To KPI or Not to KPI...That is the Question!

KPIs…Key Performance Indicators…or, as they are commonly referred to in the recruiting and sales arena: Metrics! Should you track them? Yes – IF they are aligned properly and if your team understands why they are important to THEM.? If not, don’t bother.?

We love KPIs them because they give us tangible data and can be indicators with respect to how our recruiters are performing, right?? Maybe, maybe not. Once again, it depends on what you are measuring and how it relates to production.

Your KPIs might be Indicators of the AMOUNT of work recruiters are doing, yes.? But are they PERFORMANCE?? That depends on the recruiter.? Because in the world of recruiting, what exactly is performance?? What is it we are ultimately measured on and paid for?

Delivering quality candidates to the client, that’s what.

So let’s keep our eyes on the prize, shall we?? This means starts (for recruiters focused on contract placement) and placements (for direct hire recruiters).? Try not to overthink this and lose sight of what is ultimately our job.?

Don’t get me wrong, KPIs are important. But KPMs may mean more.? Those would be ‘Key Productivity Metrics.’? Productivity measures the activities a recruiter performs on a daily basis (calls, emails, texts, interviews, send outs, client meetings, etc.).? If I want to measure performance, I look at one thing – how many candidates are they delivering to clients.? Placements and starts.? Period.? At the end of the day, that’s what counts. Productivity – the right productivity – can lead to good performance. And that’s why you need to be measuring the productivity you know will impact performance. You want your recruiters to want to be productive because they understand and know how and why their productivity leads to placement (and income!).

Otherwise, you will have a team of recruiters that are hitting a metric number for the sake of hitting a number.? And that’s not good for anyone.

Not all recruiters are created equal.? And therefore not all recruiters can be managed exactly the same.

As you mature as a recruiter, you (ideally) get more efficient, your network grows, so you should not need to reach out to as many people to land your candidate of choice.? It becomes a quality over quantity thing. Thus, your productivity metric levels change.

But for those not as tenured or experienced, volume is important.? Their networks are not as vast and thus they need to do more to place more.? Novice recruiters need to understand this and recognize that everyone starts in the same place.? It take work and time to evolve and mature.

It’s been my experience that most recruiters hate the concept of metrics.? And it’s not entirely their fault.? In those cases, it is usually because management has not explained ‘why’ they are asking them to perform at certain levels of activity/productivity.?

I can sum up my thoughts on metrics with the following real-life example:

I once had a recruiter ask me, “How many phone calls should I be making in a week?”? I responded by asking her, “What is your weekly goal?”? She informed me that her weekly goal was to interview/screen at least 12 candidates.? “Then,” I replied, “You need to make as many phone calls as it takes to reach your goal.”? In this example, if the recruiter in question is told they need to make 500 calls per week, and they make the calls but still do not hit their production goal of 12 interviews, then what good is the 500 calls metric?? They still didn’t hit their ultimate production goal of the 12 interviews.? They need to be self-disciplined to make more calls if they need it.? Similarly, if they only make 300 calls yet interview 14 candidates, they should not be penalized for not hitting their call volume (because the production goal was met – and THAT is where the focus should ultimately be).

The best recruiters realize that they need to do as much as it takes to make as many placements as they are held accountable for (or that they need to make in order to achieve their personal monetary goals).

So, yes, we need to have productivity metrics for recruiters. Yes, we need KPIs. But in doing so, we have to remember to remain focused on the ultimate measure of our performance.

Placements.

John Ruffini is the Vice President of Professional Development for HealthTrust Workforce Solutions in Sunrise, Florida.?He is a 30-year recruiting veteran, trainer, and motivator and is the author of the Amazon Best Sellers “Money Makers:?Proven Ways to Increase Sales and Productivity in the World of Professional Recruiting” ? and “A Quest for Alex.”

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