Recruiting Minutes

How Will You Pay Your Share?

Recruiting Minutes — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:33:00 GMT

Talk about having to take a pause... The National Debt Clock in NYC can no longer show the true national debt. Read this article to see the details, but apparently when it was put up in 1989, no one thought the national debt would grow greater than 9.9 TRILLION dollars. This week, it went over $10 Trillion, hence the problem. There aren't enough digits available on the sign.

Now that isn't as scary as the bottom number... the "Your Family's Share of $86,017." How is it possible that each family's share of the national debt is double the average earnings of an average family, with most families living on wages that are a third of their share of the debt? I also must mention that this is in addition to each families personal debt, such as their mortgage, car payments, credit card debt. Are you listening now??

Assuming the average family has at least a $200,000 mortgage, $15,000 car loan and $5,000 worth of credit cards (and believe me, these are VERY low assumptions, most everyone I know in my age group has higher balances than this) and earns $43,000 per year (approximately the national average) it will take them over 7 years to pay off both their debt and their share of the current debt.

Keep in mind, that these figures DO NOT include groceries, gasoline, or other daily living expenses! This is paying every dime in income to either their *assumed* personal debt, and their income taxes (not property taxes, not sales taxes and certainly not STATE taxes).

A person earning $43,000 per year, would pay about $13,330 in income taxes alone. (Remember, these are all approximate, made up numbers I am just playing with right now). Realistically, if those taxes were dedicated to the national debt, after 7 years, this wage earner would have paid $93,310 in income taxes. The problem lies in the fact that this is not the final debt, and does not take into account the annual federal budgets. Those budgets eat up every cent of income tax that every taxpayer pays, and then some, since there are other taxes that I don't even get into for this one, so every year the national debt increases to make up the difference.

After 7 years, and payments of $93,310, the nation and the taxpayer will not have reduced either of their shares of the national debt at all. So... how will you pay your share, if what you do pay does not contribute to paying off the debt, and you can't control what is spent to begin with?

Why I Research EVERYTHING!

Recruiting Minutes — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 18:38:00 GMT

I am researching companies in my area, that are currently hiring recruiters. I research most of the companies prior to sending my resume (if possible) just to make sure that not only would I fit their needs, but also to make sure the opportunity would fit MY needs. Sometimes I can tell by their website (or lack of website is more appropriate) if I should send in my resume.

One company that is currently hiring for an IT recruiting position does NOT have a working website. They have a web page (with inactive links) so the only information I can see about them is their 2 paragraph "blurb" about the company, and they have NO job postings (not even old or expired ones as far as I can see) on any of the major job boards.

I only have one thing to say... NEXT!

The next company has a working website, and is also hiring an IT Senior Technical Recruiter. When you pull up their website, their career page is static, without even a link to send in your resume. No contact information visible anywhere on the career page... they do at least have 3 or 4 active postings on major job boards.

The next item I find is on their client list... several of the client names are spelled wrong! These are major brands, and one of them happens to be one of my favorite brands of all time. Maybe they don't have permission to use their client's name in their advertising (I know some of my former clients had to jump through hoops to give permission to vendors to advertise as a partner to their group) but if that's the case, they would be better off leaving that client's name off of their website, instead of including their name on a bullet list...

The reason I research every company I send my resume to is to prevent wasting their time. If I had sent my resume to either company, and proceeded to the interview stage, before I found out about these items I would have not only wasted their time, but mine as well.

Take a couple of minutes and look at the websites before sending your resume. See if they are recruiting using social media techniques (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) or if they are relying on the job boards. It's worth it!

One of the Worst Methods of Recruiting

Recruiting Minutes — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 18:25:00 GMT

Have a job opening you are recruiting for? Not sure how to get the best results by posting it on line? Below is the way one company did it... but this must be one of the worst methods of recruiting... EVER.

First off, I am not against posting job descriptions. As a recruiter, you need to be able to post job descriptions for prospects on the internet, preferably on one of the major or niche job boards. If you are on the phone with a lead or prospect, they may ask you to email them the description while you are on the phone with them to discuss it, especially if you are cold calling passive candidates. A link to either your company website where the job description is posted or a link to a reputable job or niche board is also effective if the description is clear, concise, and correctly describes the position you want to generate interest in. Even if the person you are on the phone with isn't interested, they may know someone who is, and a professional email, with a link to the job description is easy for them to forward to their networks.

So, what exactly did the company I referred to earlier do? Let's look at the key words they included in the bottom of their vague job description. If I was considering sending my resume before, I would reconsider when I saw this at the bottom... it just screams "scam" to me.

Keywords: sales, customer service, intern, internship, manager, marketing, student, accounting, clerical, entrepreneur, management, administrative, administrative assistant, business development, business, internship, advertising, human resources, receptionist, entry level, retail, insurance, education, outside sales, strategy-planning, project manager, part-time, accountant, engineering, teacher, server, promotions, pr, customer service, full-time, restaurant, quality control, assistant, secretary, public relations, salesman, office, writer, hotel, safety, executive assistant, communications, training, human resources, office manager, media, general, social services, social work, sales manager, realtor, pharmaceutical sales, buyer, food services, jobs, recruiter, sales, bartender, general business, project management, hospitality, server, collections, bookkeeper, management trainee, purchasing, salesman, logistics, bilingual, inventory, counselor, travel, teaching, help desk, law enforcement, trainer, media, professional, trainee, data entry, internship, administration, new graduate, hostess, executive assistant, hostess, sales management, coordinator, cashier, medical sales, distribution, financial, manager, sports, entertainment, international, consultant, real estate, telecommunications.

People from all backgrounds seeking full time opportunities or internships in the following areas are encouraged to inquire about our program: sales, customer service, part time, manager, accounting, marketing, clerical, management, public relations, human resources, driver, security, administrative assistants, purchasing, medical, administrative, receptionist, retail, maintenance, warehouse, sports teams, entry level, education, finance, director, telecommunications, real estate, training, engineering, insurance, data entry, project manager, information technology, part time, printing, technician, legal, automotive, teacher, winter, banking, analyst, nursing, restaurant, controller, network, public relations, environmental, nurse, design, quality, safety, secretary, office, assistant, hotel, accountant, account executive, vice president, medical assistant, transportation, supervisor, general, public relations, advertising, writer, fraternity, social services, finance, java, all, graphic, public relations, mba, holiday, office manager, sales manager, field representative, mortgage, social work, training, cms, attorney, research, payroll, oracle, executive assistant, paralegal, courier post, drivers, pharmaceutical, operations, president, web, help wanted, rn, advertising, law enforcement, auto cad, health care, executive, food, production, chef, sports oriented, cad, project management, tax, auto, editor, hospitality, hvac, training, team player, pharmaceutical sales, tourism, it, collections, spanish, unix, art, buyer, facilities, professional, mechanical, bartender, help desk, hospitality, travel, logistics, call center, truck driver, inventory, financial ,computers, communications, pharmacist, police, teaching, counselor, chemist, plant manager, ncaa, photography, promotional advertising, book keeper, medical sales, electrical engineer, health, trader, bilingual, business analyst, recruiter, junior executive, cfo, accounts payable, account manager, sports, sorority, cashier, financial, music, social worker, publishing, project, support, business development, lpn, welder, clerk, technical, quality assurance, promotional sales, government, distribution, secretarial, sales management, mental health, nanny, child care, registered nurse, cna, Japanese, technical support, administration, property manager, cook, shipping, pharmacy, coordinator, entertainment, management training, new grads.

Call me a cynic, but after reading the vague job description it was attached to, and seeing this at the bottom, there is no way they are getting my contact information! Keyword stuffing is done all over the web and social media sites, we all know it and it's not just recruiters. (Sounds a lot like black hat SEO methods doesn't it?) I guess it just depends on if your goal is to attract or repel prospects. The goal seems to be trying to attract as many applicants as possible, but in the end, it's probably repelling many more away from the job than to it.

Choosing Your Words On Your Resume

Recruiting Minutes — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 17:39:00 GMT

My resume has received a complete overhaul recently, and is still being tweaked daily. The reason? It is all about the wording.

The day to day duties of a recruiter involve looking at hundreds of resumes for each position they are recruiting for. Most of the qualified applicants will have the same subject matter on their resumes as well. It begins to get boring. Most of the top candidates will figure out a way to have their resume stand out from the hundreds of other resumes out there, and they accomplish this through careful consideration of the wording used on their resumes.

Take a look at your own resume, and see how many times you have used the following words (or any variation of these words)

Responsible
Produce
Refer
Schedule
Supply
Respond
Achieve
Represent
Coordinate
Communicate

These are the 10 words I have seen the most job descriptions, so my natural tendency should be to reflect those same words multiple times in my resume, right? Wrong. Every respondent is doing the same thing. What the top candidates should do is show or demonstrate their experience to the recruiter, without doing the same thing every body else is doing.

There are enough words for everyone. Get a little creative, choose the words that will best highlight your experience, and leave the job description to the recruiter.

The Top 5 Things a Recruiter Sees When On The Wrong Side Of The Desk

Recruiting Minutes — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 20:33:00 GMT

I had previously mentioned I was a recruiter in the real estate industry, and given the housing market that is obviously NOT the most booming industry for a recruiter. After my vacation, I went back to work Monday and found myself on the OTHER side of the desk. Sadly, I was laid off, but fortunately there aren't many people in ANY industry that will not acknowledge there is not much a recruiter can do when their industry goes from booming to bust in less that 12 months. My employer assured me that the decision had nothing to do with performance, but that the position was being eliminated because of the dire circumstances the company has found itself in.

After a day and a half on the other side of the desk, I have already encountered a Top 5 list for this post. These are the Top 5 things I have noticed in less than 48 hours on this side of the desk. The purpose of this post is not to point fingers at others, but it is more to acknowledge that we have all done of some of these things, and can enhance a candidate's first impression us if as a group these issues are addressed.

Too many conflicting job descriptions for the same position. Posting the same title with completely different job descriptions on the same job board makes it seem the opportunity is either a "jack of all trades" type position, or the employer doesn't really know what they are looking for yet. It seems better to wait and know what you want, than ask for anyone that can fog a mirror to send in their resume for review until one "jumps" out at the manager.

No way to apply for the position once it is posted. A post on a major job board directs the candidate to a company website career section. The company website either uses an alternate title for the position, or a different location for the position that what was posted on the major board, so the candidate can not find the title or location of what they are searching for, or the position is not posted at all. Talk about frustrating! This candidate has gotten "clicked" off of some interesting opportunities due to this very reason.

Boring job descriptions. Why is it that as a recruiter, we can creatively describe every other position for the company, with the exception of our own? Go ahead, review some of the descriptions for recruiters, and see if they don't all begin to look alike after about 15 minutes. We recognize the need for creativity in describing the company and yet fail when it comes to communicating how great of a career choice recruiting is. I am inspired by my career choice, and would love to see a company that is just as excited as I am to bring great people into their organization!

Not allowing an applicant to email a real person directly. Sure, it's always easier on the recruiter to receive resumes that are auto forwarded from the job board, but it's hard for a candidate to show their passion and creativity when there is not an alternative method to apply for the position. Some recruiters are not comfortable putting their email address on their postings because they are inundated with responses. That's understandable, but just say so! "Due to the overwelming interest in this position..." would be a great start.

There are too many job boards. In the days of social media, there are major job boards, niche job boards, job boards attached to every social networking website, corporate job sites, and seemingly on every website encountered. I know, there is nothing that can be done about this one, but it was one of the things I noticed. Every recruiter wants their opportunities to be viewed by as many qualified candidates as they possibly can. Just as every job seeker wants their resume viewed by as many potential employers as possible.

Any suggestions?

Out of the Loop

Recruiting Minutes — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 18:52:00 GMT

That's right... I am out of the loop. I have been out of the office and out of the loop on vacation for a week now, and will be heading back to the office tomorrow. It's a very odd feeling, not knowing how many messages are waiting for you, how many emails... are there any resumes to follow up on?

When you go too long without a vacation, you really need one. You need to unplug completely, unwind and relax. You need to take a step back and just be. I felt that I was all over the place before this time out of the loop, and now I intend to go back to the office more focused, energized and ready to jump back into the loop... until my next vacation

Looking For Motivation

Recruiting Minutes — Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:20:00 GMT

I posted "Looking For Motivation in All the Wrong Places" over at my ActiveRain blog today, and immediately thought of my poor neglected "Recruiting Minutes" blog. I have a long way to go in getting every thing done these days. Too many of my tasks have been pushed off in my personal life, because my work life has been hectic.

For the record, I will devote more time here soon. I am still alive and recruiting! In case you were wondering, and don't want to wander over to Active Rain, here is the beginning of the post...

"Ever feel like you need a boost in the motivation department? Recruiting in real estate during the summer can make a person feel depressed, leaving endless messages for people that are otherwise occupied, most likely with some fun diversions. Emails are answered with an auto-response that the agent is out of the office on vacation until next week. Meetings are postponed or cancelled. It all just adds up to a loss of motivation."

If you want to read more, go ahead and click the link at the top. I'm not a fan of duplicate content (my own or otherwise) so I won't be reposting it here... sorry.

Yes, I do Twitter

Recruiting Minutes — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 21:42:00 GMT

There are thousands of people on Twitter, some are following thousands of people, but I think most are like me. I follow the people I know from other social media sites, as well as some of the new twitter friends I made when they started following me.

I follow about 200 people, and have about the same number following me. Some are real estate agents (which is the prospects I recruit) some are other recruiters (to keep up with the recruiting industry) some are news sites. The more people you follow, the harder it is to follow the conversations. Too much chatter. Keep it simple for the best experience.

Happy Twittering!

Pod Cast Suggestions Anyone?

Recruiting Minutes — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 22:58:00 GMT

Ok, this is me, asking for help. I have about a dozen subscriptions to podcasts, but only 2 or 3 are useful career wise. Most are for entertainment, but I did manage to find a couple that were a great fit for recruiting.

One is "Take Control of Your Career" it's a great look at the minds of people that are unhappy in their current situations in their careers. It helps a recruiter identify the mindset, and symptoms of those that may be looking to change careers, what their fears are, and how they are approaching their respective changes.

Another is "Morning Coach" which is motivational, and keeps one focused upon their personal goals.

Do you have any other suggestions for pod casts that can help a recruiter? I'd love to hear some recommendations!

Recruiting When The Economy Is Bad

Recruiting Minutes — Sun, 01 Jun 2008 21:36:00 GMT

Recruiting is hard enough when the economy is good, but it is super hard when the economy is bad. Think about it, people that are not in jeopardy of being downsized are less likely to move in a down economy, since the grass isn't always greener.

Those who do feel threatened are paralyzed with the fear of being downsized, and are more likely to try and fly under the radar, they don't want to jeapardize their current position, by looking for a new one, since their grass is definitely not greener.

The key is to keep in contact with your prospects, and have these conversations with them. Find out how they feel about their current position. Do they feel they are safe? Is your opportunity really better than what they have? Are they in jeopardy of downsizing? Can you help them find their next opportunity?

Chin up, no one ever claimed recruiting was easy.

Information Overload in Recruiting

Recruiting Minutes — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 15:47:00 GMT

There is a ton of information to sort through as a recruiter. There are news feeds of every kind that could be relevant to your industry. How do you NOT suffer from information overload when you are trying to keep up with all of the happenings in your industry?

Take for example, the real estate industry. There are thousands of articles, news feeds, blogs, radio and television programs daily relating to the real estate industry. It's impossible to keep abreast of all the news, but is it necessary to try?

Think about it, really big news will be heard regardless of your pursuit of information. The industry changing news has a viral effect that penetrates every social media, news and traditional media outlet. So is the stress of following every other related industry news site or blog really that important? As a recruiter, follow the important industry news, and disregard the rest. Use your recruiting minutes wisely, listening to all the chatter will just distract you. You will know when change is happening, it's impossible not to.

Recruiting Real Estate Agents in a Down Housing Market

Recruiting Minutes — Sun, 13 Apr 2008 15:31:00 GMT

How well do you know the prospects and candidates you are trying to recruit?

This week, I have been busy tracking the production of the prospects for each of our 16 market areas. The first quarter results are in for 2008, and the production tracking is my first clue for those prospects that may be considering a change in companies.

In past years, if there was a significant change in production, chances were that agent was considering a move. They were either slowing their business down to get ready for a move, or were not happy with their current broker, and were open to meeting with other companies.

This year, most of the agents have seen a decline in production, due to the housing market. This change in the market conditions makes for interesting recruiting to say the least. Every broker is actively pursuing those agents that are closing transactions, but this year, the prospects are considering moves that they wouldn't consider in prior years. They are having conversations with other companies and brokers. They are looking at what other companies are doing to promote their agents, they are intently listening to what is being offered, and they are making decisions.

The opportunities for recruiting are great at this time. The old way of thinking, "agents won't change companies in the spring" is out the window, and the agents who have seen a drop in their income during the first quarter are trying to save the rest of their year. Go ahead, call your prospects, they may move sooner than you thought if your company is a better fit than their current broker.

How Can You Help Them, When They Don't Know What They Want?

Recruiting Minutes — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 23:48:00 GMT

As recruiters, we have all met the candidates that just don't know what type of position they are looking for. They want something different from the role they are currently in, and would consider roles within a very diverse variety of companies, but when you provide them with an interview or opportunity, they aren't sure if they are interested. They change what they are looking for, either in terms of commute or compensation, and leave you guessing if the next opportunity you find will be a better fit.

If you have run into this situation as a recruiter, it may just be that you aren't asking your top candidates the right questions.

Every recruiter should not only know the companies that their prospects would (or would not) consider, the roles they are qualified for, but also know where the candidate would like to see themselves down the road, not just this week or this year. Ask them these questions up front, and listen to their answers. Ask them why they see themselves in that dream scenario, find out if they have a personal dream or goal of relocating to another area of the country in 3 years. Look for their answers that would indicate your opportunity may fit their dreams, and if they are not aligned, don't pressure them into a position that won't fit their goals.

The more you know about a prospect or candidate as a recruiter, the better you will be able to serve your clients, and in turn the more opportunities you will be recruiting for.

The Other Side of the Recruiter's Desk

Recruiting Minutes — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 23:15:00 GMT

Just about 3 years ago, I was sitting on the other side of the recruiting desk, as an active candidate. I learned some valuable recruiting lessons during that time. The first lesson I learned was NOT to be an easy recruit, as that was what had landed me in the "active candidate pool."

Before I began my search, I had already made up my mind that I was going to make sure I accepted the right opportunity, and not accept offers that "seemed" right without further investigation. I had already made that mistake as well, and I value the lessons learned in past mistakes.

I had been recruited to my former company by past co-workers that had left my previous company, and quickly contacted me for an open recruiting position. I interviewed, and was made an offer almost immediately, and it wasn't until a few months after I joined the company that I realized the new company had extreme leadership issues, and no support system in place for their recruiters. I was in the "every man/ woman for themselves" recruiting headquarters. I used my 5 years experience to keep plugging along, but I was miserable every day.

At the end of my rope, I set goals and priorities for my job search. I decided that I would have a criteria of 5 things that meant the most to me, and if any of those items weren't a fit, the job was not going to make me happy. If I wasn't going to be happy, I was not going to accept a position, period. I explained to each person I spoke with my criteria, goals and what I wanted from a position with their company. Some listened, and understood that they had to meet my needs, and not just consider if I was a candidate that met their needs.

I went to interviews with 5 companies at the time, was offered 3 positions, and turned down 2 opportunities. The two I turned down were opportunities I knew would not make me happy. I was lucky enough to be offered a position that met all of my criteria, was the one I felt would be the best fit, and on a personal level would make me happy. I am still in, and still enjoy the position I accepted 3 years ago.

So what prompted this post?

Today I received an email from one of the companies I interviewed with 3 years ago. It was a "just checking in" email that was simply asking where I was currently working and letting me know that if I find myself in the "active candidate pool" again to give him a call.

It just reminded me how good it feels to be a recruiter that listens to the goals, hopes and dreams of the person sitting on the other side of the desk from me. This email was a great reminder of the type of recruiter I don't want to be.

How To Double Your LinkedIn Recruiting Contacts in One Day

Recruiting Minutes — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 21:52:00 GMT

Let's just assume you have a LinkedIn profile already. I normally don't like to assume, but every recruiter really should have a LinkedIn profile in 2008. If not, go set one up... I'll wait.

Are you back? Good, now I will walk you through how to double your contacts on LinkedIn in just one day. The easiest way is to start with the people you work with. When you set up your profile, be sure to include not only your current company, but all of your previous companies you have worked for. You can go back and add them at any time, so if you have set up your profile with just your current company, you can still add more.

Once you have sent your connect requests to your current co-workers, run a search of the top people in your industry. As a recruiter, you are in the staffing industry, and in that case, you are in luck. Connect with Dave Mendoza first, from the SixDegreesFromDave blog. According to Dave, "To be a recruiter and not actively utilizing Linkedin as part of your daily resources is to proceed into the War for Talent unarmed." Adding him as a contact will add over 14,000 people to your network. He had a "Mega LinkedIn Networking Day" recently, which put him over the 14,000 connection mark.

They are other recruiters, as well as an excellent mix of people in just about every industry. I spent some time the other day reading a post Dave wrote about LinkedIn, and connected to him on LinkedIn that same day. About an hour after that, I came across the "Interesting Thing of the Day" about Six Degrees of Separation. It solidified my previous thoughts, connect to the top recruiters and candidates in your industry, and you too can double your network on LinkedIn in just one day.

You Need to Use Social Media

Recruiting Minutes — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 19:35:00 GMT

Every recruiter, regardless if you are a 3rd party recruiter or corporate recruiter, needs to have a presence on a few of the social media networks that are relevant to your industry. It's just the way the industry is evolving. About 4-5 years ago, as a 3rd party consulting firm recruiter, I discovered LinkedIn. It was before it was mainstream, and I never really developed my network. It was before the onset of all the rest of the social media sites, and I had sent a ton of invitations, but got just a few replies. I left the firm I was with, and since I no longer had access to the email address I had used to set up the profile, I could no longer access my profile after I left that company.

Fast forward 3 years, I am a recruiter in the real estate industry. I have a profile on LinkedIn, with access under my personal email account. I now have access to over 2 million people, thanks to my contacts, and contacts of my contacts. Consider that a lesson learned. My work email address is the contact information provided on my profile, but the emails go to my personal account. I have set up profiles not only on LinkedIn, but on Twitter, Active Rain (Real Estate's largest social network, with over 75,000 real estate professionals). Those are the main networks I participate in, although I have personal accounts on other social networking sites.

A few weeks ago, I received a message from one of the recruiters I have communicated with online from California. Turns out, her mother lives in my area, and was considering moving her license. Had I not set up a profile, and become active in the network, I never would have received that referral.

Don't just set up a profile and forget about it... set up a profile and participate. Talk to other recruiters, talk to people that have profiles that match the industry you are recruiting for, regardless of location. You never know where their relatives, friends or past co-workers live that may fit the description you are trying to fill.

43 Things

Recruiting Minutes — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 16:18:00 GMT

There is a new website/ self help social network/ online support group site all rolled into one. Have you ever written a to-do list that just ends up too long? You hope to have it done in 6 months, but it reality, would be happy if all the items got done in a year? Well then 43 Things is the site for you. Think of it as an "online bucket list" of the 43 things you want to do, but keep waiting for the "right time" to get it done...

It's free for now, as their website states, so I am thinking I should "wander over" and see if any there are items other people have on their lists that I want to do too. I have been thinking about writing up a bucket list anyway, (ever since ~~the movie came out~~ I first heard of them) It's good to have goals. Make sure you check out their community guidelines too, you don't want to be "creepy."
Maybe I will add a few of my recruiting goals on my list, and people will find a match between my recruiting goals, and their goal of finding an exciting career in real estate Hey, like the lottery, you never know...

What is Your Recruiting "Batting Average?"

Recruiting Minutes — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 18:07:00 GMT

Please don't think that if you focus on a small group of targeted prospects, and only pursue those prospects, that you will be successful in recruiting. A few of our managers are thinking if they heavily focus on their top 10 prospects, eventually they will be able to recruit all of them. My experience shows that they will be able to recruit about 30% of them, but not 100%. In my opinion, recruiting is like baseball, if you are batting .350, you are doing really well.

Think about it... recruiting and baseball are both "games" that you can fail 70% of the time, and still be successful. Appreciate your failures as they stack up, every one brings you closer to success. That is paraphrased from a famous quote, I think by Thomas Edison or Benjamin Franklin. Although I can't tell you exactly who said it first, I can tell you that I believe it 100% .

Some days, I can send out 100 letters, and get 15 people that are interested in learning more. I can make 50 phone calls, and only get a positive outcome from 5 people. I can add 150 to a recruiting campaign, and end up recruiting 60- 75 people. It all balances out in the end, and usually ends up with me having a .350 batting average, not bad at all...

Waiting for Recruiting Referrals??

Recruiting Minutes — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 20:59:00 GMT

If your idea of recruiting is waiting for a referral, then we are not in agreement. You need to prospect, build a pipeline of potential candidates, and actively recruit your top candidates. You also need to keep in touch with the rest of the candidates in your pipeline. You never know who will refer someone to you, even if they aren’t interested in being recruited. The more people you can touch, the more will be willing to refer someone to you.

Don't sit back and hope someone remembers to give you a referral. Call them, ask them for their referral, whether client or candidate. It is human nature for someone to help someone who asks for help. Most people are just too busy to remember your needs much longer than the initial conversation.

Using Outside Activities to Recruit

Recruiting Minutes — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 01:36:00 GMT

I have come across some pretty creative recruiting methods over the last 8 years. Some have worked, some haven’t. Here is one that seems to make sense in my industry, although I am not sure how well it would translate outside of real estate. Since I am a recruiter in the real estate industry, this may be one of those hints that is industry specific, but then again, it may just benefit your recruiting efforts.

The reason for my skepticism is simple; real estate agents often work alone. There are some who are on teams, and others work as partners, but most work alone. Real estate agents are almost all independent contractors, and the numbers of agents that primarily work from home are growing every day. These agents compete with every other agent in their market area for business, but also work with other agents daily on co-broker or referral transactions. Their transactions can be with other agents in their office, or with an agent from the office across the street.

Time spent working from home, or out and about with clients can leave some real estate agents feeling disconnected from their office. Sure there is a whole virtual world out there, some blog, twitter or flikr but there are some who crave face time with their peers. They not only want to be a part of something bigger for their business growth, but for the personal face to face interaction as well.

A few of our offices have started holding meetings on a variety of topics in their offices, and their agents and recruiting prospects are invited to join. This gives them an opportunity to get together, network and build relationships in an industry where they are all competing against one another. The focus of these meetings is not on their individual businesses however, so they seem more comfortable to share their opinions and knowledge on the topics being discussed.

Several offices have started book clubs, reviewing some of the motivational best sellers such as "The Secret" or "Think and Grow Rich". One office has started to hold "Weight Watchers" meetings and the agents get together for "weigh ins" once a week. Another has suggested starting a "local tour" group that goes to different local restaurants, events and attractions in the area to assist them in recommendations to their clients.

The impact this will have on their recruiting efforts is still unmeasured, since our groups are still just beginning. This seems to be a wonderful way to introduce a prospect or a newly hired individual to your organization. Let them get a look at the "real" office dynamics, meet their peers in your office, and form relationships with your agents before or just after they "sign on the dotted line". It may even encourage prospects to join your office sooner rather than later, when they see a "behind the scenes" view of your office environment.