Recruitment Radar - Issue 14

The one where we remember, to believe.

??ANNOUNCEMENT: Recruitment is clearly and most definitely bRokEN!

I know this because an influencer said so. But it's ok! We've got someone to save the day...

Gareth Southgate, you and your England team are complete legends!

What a difference it makes when there is positivity in the air! People are riding the wave of optimism, possibility, and potential. Conversations are light-hearted, jokes are cheeky, and people are taking things just that little bit less seriously. You can almost taste the celebrations. I am here for it!

I know things have been challenging for many (and still are). But you know that thing that happens when you start to come out the other side? You notice how much you have been dragged down by the weight of how heavy things are. This week feels like a moment when the shackles have been released. Let yourself swim freely to the surface and fill your lungs. Breathe deeply. Feel your shoulders relax downwards, take another breath, and notice that you didn't realise you'd been holding them tight and tense for so long.

This is a signal to bin off all the neggy vibes that come from external sources. That sh1t creeps in and before you know it, you're adding to it. I am so over some of the industry-depreciating, sly, and at times insulting commentary that floats around on LinkedIn. Especially when the author positions themselves in the saviour role. Steven, I'm grateful for your "observation" of our industry in your announcement this week, it helped me to see this for what it is. Scripted words, written for effect.

I am also delighted you want to be part of our industry and I wish you luck and success (I love also how you've fallen into recruitment, just like the rest of us! ??).

But know this, recruitment isn't broken, but our spirit might have been just a little bit.

Positive energy is infectious.

See this week as a moment to know good things are to come and that you have pure potential.

Shares this week help you to remember who you are. It's time to believe again.

Posts are hyperlinked to the titles.

The top "saved for later" for last week

1. If you don't like doing this, I'm not sure a career in recruitment is for you ?? Business Development - All. Of. The. Time.

Real talk from Rachel Bradman this week. Rachel shares "I've spent 30 years watching consultancies "revolutionize recruitment". And that regardless of how you choose to dress and add accessories, sales is a key function of the role in a recruitment consultancy.

In its most simple terms

"Retaining clients is key to having a continual foundation. But winning new ones is vital to keep that funnel full."

I agree if you work in an agency, regardless of your role, you are responsible for retaining customers (clients and candidates) and engaging new ones. Is what you are doing affecting one or the other? If it's not, it's not fit for business purposes.

SALES AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT

2. "Sell the benefits, not the features"

Or as folk in the olden days used to say "Sell the sizzle and not the sausage"

What? You're telling me that humans are still influenced by what benefits them? Yes!

Jon Brooks shares the fact that "categorising products by the benefits they provide, not their features, led to up to 57% more sales. And the more specific the benefit, the more products were sold."

Selling the benefits using FABs fell out of fashion. Mainly because they are a form of "push influence" and salespeople became "too pushy" It's not the principle that's flawed, it's alignment to customer needs, the delivery, and the communication.

Let's talk if you want your teams to convert more business and engage more customers through effective selling and influencing. Check out last week's newsletter which asked "Where's the beef?" for more on this.

SELLING AND INFLUENCING

3. Through our partnership, we helped accelerate the scaling of their tech function, paving the way for crucial projects to be delivered on time.

If you want an example of brilliant communication of value and benefits delivered to customers. Look no further than Patrick Waites and his team at Coltech

There's not much to add, they are doing great work, delivering phenomenal results and adding tremendous value. Bravo.

CUSTOMER SUCCESS, CASE STUDIES

4. How to notice, maximise, and nurture our human edge in our role alongside amazing tech advances.

This post comes from the brilliant Laura Thomson-Staveley Laura is someone I've only ever nearly worked with. We've worked in the same business at different times, we share the same ex-team and ex-manager. Randomly her neighbour is someone I've trained. I love that we are connected because she shares some much-needed perspectives about AI.

"If ChatGPT writes your emails, it’s your interpersonal relationships and reputation that means people actually open and read them. I share practical tips for bringing our human edge to life and conversation starters for leaders looking to guide their teams with vision and optimism."

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, HUMAN INTERACTION

5. "Not doing the 'thing' usually isn't the biggest problem."

Do you ever struggle with doing the thing? You know that one thing that will move you forward. You might brace yourself for the thing and tell yourself to "Go" using JFDI, 5,4,3,2,1 The one thing, eat the frog....

Not doing the thing isn't the biggest problem, ?? Liz Mulhall shares how "It's what you tell yourself about not doing the 'thing' that often causes suffering and can create feelings of shame and guilt." Using the stick is not always the most effective tool for self-motivation. We need something else to draw on.

MINDSET, COACHING

And that's a wrap!

I'll leave you with this painfully true representation of sales coaching in recruitment businesses up and down the country. Thanks, Richard Smith

If you want to learn and become a coach who truly transforms their sales teams into high-performance, Let's talk

COACH THE COACH

Have a brilliant week and remember, it's already home. You just got to believe.

Migsy