You've all heard the saying "If it were easy, everyone would do it."
Ben wrote a great piece on the difference between microwave and crock pot recruiting that gets to the heart of the above principle.
Every tool and philosophy we espouse at Tidemark is built upon this central principle. I'm not surprised to say that 95% of our clients hold to this principle as well. They have an underlying conviction that in order to see results tomorrow, they must engage in constant, systematic, and seamless steps today. It's understood that "microwave" recruiting will only result in producing low hanging fruit that competitors are also vying for; And conversely that "crock pot" recruiting, may take more time and discipline, but over time yields the higher caliber and supplemental fruit that companies need to beat the competition.
The difference in conversation content between a microwave recruiter and a crock pot recruiter resembles two entirely different languages. A microwave recruiter offers every anecdotal excuse under the sun, with no metrics to back it up. In fact, metrics are absent from the language of the microwave recruiter altogether. If you ask them a metric question, they give you another anecdotal answer. Ask them how many candidates it takes to get ten interviews...or how many interviews it takes to get each hire, and then give them a week to come up with this information. What do they provide? More excuses. Why? Because they don't track it. We all know that what isn't measured cannot be managed, predicted, and improved upon.
Now, don't get me wrong...there are always factors that change those percentages and numbers from one cycle to the next. We're all aware that there is a time and place to dissect reasons to interpret the changes in percentages around the metrics. But, excuses with no grounding in metrics amount to sheer laziness and avoidance of accountability.
Discipline is really the key to all of this. Disciplined people and organizations rarely offer excuses. They implement systems to drive, track and improve performance.
Read carefully the definition of Discipline:
- Training expected to produce a specific character or pattern of behavior.
- Controlled behavior resulting from training.
- A set of rules or methods.
- Activity, exercise, or a regimen that develops or improves a skill.
- Behavior in accord with rules of conduct; behavior and order maintained by training and control.
- A set or system of rules and regulations.
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote a four-part piece on an expert recruiter (Andy Nazaroff) who clearly exercises discipline (1,2,3,4). He provides specifics regarding calls, interviews, information, timing, conduct, etc...and all of these methods amount to consistent and impressive success.
Why am I excited about the discipline that so many of our clients practice, and frustrated with the opposite? It comes down to a belief system. We believe that measuring discipline drives results, and increases responsibility -- two characteristics of every successful company.
Let me know your thoughts and your own methods for assuring your own discipline.
In an upcoming article, I hope to feature a manager who is disciplined in working the experienced agent pipeline...
Editor's Note: This article was written by Dr. David Mashburn. Dave is a Clinical and Consulting Psychologist, a Partner at Tidemark, Inc. and a regular contributor to WorkPuzzle. Comments or questions are welcome. If you're an email subscriber, reply to this WorkPuzzle email. If you read the blog directly from the web, you can click the "comments" link below.
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