600 things; 10 MORE things I’d do if I Owned a Recruitment Agency

Last month Lisa Jones from Barclay Jones wrote a blog entitled 10 things I’d do if I owned a recruitment business as part of our 600 Interesting and Useful Things for Recruiters series.  Since then her brain has been working overtime and she’s had some more ideas.

1. I’d be a real “b” if my staff didn’t get their data on the system. I get that social media exposes my staff to more candidates and clients than ever before, but I don’t own a hairdresser [link] – I own a recruitment company. I need my CRM to be an asset (watch out for another blog on this topic). I need my CRM to be of enough value to me that my clients need me. I’m not suggesting that I upload LinkedIn into my CRM, but I will have rules around what is mine and when it gets added to the system.

2. I’d have a social media policy which was “grown up”. It would protect me every day (not just when I’m in court) and it would be one that was stuffed full of common sense and practical clauses – I’d accept that a LinkedIn contact is not mine because a consultant blinked at it on LinkedIn. I’d only care about the ones that were talking to. (See point 1)

3. I’d make my business process REALLY simple, then I’d document it and keep it in people’s faces all day long!

4. I’d invest in a little data cleaning then flick the ears of consultants who make it dirty!

5. I’d use sexy analytics software whilst stroking my white fluffy cat – I’d want to drive my business, not just run it!

6. I’d introduce a 5 minute social media check into my “best” candidates’ process. I wouldn’t wait for the (82% of) clients to find something that puts them off. (82% of clients polled recently claimed that they use social media to vet their candidates.)

7. I’d create a shift-based environment and make sure that my business and consultants operate when candidates are online and accessible. Even in the “good old days” I remember recruiters working “lates” at least one day per week. This was even before the latest stats which suggest that talent is online and the most accessible between 6 and 10 pm.

8. I’d have a strategy for working WITH hiring managers – I’d make it my job to make hiring managers look good – they have their own agendas and often a very pressured role. We won’t get anywhere if we fight this. But we also have to be firm in our resolve when we are best placed to support. I would be a specialist in my market, confident (not arrogant) in my strengths and abilities and thus not afraid to push back (or even cull?).

9. I’d make my finance team use LinkedIn to start and build relationships with their counterparts in our clients’ businesses. I’d want to make sure that the invoicing process went as smoothly as possible – people who are “friends” often pay bills quicker.

10. Every year, I’d crack open a bottle of something thick and red, take a long hard look at my business and ask myself “which 3 problems do I want to annihilate next year” and I’d then look for technology (solutions to solve them). I’d stop getting caught up in the next “cool tool” and think about my hot issues first (see our latest #RecHangout on this – lots of discussion about how recruitment owner/managers need to think about the tech in their business).

By the way, for those of you who “loved the last article but you were kidding about point 1, right”? No, I was deadly serious – and if you think that buying sweeties to help you candidates settle in on day one and build relationships with their new team members is a crazy idea, then I clearly need to follow this blog with a “when did you last think about your candidates post placement?” rant.  Louise knew I was serious as she included it in her 10 Ways to Act Like You Give a Stuff about The Candidate.

If you could do anything different with your recruitment agency, what would it be? (Or perhaps you’ve got it nailed?)