiter bills $1M annually by accident. I wanted to hear from Rich himself what he thinks goes into being such a consistently successful person. His tips were pure gold. Here’s what he had to say:  Be authentic: Don’t be fake, don’t lie, and be as honest and blunt as you can. Speak with candor about your insights. Business isn’t rocket science, so be authentic and real. Keep your calls short (he schedules them for 15 minutes) and get to the point, learn what you need to know about the candidate, and stay in touch. Master an industry-specific niche: Doing this makes every call matter. If you’re a generalist, every call is a shot in the dark and you have no focus. If you’ve chosen a specific niche you can build a database of people to cycle through that’s relevant for almost every situation you encounter.  Become the industry expert: Gain a reputation in the industry as the go-to guy, the insider. Do this by giving great advice to anyone who asks. Tell them companies to avoid and those that would be a good fit.  When you’re selling your services to a potential client, mastering these areas adds credibility. Rich notes that by doing your job well you are enhancing the hiring manager’s career—and you need to portray that to them. Find out exactly what they’re looking for in a candidate. Tell them this is your niche and that you’ll always bring them the right person. If you don’t, you don’t get paid. When they can see it in those simple terms, they tend to commit and get the process moving. Tips for being as productive as possible and planning effectively Rich has proven that he is an effective recruiter. But how does he do it? A lot of grunt work. Rich believes phone calls are king. He makes at least 50 a day, whether it be to previous candidates, old clients, or people he’s just added to his database. Rich works from home and his typical workday starts at 8 am with making and returning phone calls. He’ll spend time returning emails and is always sure to leave at least an hour for VP calls. Unlike many recruiters, he takes time to respond to everyone. Because he works nationwide, he structures his calls as such: East coast calls first thing in the morning, then Central time, then he works on those living in the Pacific time zone.  Something Rich does—that many recruiters might not have the drive for—is research in the evenings and on the weekends. He’ll look for candidates on LinkedIn or in his database and gather their email and phone number. He’ll then shoot them an email the night before letting them know to expect a call from him the next day. It’s time-consuming, it’s grunt-work, but he admits that you learn a lot in the process and it turns potential “cold calls” into “warmer” calls..  Rich is a no-excuses and no wasted time type of guy and it’s part of why he’s found so much success. To hear how he fully maximizes his time to be the most efficient and effective recruiter he can possibly be, be sure to listen to the whole episode. Connect with Rich Rosen Rich’s firm: Cornerstone Search Cornerstone on Facebook Cornerstone on Twitter: @RichRoRecruiter Rich on LinkedIn Resources & People Mentioned PODCAST: Recruiter Startup PODCAST: The Brutal Truth About Sales & Selling PODCAST: Sales Gravy PODCAST: The Art of Sales PODCAST: How They Build This BOOK: Fanatical Prospecting Pinnacle Group Connect With Mark Whitby Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call: www.RecruitmentCoach.com/Breakthrough Mark on LinkedIn Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby Mark on Facebook Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach Mark on YouTube Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter Audio Production and Show notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK

Starting a recruitment agency is a daunting task - one that my guest on this episode warns is not for everyone. The hard work required and the agony of the ups and downs can only be endured when you are deeply committed to building something worthwhile, can manage your time wisely, and keep your head when you inevitably lose deals you worked hard to cultivate and were counting on. He says it’s simply how the recruiting industry works. But in spite of those kinds of setbacks, Justin Satterfield has built Norwood Staffing Solutions from the ground up and has been able to reach the $1M revenue mark in less than two years. Join me for this engaging conversation. Justin shares the story of how he was fired from his previous recruitment position for unsubstantiated reasons, how he started his company from scratch, his team-building philosophy, how he learned that the way he perceives the challenges he faces dictates how he handles them, and more. Outline of This Episode [0:23] Get acquainted with Justin Satterfield - on the road to $1M in net income [3:30] The benefits of establishing a public speaking platform [8:28] Why reputation matters immensely in the recruitment world [10:08] How being treated unfairly at his company led him to start his own [16:31] What is resilience, and why is it so important for recruiters? [18:47] The first 12 months of starting a recruitment agency [21:30[ Things done right and wrong in that first 12 months [24:02] Making decisions to deselect certain activities [29:43] How building a team enabled Justin to turn a huge corner [37:38] Future plans for Norwood Staffing Solutions Justin knew being fired was the best thing that had ever happened to him Straight out of college Justin got a job at a startup staffing company, thinking that he’d plug away at the role until he could find something he was more interested in. But he was a quick study and within 2 years he was number 22 in production out of over 600 producers. He was doing well, clearing $200K annually and had developed a great book of business. That’s when the unthinkable happened. He was called into a room and fired. Why? The team was behind budget and the only remedy was to let someone on the team go. The person in charge at the time decided that Justin was the one who needed to be let go - and promptly took over his book of business. Justin was left in a personally difficult situation. He had signed a 12 month non-compete and admits that he didn’t want to honor it due to the way he was fired. Legal counsel told him that he was likely to win if he took his employer to court but he couldn’t afford the legal fees required to see it through. So he honored the agreement - and spent the year off improving himself so that in the future, his hard work would be to build something for himself, not a corporation or boss. Today, he sees the loss of his position as the best thing that had ever happened to him because of how it set him up to start his own firm and forced him to prepare himself for that task. The painful first 12 months of starting his own recruiting agency A one-man recruitment agency is a grueling endeavor. The founder is the entire recruitment department and the only salesperson on staff - and both of those are full-time jobs upon which the success of the business depends. During the 12 months he was waiting to start his company Justin made the most of the time by developing himself as a leader. He knew he needed to be the best version of himself that he could be if he was going to build and lead a successful company. Once he was able to get started, his company gained traction quickly. He successfully spun the relationships he already had into big clients that helped give him an initial boost. But he soon discovered that his approach to getting the business running had set him up for the biggest mistake of that first year. Justin was spending 100% of his time doing recruitment and didn’t focus at all on sales. Then both of the large opportunities he’d been counting on fell through. He learned that he should have been allocating time to sales every day in order to keep leads coming in. The “Do Something” principle served Justin well “If you don’t have that underlying, full-on confidence, knowing that you can get it done, I would advise against starting a company.” That’s one of Justin’s gems of advice after getting through his first year. He says that you have to develop a tenacious belief that success is not optional. You must be committed to winning no matter what comes. He learned to focus his time on the things that he COULD do rather than looking at the problems. That is what led him to the “Do Something” principle. Justin explains it this way… “People are always looking for motivation on a daily basis. That is a backwards way to look at motivation. You take action. No matter how you feel, you take action. Not when you feel like it. Every single day you act. Action leads to results and results give you motivation. You don’t seek motivation to take action to get results - no, the motivation is a by-product. If you want motivation, close some deals.” This “Do Something” principle has enabled Justin to work hard, land deals, and overcome the struggle required to build his recruitment agency. Adding talented people to your team trumps the financial challenge of doing it When Justin was burning the candle at both ends to keep his fledgling recruitment agency afloat he didn’t have the money to bring on team members. It would have been easy to say, “Uhhhh, no. Not yet,” when it came to adding team members - but two opportunities crossed his path that he couldn’t say “No” to. One was an outstanding recruiter he knew previously who got laid off from her company. Justin knew she was a producer and recognized the value she’d bring to his company, so he hired her. Shortly after that, a salesperson he’d been talking to about a possible position with his company in the future, called and said she was fed up with her current position and was quitting. Justin decided to make it work because he didn’t want to lose the opportunity to hire such an effective salesperson. The timing will never be right to hire and Justin says if you want to grow quickly you will have to take some risk. It’s about the people you take on, not the timing. In his words, “If you get the opportunity to bring on someone who is talented, do it - and do what you need to do to make it work.” Connect with Justin Satterfield Justin (at) NorwoodStaffing.com Justin’s company: Norwood Staffing Justin on LinkedIn Connect With Mark Whitby Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call: www.RecruitmentCoach.com/Breakthrough Mark on LinkedIn Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby Mark on Facebook Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach Mark on YouTube Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter Audio Production and Show notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK

It isn't very common for a recruitment agency to hit a plateau and then grow beyond that plateau years later - but that’s exactly what happened when Robin Doenicke implemented a new recruitment model for his agency. His recruitment company - Tokyo-based Zensho Agency - has reimagined the structure and culture of its executive search service and as a result, has changed the model upon which the company operates and by which its team is built. It’s this reimagining that has fueled an amazing recruitment agency growth of 10X. Naturally, I became very curious when I realized this, so I invited Robin to be my guest for this episode of the podcast. In his characteristic style, Robin was extremely generous in sharing the how, but more importantly the WHY behind the decisions he’s made regarding the structure of his company and team. The remarkable success they are achieving flows directly out of those decisions and you’ll hear him describe his approach in detail on this episode.  Outline of This Episode [1:15] Starting an Executive Search Firm in Tokyo - the journey to here [3:10] Ideas for structuring his staff as Independent Contractors [6:34] Robin’s view of the relationship between martial arts and business [11:29] How Zensho exploded after a long time of plateau [16:38] The journey of discovering the “why” behind the company [18:15] Challenges in 10X-ing the company in 3 years [33:01] Plans for expanding the company into Australia [40:08] The Stoic Thought for the day The skill of being fully present is behind much of Robin’s success Robin is a martial arts expert - and that is not an exaggeration. He moved to Japan to study with grandmaster Bujinkan Ninjutsu and Dr. Masaaki Hatsumi, both world-renowned martial arts instructors. As a result of his diligent study in a variety of martial arts, Robin has earned a top-rank 15th-dan black belt. It’s this background and experience that's lead him to one of his most vital philosophies about business: Be fully present in the events that make up life. He believes that when you learn to be present you are able to effectively respond to the reality of what’s going on around you, and do so ways appropriate to the situation. This is in contrast to reacting, which is based on negative past experiences or according to ego-driven or fear-based motivations. Robin finds this discipline to be extremely helpful in business and in recruitment in particular. The fast-moving, ever-changing environment of the modern recruiting agency demands a calm, measured approach - and mindfulness to being present allows that to happen. Robin has used the principle to shape the culture within which his team of recruiters drives the agency business forward. Culture is more than a buzzword for Zensho Agency When he read the book “Start With Why” by Simon Sinek, Robin realized that he wanted to build a business that fueled the “why” of those it employs - not one that serves the “why” of its founders or board of directors. He believes that team members who are free to work on their own terms, completely empowered to be entrepreneurs in their own right will foster the most powerful and passionate recruitment service in the world - and as a result would fuel his recruitment agency’s growth. He was right. The team at Zensho enjoys a community and support structure that readily and eagerly shares ideas and strategies so that everyone can succeed and clients and candidates are the beneficiaries. Though each recruiter is a contractor rather than an employee and is thus in business for themselves, they are never by themselves. Each of them enjoys the reputation and prestige of being affiliated with the Zensho brand as well as a generous compensation package of 70% to 90% of the profits from their placements. Truly, the strength and power of the whole trickle down to the individuals on the team. The results speak for themselves. I invite you to join me for this fascinating conversation with Robin. His insight into the world of recruiting and the dynamics of what makes a team truly great will not only inspire you, it will equip you to raise the bar on your own ambition. How Robin is 10X-ing the company in a matter of 3 years At the current rate of growth, including plans for the expansion of Zensho Agency to Australia in 2020, it looks like Robin will accomplish 10X growth within a 3-year span. How has he done it? I asked Robin that exact question and he pointed to two apparent things… 1 - Only allow great people to come on board the team Robin says some of his biggest mistakes in growing the company have come from hiring the wrong people and he’s committed to himself that it won’t happen again. One of the hallmarks of this commitment is the company’s “No Asshole” policy, which makes it hard for those who are purely ego-driven or unwilling to contribute to the success of the whole to find a place within the company. 2 - Cultivate and encourage an entrepreneur mindset rather than an employee mindset Because Zensho Agency has no employees and provides no base salary, recruiters who join the team must be self-motivated, proven producers who are eager to build their own business while contributing to the overall health and success of the team. Robin says those who have been hesitant to join the Zensho team are typically saddled with a belief that a base salary or "employee" status provides more security, when the reality may be that those are limiting beliefs that are holding them back from experiencing their best life. It’s this entrepreneurial mindset that has been behind the recruitment agency’s growth. Why recruiters need to adopt an abundance mindset that benefits everyone One of the things that set Zensho’s team apart is that each person on the team - though in actuality a competitor of sorts to the others on the team - is committed to the success of the others. This unique partnership mentality is something Robin says should become characteristic of the entire recruitment industry because when it is, the entire industry benefits. Successful recruiters enhance both the image and the effectiveness of the industry, enabling those outside the industry to see what we do with a positive attitude and to believe that we offer something of value that nobody else can. For that reason, it’s to all of our benefits to help each other as much as we reasonably can. I was happy to hear Robin say this because I’ve long had close relationships - even mutually beneficial business relationships - with people many would think of as my competition. Of course, I don’t give away all of my secrets but I do try to serve others in the industry - for the very reasons Robin highlights.  I hope you take the time to listen to this episode. Robin’s story will inspire you to aim higher, work harder, and dedicate yourself to forging relationships that serve our clients, your candidates, and the recruitment industry to a greater degree. Connect with Robin Doenicke Robin’s firm: Zensho Agency Follow Robin on LinkedIn Resources & People Mentioned Simon Sinek’s book Start With Why Jim Collin’s book Good To Great Sir Richard Branson Recruitment International The Joe Rogan Podcast Ray Dalio’s book Principles Tim Freke (author) Byron Katie (author) book: Loving What Is The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle Connect With Mark Whitby Get your FREE 30-minute strategy call with Mark: www.RecruitmentCoach.com/Breakthrough Mark on LinkedIn Mark on Twitter: @MarkWhitby Mark on Facebook Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach Mark on YouTube Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter Audio Production and Show notes by PODCAST FAST TRACK

Recruitment leaders who build and lead industry-dominant recruitment firms haven’t risen to their place of prominence by accident. Each of them not only has the experience to inform their leadership decisions but also possesses the personal character traits and habits that set them up for high levels of success. Would you like to know the traits and habits these world-class recruitment leaders have in common? So would I, so I invited a guest on the podcast who has had a front-row seat into the lives and leadership of these amazing individuals for the past 36 years. Doug Bugie’s career in recruitment spans over three decades where he’s mainly worked in the niche of recruitment franchising. His current role is with FPC, a top 1% performer in the recruitment industry as ranked by Forbes. The company is also ranked “Top 50” in franchisee satisfaction by Franchise Business Review. Team members like Doug are one of the reasons the company excels as it does. Doug himself has had a hand in successfully aiding 800 recruitment franchises in 40 countries fill over 100,000 assignments. That’s a mind-boggling amount of success. Join me for this fascinating look into the characteristics that make the top recruitment leaders who they are, which in turn, enables them to rise to the top of the industry and stay there year after year.  Outline of This Episode [0:33] Doug’s accomplishments over the past 36 years (100,000 placements) [6:05] The key quality of recruitment businesses that do well and those that don’t [10:46] At what point to leaders take a non-billing role in their recruitment firm? [14:06] The renaissance outlook of the most successful recruiting leaders [21:54] The biggest changes in the industry most recently, and Doug’s take on the future [28:36] How did we become an industry that’s racing to the bottom? [35:21] How Stoicism relates to Doug’s comments The top recruitment leaders don’t lead from the sidelines Many people have the mental image of a successful leader calling the shots from a vantage point well away from the action - like a coach, calling plays from the sideline at a sporting event. But they forget that every coach was once a successful player in their own right, which is where they learned the game. Doug says that in working alongside leaders in the recruitment industry over the last 36 years, he's seen that the ones who gained the respect and admiration of their followers are what he calls “front line action-takers.” Going back to the sports analogy - they were outstanding players who developed their skills through proving their mettle on the field. During our conversation, Doug highlights how action-taking leaders he’s worked with have set the example for their teams and built cultures that drive success. He also explains how these front-line leaders eventually move to the play-calling role behind the scenes but do so while maintaining the respect of their teams. Great leaders develop a renaissance outlook Stop for a moment to recall the most interesting people you’ve ever met. What are the things about them that make them so interesting? Doug says that the most interesting individuals he’s met are recruiting leaders who are well-read and who take the time to educate themselves about what’s happening in the world - and he says the benefits they receive from these activities are multiplied in their recruiting careers. Leaders who are actively engaged in a process of ongoing self-education can connect with clients and other stakeholders about their interests and passions, across a broad spectrum of industries. It’s that type of engagement that opens the door to the human connections that are at the heart of the true recruitment professional. As you might imagine, Doug has many stories to share and even offers suggestions about how you can develop a renaissance outlook yourself, so be sure you listen. Develop your Emotional Intelligence to thrive in the recruiting world   The advanced tech that makes for efficient data mining has created a commoditized attitude about the recruiting industry. Doug says that clients who need high-level candidates, data mining will never be enough. There is a deeper, more nuanced work that takes place to build relationships of authenticity and trust. The best recruiting leaders make those skills a trademark of what they provide. An observation Doug makes about this point is that women tend to excel in the recruiting field for these very reasons. As he compares the skills women bring to the table to those of their male counterparts, he says women typically don’t struggle as much with ego - which enables them to put others in the spotlight of attention more easily. They allow the customer or client to speak more which provides greater insight into the needs inherent in the situation at hand. But male or female, Doug stresses that emotional intelligence is a skill that can be learned - and that true professionals learn it well. The recruiting professionals who thrive never stop learning about their clients The high dollar figures paid for high-level executive placements are earned, no question. I can say that with confidence because I’ve seen how the recruiters who brought about those placements made it their goal to become students of their clients’ businesses and industries. When you as a recruiter can speak knowledgeably about the industry your clients serve, you cultivate their confidence in you - which in turn, serves your entire process of serving them. But there are clients on the other side of the equation as well - those we come alongside who are seeking a placement. It’s our job to learn about them, their experience, and even their personality so that we can find the placement that best fits them as an individual and furthers their career goals. In this conversation, Doug speaks about the advantages that come to recruitment leaders who are willing to invest time in learning about their client's industries. He shares many intriguing stories of recruitment leaders who set the bar for the industry through their high-level performance and integrity.  Connect with Doug Bugie FPC - the firm where Doug currently serves Doug on LinkedIn Doug on Twitter: @DougBugie DBugie(at)FPCWorldwide.com +1-440-525-6198 Doug on Twitter: @DougBugie Resources & People Mentioned SThree Allegis Group Jeff Herzog, President of FPC Mike Brennan of Norman Broadbent  Tony Goodwin of Antal James Caan Meditations by Marcus Aurelius Connect With Mark Whitby https://recruitmentcoach.com (only include on platforms other than website) Mark on LinkedIn Mark on Twitter: @RecCoach_com Mark on Facebook Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach Mark on YouTube Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter Audio Production and Show notes byPODCAST FAST TRACK

When setting up a recruitment business from scratch it's easy to get sidetracked with a thousand different things - and it seems there are also a thousand different ways to approach the business. Alex Elliot and Jonathan Coxon have very clear opinions about what works because they spearheaded the launch of Liquid Personnel in 2006 and sold it exactly 10 years later for a huge profit. By the time the business was sold it was bringing in 100 million pounds in revenue, had 140 employees, and was the recipient of multiple awards. All this came from very humble beginnings - two gents working from a storage closet and with a capital investment of just 3000 pounds.  In this conversation, you’ll hear Jonathan and Alex explain how and why they started the business and how a very clear set of common long-term goals enabled them to forge a partnership that created a stable foundation from which to launch. You’ll also hear about the huge financial mistakes they made, how they went about finding, hiring, and retaining quality team members, and more. Outline of This Episode [0:35] The rapid growth of a recruitment agency [3:15] The early days at Liquid Personnel - starting small and in cramped offices [5:38] Shared goals and shared values make for a good partnership [6:35] What the guys looked for in team members from the start [10:50] The first 12 months in recruitment is about survival [14:14] The unknown unknowns to be faced in starting from scratch [17:39] Knowing when it was time to start hiring [27:19] A hiring model that worked tremendously well [37:26] The best avenues for finding good talent [42:24] Taking on an entire rookie sales force [44:09] What goes into exceptional training? [51:36] When did Jonathan and Alex begin focusing on management? [54:09] What it was like to sell the business and the amazing experience it was Humble beginnings are often the basis for huge success Business founders who have to scratch and scrape to build their business have much to share with those of us who are willing to listen and learn from their example. Alex and Jonathan began Liquid Personnel - a staffing agency focused on the Social Services industry in the UK - in a loaned storage closet at a family member’s business. The two of them shared one desk and spent the majority of their time hustling up leads and tracking down candidates on the phone. Within a year they were able to add their first team members and began a journey to scale that is extremely uncommon among recruitment firms. As you listen you’ll get a feeling for the grit and determination of these two remarkable men and understand how their commitment to building, fostering, and equipping a team of extraordinary individuals made a massive difference in their ability to scale the business. Be sure you stick around to the very end to hear the next big venture Alex and Jonathan are planning.  Don’t let what’s on paper obscure reality “We were very good at making paper profits. We were too focused on paper profits and not focused on cash flow.”  That’s what Alex Elliot said about their perspective during the early days of Liquid Personnel. This was in response to me asking him what he’d do differently if he could go back and do it all over again with the knowledge he has now. There’s a huge lesson here, so pay close attention. Alex is saying that after setting up your recruitment business and getting things rolling, the numbers you see on paper can lead you to believe that your business is doing much better than it is. As he looks back, he realizes that their 10-year journey could likely have been made in seven years if they had focused on cash flow more than on the profits shown on paper. That switch in focus would have enabled them to generate the financial resources needed to add team members sooner, improve their training faster, and scale the company. When hiring, don’t go with what’s acceptable, go with exceptional One of the keys to the success of Liquid Personnel was its own personnel. Alex and Jonathan focused intensely on finding and hiring the right people - those with proven sales track records and specific qualities of greatness they had diligently identified beforehand. When asked about their hiring philosophy, they say that every single person you hire should be raising the average on the sales floor. You should never let yourself accept “average” candidates as being good enough. Greatness begets greatness.  To help you understand how they refined their ideal candidate profile, they offer these tips: 1 - Ask yourself, “What does ‘great’ look like in our business and industry niche?” 2 - What are the attributes of someone who is great in those ways? 3 - What does that kind of person bring to the table for our business in particular? 4 - What does that look like practically and how can we assess it during the hiring process? Listen to hear how they used psychometric profiles, a lengthy interview process, and data to avoid “gut feel” decisions and get the right people on board. Excellence comes from training in the fundamentals Alex and Jonathan believe that the recruiting industry's typical approach to training is short-sighted. In their words, “If you stick someone in the classroom for 6 weeks then stick them on the sales floor thinking they are trained, you’re wrong.” Their experience demonstrates that the value of initial training pales in comparison to the value of ongoing, in-the-field training focused on equipping team members to succeed professionally and personally. The areas of focus they maintained while growing Liquid Personnel were: 1- Incremental learning and development They didn’t believe in “one time” or “one-size-fits-all” training. Each person was equipped on an as-needed, personalized basis. 2 - Giving people as many tools to be successful as possible while making it simple and concise Convoluted, complicated training prohibits the development of skills that team members need to become successful quickly. 3 - Real-time induction training along with practical role-playing coaching Alex and Jonathan made it their goal to link together theory and practice so that their team could see results faster and truly understand their jobs and the services they provide. 4 - Training and development throughout a person’s career The Liquid Personnel training method included ongoing training in a variety of formats. On-demand topical videos enabled team members to hone specific skills as needed. Every advancement opportunity came with the training required to perform with excellence in the new role. And testing was used regularly to ensure the right people were in the right roles at the right times. This episode is full of valuable insights from the rapid growth journey of one of the brightest spots in recent recruitment history. Join me as I walk through how Alex and Jonathan went about setting up a recruitment business that scaled massively in a very short amount of time. Connect with Jonathan and Alex Jonathan Coxon on LinkedIn Alex Elliot on LinkedIn Resources & People Mentioned Liquid Personnel Independent Clinical Services The Recruitment Agency Podcast BOOK: Grit by Angela Duckworth BOOK: Good to Great BOOK: Built To Last BOOK: In Search of Excellence BOOK: How To Win Friends And Influence People BOOK: Influence by Robert Chialdini BOOK: The Score Takes Care Of Itself Connect With Mark Whitby https://recruitmentcoach.com (only include on platforms other than website) Mark on LinkedIn Mark on Twitter: @RecCoach_com Mark on Facebook Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach Mark on YouTube Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter Audio Production and Show notes byPODCAST FAST TRACK

The future of recruitment is a topic being bandied about quite a lot these days - and rightly so. There’s a lot of fear about what technological changes mean for the industry and for recruiting as a profession. But a powerful, optimistic voice in that conversation is Greg Savage. Greg is one of the most highly respected figures in the recruitment industry, speaking worldwide at recruitment events and forums. He is a LinkedIn “Top Voice’ and an early adopter of social media use for recruiting. This conversation focuses on the future of recruitment and how the widespread changes we’re seeing are changing the way we work as recruiters. Greg shares his opinion about the things future-forward recruiters need to be doing to be of service to clients in days ahead as well as the tasks they should happily delegate to automation and AI. You’ll hear why we recruiters MUST evolve to truly serve clients in the future.  Outline of This Episode [1:17] Why Greg took the time and effort to write a book [5:18] The things that are changing the job of the recruiter in modern times [13:21] What recruiters should not be doing these days - and what they should be doing instead [17:02] Skills needed by agency recruiters of the future [24:49] The most important places to start for social/digital selling [35:30] The IMPACT model of consistent action as a recruiter [38:38] What does it mean to engage in social selling? [44:21] One of the biggest social selling mistakes The future of recruitment will look different than anything we’ve known so far Greg is hesitant to position himself as a Nostradamus for the recruiting industry, but he can make some significant and likely predictions about the industry based on his years of experience and the changes he’s already seen take place. Consider where he's come from... In his time in the industry, Greg has seen the advent of fax machines, the internet, job boards, mobile devices, and more. The recruitment industry he began working in looks entirely different than the one we all know now. Looking ahead, Greg believes AI, machine learning, and automation will change the industry more than anything we’ve seen thus far. Automation will remove the drudgery of recruitment and free up recruiters to do the part of the job that human beings will always do better than machines - and by that, he specifically means the sales process  Listen to hear how Greg expects selling to look in the future of recruiting and to learn how you can develop the skills that have value to your customers in the future. How A.I. and automation change recruitment for the better The typical way of doing business as a recruiter is to spend hours finding candidates, screening them, taking inquiry phone calls, evaluating applications, scraping LinkedIn and other websites, and more. It's a head-down grind we are very familiar with. In this model, recruiters fill their days with these activities and finish the day feeling like they’ve done good work. But they haven’t. They’ve busied themselves with activities that are soon to be replaced by A.I and machine learning. Greg insists that engaging in these activities is nothing less than competing with technology - and in those areas, technology will always win.  The smart recruiters of the future won’t kick against that reality, they will embrace it and make the technology serve them through automating those processes in their workflow. This will provide a type of time-freedom unheard of in the industry, which will, in turn, allow recruiters to do what they do best - build relationships and foster engagement with future clients. Greg’s insights into how to go about doing that are invaluable. Listen to this episode to learn more and be sure to download the action sheet for to plan your road to a better recruiting future. Recruiters should become experts at the HUMAN aspects of their role Even though we deal with a lot of minutia and detail in the administrative side of what we do, the better we can serve clients at their exact point of need, the more we will be seen as an in-demand expert in the field. That point of need boils down to the human aspects of what we do. The future of recruiting is going to belong to those who specialize in understanding their clients’ needs, developing relationships with candidates from outside the typical sources, and becoming an “agent” of those candidates by owning their search process from A to Z. Why is this important? Because the people you deal with at companies and as candidates will always want and appreciate a human touch from you. Resist the urge to commoditize what you do and instead, become a relational expert. You'll make the entire process more enjoyable for everyone involved and be more effective at truly serving your clients. All of that leaves an impression about you and your recruiting approach that money can’t buy. Greg’s got great advice about how you can do the things that only you can do, so be sure you listen. Recruiters of the future must be consistent digital brands The recruiter of the future is not only going to be differentiated by the human elements of what he/she does they will also be noticed by the generosity with which they do it. Greg says that the day of being effective with cold calls and unsolicited emails is quickly fading. The era of relationship building and helpfulness is here. His recommendation to those wanting to remain relevant in the future days of recruiting is to develop and implement a strategy that leans heavily on the social part of social media. His advice? Spend 25 minutes every day creating content that is truly helpful to those you hope to serve. This isn’t about adding more work to your already-full plate. It’s about leveraging the technological solutions available to take care of the minutia so that you can free up your time for what makes the most difference in your business.  Approach social media from the perspective of finding ways you can serve, rather than finding ways you can profit. Spend your time on social building relationships. That means… reaching out to people in relevant, helpful ways posting or sharing resources that make a difference to your industry connecting people answering questions (even if the person asking is not a potential client) being kind and polite, and engaging in conversations. These simple practices, done consistently WILL build your brand, attract fans, and generate inbound inquiries.  The advice Greg shares about this aspect of what we should be doing as recruiters is much more than I can cover here. Please take the time to listen - and don’t miss out on the action sheet included with this episode. Connect with Greg Savage Greg Savage’s blog and website Greg’s book: The Savage Truth (available late October 2019) Greg on Facebook Greg on LinkedIn Greg on Twitter: @Greg_Savage Greg on Youtube Greg on Instagram: @GregSavageTruth Resources & People Mentioned Get in on the drawing for free signed copies of Greg’s book JobAdder Firebrand People to People Video My Job      Connect With Mark Whitby https://recruitmentcoach.com (only include on platforms other than website) Mark on LinkedIn Mark on Twitter: @RecCoach_com Mark on Facebook Mark on Instagram: @RecruitmentCoach Mark on YouTube Subscribe to The Resilient Recruiter Audio Production and Show notes byPODCAST FAST TRACK