Mentorship can be a transformative experience for recruitment directors, and yet it’s often overlooked.

A single idea can change the trajectory of your company. For example, I recently mentored two directors on how to improve accountability in their business and I also coached them on their biggest challenge – converting more of the vacancies they take into placements.

Within just 10 weeks, they’ve had the best-ever month in the company’s history. More importantly, they now have a sustainable, measurable process that will generate long-term consistent revenue.

Mentors can help directors to refine their leadership styles by providing feedback and sharing their own experiences. Did you know, for example, that Steve Jobs mentored Mark Zuckerberg during the early days of Facebook?

Improved Decision-Making

Running a business can be a lonely place. Many directors end up wrestling with important decisions. Sometimes they can’t ‘see the wood for the trees’ – which can lead to prevarication, increased stress and a negative impact upon family life.

A good mentor will act as a sounding board. One of the businesses where I was a board advisor grew from ￡6 million to over ￡100 million turnover. From time to time, I would receive an evening call from one of the directors outlining a challenge. Quite often, he would explain the problem to me and then after 15 minutes or so he would say; “thanks for listening Mike, I’ve just worked it out.”

He told me a few times that he wouldn’t have been able to work out the problem without having an impartial person listening attentively to it.

On other occasions, however, I would stop him in his tracks and point out that I’d seen other people fail in what he was planning to do. Passing on my experience, both good and bad.

In essence, a good mentor provides guidance and support for directors to navigate the complexities of leadership and enhance business performance.

Measurement

The majority of directors I’ve met, don’t enjoy management. And most of them have never even been trained how to manage.

A good mentor will help the director to look at management and measurement through a different lens. They’ll have the experience to know that simply measuring KPIs such as 1st interviews and CVs sent is not the best way to manage the improvement of business development and candidate sourcing in a business.

They’ll open the eyes of directors to other critical measurements and they’ll equip the directors with the skills to buy-in staff to perform the most important tasks that will take them to great success. In short, they’ll help the directors to improve their coaching ability which, according to independent blind studies by both Google and Microsoft correlates directly with the best performing sales teams.

Networks And Introductions

Mentorship often opens doors to new connections that can be invaluable for business growth. One recruitment company I worked with in the north of England had tried and failed several times to develop consistent new business streams in Europe. They particularly wanted to develop their contractor base in Europe. I introduced them to someone from my network who had substantial experience in this area and they now have a thriving office in the Netherlands.

Two other companies that I mentored wanted to have more retained business. I introduced them to an industry supplier that provides a unique differentiator to help close more retained business. Both directors that I mentored ended up setting up separate specialist, retained recruitment companies. Those two new businesses now have 30+ staff and 50+ staff respectively.

Following an exit strategy planning day with two directors of another recruitment company I mentored, I introduced them to someone in my network who was doing advisory work to the industry. She ended up becoming their new managing director and when the business was sold the two directors made a clean exit because by then it was her that the buyer wanted to lock in.

Mentoring doesn’t just have to be a paid advisor. It might be someone in your network. For instance, Elon Musk sought advice from Larry Page, co-founder of Google, which has likely facilitated strategic partnerships and collaborations. This expanded network can lead to new opportunities and insights that drive business success.

Personal Development

No one is the finished article. Many successful CEOs, including Bill Gates, attribute part of their success to the guidance of mentors. I own a training business but one could argue that the most important personal development investment a CEO could make is to invest in themselves.

When was the last time you invested in yourself?

Talent Development and Retention

One of the eye-openers for directors that I have helped personally, is the importance of creating a culture of continual development for every single person in the company.

Very often, the greatest ROI can be achieved by improving the skills of experienced recruiters and yet the majority of recruitment directors abdicate this responsibility.

One of the businesses where I worked as a board advisor (and who exited for ￡Multi-millions) put it this way:

“L&D should be at the core of your business”

If you’ve ever wondered why you have a revolving door in your recruitment company, I’ve just given you a clue. Companies with formal mentorship programmes report higher employee retention rates, as employees feel valued and engaged. This approach not only saves costs associated with turnover but also builds a more skilled and committed workforce.

The directors

What does a managing director do? Well, of course they have ultimate responsibility for the running of the business, but one of the most important and overlooked elements of being an MD is that they manage the other directors.

In many recruitment companies there is a lack of clear accountability for each director. “I thought you were doing that” “Err, no, we agreed that you would do it”

A good mentor will pass on their experience of running effective management and board meetings where each director has clear, individual accountabilities. They’ll guide the MD and help them develop the next generation of leaders. And they’ll introduce mantras such as:

Focus gets things done

Occasionally, they’ll provide impartial home truths about the capability of the leadership team. One company I worked with had three directors and despite trying everything they could, there was an imbalance at board level. After meeting with the three of them I uncovered that one of the directors really wanted to do something else. I shared an idea with him that lit his fire and that ultimately resulted in his two business partners buying him out, whilst at the same time giving him the ability to create a new non-competing business. He still runs that company to this day and has been extremely successful. And his previous company has gone on from strength to strength.

Attracting top talent

I was MD of a recruitment company that started in London and ultimately opened in Dublin, Edinburgh, Sydney, Melbourne, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Bangkok.

Why is it that some recruitment companies only ever grow to 10 or 15 staff, and retract to 3 or 4 before growing again to 10 or 15? Rinse and repeat.

A good mentor will help the recruitment director to enhance the company’s ability to attract and retain top talent.

In summary, personal development is not just for your staff, it’s for you. With guidance from experienced mentors, directors can improve their decision-making, enhance their leadership skills, expand their networks, turn their business into a talent magnet, and build a strong organizational culture. The ripple effects of effective mentorship can lead to a more resilient and successful business and help you to leave a lasting impact on your recruitment company and the people who work for you.

Facing challenges in your business or looking to take it to the next level? Book a time in my diary here for a confidential consultation.