PROSPER - Principles for Success

Guest article by Barbara J. Bruno, CPC, CTS, CEO of Good as Gold Training, Inc.As a recruiter, you must dedicate yourself to discovering principles that will allow you to do your job better, and as a result, increase sales, profits and your income.This article will address seven areas that will help you prosper the remainder of 2015 and beyond.P Plan and PrioritizeR Results Oriented ActivityO OrganizeS Share ExpectationsP Principles of SalesE Elevate Sales and ProfitsR Right Things at the Right TimeP – PLAN AND PRIORITIZEAny business exists for one reason: to make a profit. Recruiters are not in business to:

• Provide jobs for their employees
• Do everything themselves
• React to issues rather than proactively take control

Planning and prioritizing requires a higher level of skill than shooting from the hip. You must:

• Know and understand your goals and focus
• Schedule important issues
• Be precise and detailed
• Commit to completing your six top priorities daily
• Coordinate efforts
• Plan for the entire week (1/52 of your annual plan)
• Stop preventable interruptions and issues

R - RESULTS ORIENTED ACTIVITYHere are some realities in our profession:

• Constant distractions
• People on both sides of our sale
• Everyone’s demands can appear like a top priority
• Stuff happens
• Working hard or long hours doesn’t guarantee success

Despite these truths, results oriented activity requires that you:

• Determine actions closest to the profit
• Understand best business (what business should be written and worked)
• Create systems, including recruiting software with ATS, and follow them
• Issue send-outs for most placeable candidates

O - ORGANIZEIt is simple - prosperity is not drawn to disorganization. You must be the most organized person in your office. Organization also greatly assists time management.S - SHARE EXPECTATIONSYou should create expectations for the following:Clients

• What they can expect from your firm
• What you need from them to attract talent they will hire

Candidates

• What they can expect from you
• What you need from them in order to find them a job

Recruiting is a relationship building business. Communication is key to your success and sharing expectations up front greatly improves communication.P - PRICIPLES OF SALESPrinciple #1 – Demonstrate Top Production Behavior

• Arrive early
• Address issues that are not in alignment with your firm’s vision and goals
• Talk with a strength of purpose
• Maintain a positive attitude
• Hit or surpass daily minimum results

Principle #2 – Always SellStaffing and Recruiting is a sales profession. Continue to pre-close throughout the entire placement process to enhance your ability to successfully close deals.Principle #3 - Measure For SuccessThe expression, “What gets measured, gets focused on,” is true. Measurements of activities in sales provide feedback in order to:

• Set standards for activities that lead to desired sales results
• Measure activities at different parts of the sales process
• Make adjustments to activity areas that need improvement
• Measure against the new results and then repeat the process

Principle #4 – Minimum StandardsSales is a repeatable process. You can accurately predict your production when you know your personal minimum stats and ratios.E - ELEVATE SALES AND PROFITSMost of your focus should be directed at consistently increasing production to enhance sales and profits. The number that is most important to monitor is your send-out totals and your send-out to placement or fill ratio. If you consistently increase send-outs you will consistently increase production. Make sure you're employing a recruiting CRM and applicant tracking system for recruiters that can help you achieve your goals.R - RIGHT THINGS AT THE RIGHT TIMEDefine the areas of responsibility that are most important for you to accomplish and focus on top priorities. Determine the 20% of actions that provides you with 80% of your results and then focus on consistently increasing the 20% of your actions that are result oriented.Conduct weekly reviews to keep your sales and business growth on track.

• What did I do right?
• How did I waste time?
• What do I need to change or implement next week?

Follow these principles and you will help your business prosper!