To adapt Jane Austen, it is a truth universally acknowledged that a recruitment leader must never, ever be a micromanager. Every time the phrase comes up, recruiters tend to shake their heads sagely and concur that micromanagement is a bad thing. But in the present situation particularly, perhaps...
Getting a shareholders’ agreement is a must for recruitment business owners. Sadly, lockdown pressures have laid bare the dysfunctionalities of lots of relationships, in partnerships with “pre-existing conditions” that weren’t apparent in good times. In some cases, partners responses to the...
Lockdown has presented recruitment businesses with an opportunity to reassess their staff skills, knowledge and training. I know many business owners who have realised that busyness often camouflages a lack of skills among staff. James, who owns a healthcare agency told me “I discovered that many...
A few weeks ago, I was helping a client with their cash flow forecast prior to a CBILS application. One of the changes he’d made to his budget pulled me up short. He had completely deleted his marketing spend. His thinking went like this: I built this business without marketing, other than e-shots...
A really interesting aspect of the current crisis is how, even in the recruitment industry, it has affected businesses so differently. Some are actually better off and experiencing increased demand. Some specialise in markets which are so candidate oriented, including international remote workers,...
The other weekend I got stuck behind someone who I’ll call “NOT a frequent flyer” or NAFF, for short. He wasn’t any older than me, was wearing an expensive-looking suit, and it was quite clear that he didn’t do airports very often. At check in, he took half an hour to find his boarding pass and...
I met a new client this week who has did really well during the recession. And his business is doing well now – just not as well as some of his competitors. We looked at his management accounts and then at his Key Performance Indicators. Get this – he had set minimum standards for each of his...
This week I spoke to a client, a small business owner who prides himself on client relationships and understanding candidates. When we reviewed last month’s results, he explained that he had lost two of his expected fees after submitting CVs, when the client told him that the candidate was already...
I’ve spoken to a lot of small recruitment business owners over the years, working as a N.E.D. and advisor in the recruitment industry. As you’d expect, a lot of them are experiencing similar frustrations: “I know we offer a great service, but lots of employers just won’t give us a chance” “I want...
We all know recruitment is a competitive business. Winning business from clients is hard enough. But there are certain “habits” that are widespread – endemic, even- in the industry that are making it even harder. I’ve consulted with 14 “clients” (line managers and HR professionals who are targets...
College drop-out? Have you tried applying for a job online recently? It’s a dispiriting mix of anonymous adverts – and yes, I think some of those jobs are fake – and automated responses. Almost no adverts invite candidates to speak to the consultant involved. And this is happening at a time of...
Anyone who has worked with me to grow a recruitment business will know that I am a big fan of good processes. Used intelligently, the right processes will; Reassure clients and candidates of consistent standards Ensure compliance Save you lost time and opportunity cost, as well as expensive errors...
I had a call recently from a recruitment business owner/manager, J. We had arranged (and rearranged) a meeting to follow up on the one we had in a few months earlier. At that point, J had “just wanted to get through the holiday season before embarking on any new initiatives”. This time, J wanted...
According to LinkedIn, 20th September was the date last year that they registered record numbers of job searches and applications. If you are a growing recruitment business, it could be your staff looking for a move. Demand for experienced recruiters is huge, and employment at record levels. In...
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