If you are a recruiter who wants to advance your career, you need to stand out from the crowd and demonstrate your value to your employer. But how can you get your work noticed and earn a promotion in recruiting? Here are some tips to help you achieve your professional goals.
One of the first steps to get your work noticed is to set SMART objectives for yourself and your team. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. These criteria help you define what you want to accomplish, how you will measure your progress, whether it is realistic, how it aligns with your employer's vision, and when you will complete it. By setting SMART objectives, you can show your manager that you have a clear plan, that you are proactive, and that you can deliver results.
First of all be open with your leader and highlight that you feel you are ready for the next step- what would their advice be- are there courses that can support your growth? Set yourself targets- where do you want to get to and when?
Another way to get your work noticed is to seek feedback and mentoring from your manager, peers, and clients. Feedback helps you identify your strengths and areas for improvement, and learn from your mistakes. Mentoring helps you gain insights, advice, and guidance from someone who has more experience and knowledge in your field. By seeking feedback and mentoring, you can show your manager that you are eager to learn, that you value different perspectives, and that you can apply best practices to your work.
Absolutely! Seeking feedback can significantly enhance your growth in the recruiting field as it demonstrates your commitment to self-improvement and willingness to learn from others. This proactive approach can indeed get your work noticed and valued within the recruiting landscape.
A third way to get your work noticed is to showcase your achievements in a professional and consistent manner. Achievements are the outcomes and impacts of your work, such as filling a hard-to-hire position, improving the candidate experience, or reducing the cost-per-hire. You can showcase your achievements by updating your portfolio, resume, and LinkedIn profile, by creating case studies or testimonials, and by sharing your success stories with your manager, team, and network. By showcasing your achievements, you can show your manager that you are proud of your work, that you have a positive reputation, and that you can add value to the organization.
I recommend becoming a mentor to others on your team if possible - helping them get better not only strengthens the team, but it shows you have a knack for leading others. Another area of note is to be extremely collaborative with your hiring managers and other areas of the business such as IT for new hires/HR for onboarding/etc. Other employees will talk about how great of a team player you are, etc. and that will eventually get back to your manager or even above them - which would also give you a leg up for a promotion.
Numbers! Showing the right numbers at the end of every performance cycle is key to getting recognized as well as promoted as a recruiter. For this, you need to track your metrics (ideally on a good ATS) and ensure you use it for your self-improvement as well. Some of the metrics are - - Time to close a role/candidate - Applicant to offer ratio for your candidates - Offer to join ratio - Candidate NPS on the process averaged out for your candidates.
An effective method is 3rd party recommendations describing how your process reduced cost, increased revenue, and strengthened the team. This comes from the market and users, rather than just from the marketing department.
Toot your own horn! In the world of recruiting, making noise about your wins is key to climbing the career ladder. Don't be shy – shout about your successes, especially the ones that patch up the weak spots in your team. Share the good news on LinkedIn, pitch in team meetings with energy, and drop those wins in your Slack or MS Teams chats. Don't forget to jot down your victories. Having a record not only reinforces your role but also gives you solid ammo when it's time to make the case for that promotion. Self-promotion is more than just bragging; it's about showcasing the real value you bring. So, get loud about your wins and let your success stories propel you upward in your recruiting career!
A fourth way to get your work noticed is to expand your skills and knowledge in recruiting and related fields. Skills and knowledge are the abilities and information that you need to perform your work effectively and efficiently, such as sourcing, screening, interviewing, or negotiating. You can expand your skills and knowledge by taking online courses, attending webinars or workshops, reading books or blogs, or joining professional associations or communities. By expanding your skills and knowledge, you can show your manager that you are curious, that you keep up with the latest trends and innovations, and that you can enhance your performance.
A piece of advice I learned reading about fighter pilots in the RAF: "It is not about the strength of the plane, but instead it's the ability to react to different situations that makes a fighter jet." The best fighter pilots can adjust to more circumstances than the norm, making them much deadlier. This is also true for us as Recruiters. If you can only fill jobs, you are limited by your contribution. However, if you can also build or lead teams, run operations and projects, harness new and emerging technology or lead service reviews and presentations, suddenly you become a lot more valuable and a promotion will not only seem viable, but inevitable.
A fifth way to get your work noticed is to volunteer for new projects and challenges that align with your career aspirations and interests. Projects and challenges are the tasks and problems that require your creativity, collaboration, and problem-solving skills, such as launching a new recruitment campaign, implementing a new technology, or improving a process. You can volunteer for new projects and challenges by expressing your interest to your manager, by proposing new ideas or solutions, or by taking the initiative to start or lead them. By volunteering for new projects and challenges, you can show your manager that you are ambitious, that you can adapt to change, and that you can contribute to the organization's growth and success.