In past blogs I have focused on the relational aspect of recruiting. There is another aspect just as
important, but perhaps not as intuitive, and that is the habitual side of a recruiting strategy. It is one 
thing to identify a strategy or process, but another to commit to the execution of said strategy.
The single most important aspect of any recruiting strategy is engagement, be it prospecting, interviewing or following-up. It is the foundation of any recruiting process, without it you cannot build and sustain a recruiting pipeline that will convert to hiring talent. Paul Castain, Vice President of Castain Training Systems, wrote a blog extolling the pitfalls of inconsistent prospecting relative to sales, but I usually see parallels in the wonderful world of recruiting in general.
To summarize, Paul pointed out three problems with inconsistent prospecting, two of which stood out to me:
- You’re visibility is severely diminished. Without consistent contact your prospects won’t really know who you are or feel connected to you in any meaningful way. People want to work with people they know, like and trust. If you are not engaging with them they won’t engage with you.
- You’re giving your competition the advantage. You could have the best brand in the world, but if you aren’t talking with a prospect, you know your competitors are.
I would say the number one complaint I hear repeatedly from managers regarding the task of recruiting, is that they just don’t have the time. There are meetings to be had, fires to be extinguished, agents/staff knocking on doors… This is where the habitual side of recruiting comes into play.
Schedule your “engagement time” (yes, another feeble attempt at re-framing the term recruiting). I mean, literally put it on your calendar like any other appointment. Put on the proverbial “do not disturb” sign and shut your door. Make this a recurring “appointment” as many times per week as you can to:
- Make calls
- Send emails
- Document your action for the day, including a date for follow-up contact or scheduled meetings
- Rinse and repeat
I don’t know if I have any “dare devils” out there, but like Paul did for those in sales, I challenge you to open up your calendar and schedule your “engagement time(s)” and kick-start your recruiting habits.
Editor's Note: Lee Gray is the Senior Account Manager at Tidemark Inc. Lee is a guest contributor to WorkPuzzle. Comments or questions are welcome. .
