"Time" ... The 2016 Recruiter Conundrum.

We all know that some of the most common obstacles keeping people from getting what they want in any industry are challenges directly relating to time (or lack of). The interesting thing about the recruitment industry is that it's literally bursting at the seams with them, so I thought what better way to help address them than write a nice, LinkedIn-friendly post to share the most common ones I thought you'd all recognise. Here goes...

1. Time Wasters 

This is a good one to get started with. The bane of most working professionals' lives. Recruiters, like many other sales professionals, lend a lot of their success to the relationships they build with their clients, both with hiring companies and the candidates seeking work. There's absolutely NOTHING more infuriating than what we like to call a "no-show". The sad thing is, we've all had them and will continue to have them. The reason of course is because we are in an industry where the "product" being sold has a heartbeat. The product has a mind that can wander and a conscience that is affected by both logical and emotional factors.  

Solution: There really isn't a straight forward solution to this one. I've witnessed people try to combat this by arranging candidate meetings closer to their office; or arranging the client meetings in clusters so that when a cancellation happens, the impact is far less. Others have dealt with it by only arranging meetings once much further into the relationship building process and this is something I tend to opt for myself. For the general population in most instances, we like to see the value in going out of our way for someone we know/trust very little. The resolution is to build up that trust prior to meeting so that the value is very clear to the attending party. Easier said than done, I know. 

2. Time Management

Some say that there aren't enough hours in the day. Others say that the working day never truly ends for successful people. Whatever the cheesy, cliché line your company uses, the message is still the same. Time management has a huge impact on how successful we as sales people can be. This of course isn't just an issue to face recruitment, but pretty much every business ever. To-do lists coming out of your ears, BD calls to make, candidates to hunt down and review meetings to conduct - the list is pretty much never ending in the world of recruitment. I remember in my first week in recruitment, one of the senior consultants said to me as I said I was preparing to home at the end of the day- " Finished already? There's always more to do if you need me to show you?". Recruitment is an industry that has a tendency to run on throughout the day, irrelevant of your working hours, so there's a danger of always delaying things because you never feel like your days actually end. 

Solution: Apart from the obvious, which is to check my other post about time management myths and solutions, of course the simplest answer is that time-old catchphrase - work smarter, not harder. Day plans, goals for what you want to get out of the day can help you focus. Power hours or short allotted time slots can help you be super-productive in bursts throughout the day. Ultimately, those little bursts are much better than the prolonged intensity some people try and achieve for 8 hours solid, which (if you're honest) never really happens.

3. Two-Timing

Working in a highly competitive industry is something all recruiters are used to. That still doesn't stop us on the odd occasion getting slightly attached to some of our clients, which makes it all the more painful when you find out there's another agency on the scene. Or the more often occurring one -  your candidates using several recruiters for different roles. How could they do this to you? Surely you already told them the benefits of working exclusively and how quality tends to decrease when it becomes more of a race against time with CV delivery. 

Solution: The solution to this is very simple. Set the expectations from the beginning VERY CLEARLY. Give regular updates to all those involved and as long as everyone feels they understand what's going on and are getting a good service, this very rarely happens. It's only when people feel that there is a lack in communication that they start thinking they have to look elsewhere for the answers and support. 

4. Over Time

In an industry that has the potential to run all hours of the day, it's no surprise that once you start, you tend to lose the social elements of your life. Office working hours can sometimes often mean you're out of the house for a good 12 hours for a large proportion of the week, with candidate calls spilling into the evening when most of your prime people are able to freely speak. This in turn can mean that your family, friends and all those that you care dearly about (including the pets) think your job takes over your life too much and you'd be better off packing bags in your local supermarket!

Solution: Of course here, the solution differs depending on who you work for but for the most companies, perks are in place to make the loss of one's social life almost unoticeable by replacing it with an even bigger, more boistrous one. You know what I'm talking about. The lunch clubs that start at midday and end at midnight, the mid-week team drinks that end up with John being sick on himself from drinking too much Sake and we can't forget the social trips to places like Go Ape, 10 Pin Bowling and the Races. The solution to ensuring a good work life balance is very much about keeping strong time managment skills during the days core working hours and then actually knowing when to switch off from it all so you can enjoy yourself without thinking about CVs, interviews and placements.

5. Time Out

Recruitment, like many other sales based industries, has the challenge of being so fast paced that when an issue arises, there is no way to avoid it, only the option to deal with it. When things go wrong at work and you make mistakes, it's human nature to want to go and stick your head under a duvet and hide. In a sales based industry, there isn't that luxury to just, well... be in a mood about it all day, as you're consistantly dealing with other customers, other clients and candidates that need your care and attention. A challenge presented by this is not being able to take a time out to relfect over what mistakes you've made for a period of time and really understand why it happened and what you can do to avoid it in future. 

Solution: Now this problem and solution are double-ended. There is a positive in the problem because you are constantly encouraged to deal with uncomfortable situations and this is the perfect environment for learning and growing. The down-side is that the smaller issues tend to either go under the radar or unnoticed by seniors because everybody just has so much going on. The solution is to give yourslef a time out. A period where you are able to sit down with your senior or manager and run through issues you face on a regular basis. This allows any smaller issues to be addressed and for you to feel like you're not developing bad habits in the midst of the chaos that is sometimes recruitment.

6. The Big Time    

This is the main reason a lot of people choose recruitment as a career path. The sweet allure of the big time money, the perceived dossing/networking and no prior experience required to join the industry make the possibility of earning more than most doctors do definitely produces a challenge within recruitment. Initially there is this idea that you might earn as much as £50K in your first year and surely that would be enough money to make an experienced worker plough through the hard times and challenges because that earning potential is "possible". Obviously, if recruitment was that easy - everyone would be doing it!!! Recruitment is not for the faint hearted. The times when the money isn't there because you had a drop out, or a client lost budget for an offer or the candidate took an another job that you couldn't beat makes the job very, very difficult. It's all sunshine and roses when you're taking home a fat wallet at the end of the month and everyone's done well and wants to celebrate together. On the flip-side, recruitment has a way of really pushing you to the edge and challenging personality traits that you never thought were changeable about yourself. It becomes a true test of character when faced both with the monetary successes and failures in recruitment. 

Solution: If money is one of the main drivers for being in recruitment, or any sales role in fact, then it really does pay to have your reason "why". It's a time old saying in sales that "If you know the how, the why is easy" and this directly refers to remembering your motivations. Money very rarely is someone's direct motivation. It's often what that money means to someone. Buying their first house, taking their family on holiday, buying that car you wanted, clearing debt from earlier life or paying towards a better education for you or your loved ones. The solution to the problem of the "big time money" is to always remember your reason why. If it's something that means enough to you, chances are you will summon the strength to carry on through the tough times and into the good. 

7. Time Will Tell

Recruitment is not for the faint hearted. It's an emotional and turbulent ride that will lay bare your weaknesses for all to see - employers, clients and candidates alike. The challenge with recruitment is that it's a job, again like most sales roles, that you can only master over time. You need to give yourself time to face different situations and challenges before you understand and learn how to deal with and overcome them. Learn how to be a good recruiter and it can be the best job in the world, but get it wrong and it can be a full blown soul-sucker-outter!   

Solution: There's only one thing that can ever control the ability to be success in recruitment alongside time in the industry. This boils down quite simply to you and the company you work for. It's 50% about your capability, attitude, willingness to learn, bounce back and develop a thick skin. The other 50% the company you work for. Your employer can impact your success in dealing with all the above in the support they provide to you on your journey, the team you work in and their ability to collaborate well with you, the technology/systems on offer and the ability to make you feel valued and appreciated. 

So, I hope you enjoyed the read everyone! See you back here soon for my next post! :) 

Peace.

Charley