This is from my old friend, Bob, who is in Florida now, formerly Long Island. A lot of clients are hesitant to add headcount. A lot of clients have internal recruiters, etc.
Recruiting is an Ever-Changing Landscape
Many clients have internal recruiters, which we have encountered, at least I’ve encountered, since I started recruiting in 1990. Here is what I know. Again, all I have, Bob, is the information you put here. I am not trying to put any judgment on it.
The Current State of Tech Recruiting
If you are still in the same niche as when you and I last talked, tech recruiting is one of the areas that we have seen slow down a little, but not anywhere near a recession level. I’m leaning on over 100 clients’ worth of metrics.
Measuring the Marketing Presentation to Job Order Ratio
We measure with our clients the marketing presentation to job order ratio. How many prospects do you need to talk to to get one search assignment you will work on? That number might have gone from 11 to 12 to 13, 14, or 15, maybe a little more in tech.
People are a little bit more hesitant now. Let’s even say it takes 25% more calls or conversations, and I don’t believe it’s that high, but just for argument’s sake. Again, I am only leaning on metrics.
The Struggle with Business Development
My instinct tells me when people talk about struggling with business development, their business development activities are light, and you’re just frustrated because it’s not as easy as it was a year ago to get business.
Adapting to a Changing Recruitment Market
That’s true. Getting business is not as easy as it was a year ago. We have had a number of conversations with clients across multiple niches where they are doing really well. A lot of clients are still having record years, but the fish are not jumping into the boat like they were last year. We have to actually lean in. What we do with our clients is really help them structure a marketing campaign so it is sustainable.
Understanding the Ratios for Success
Let’s even say it is 20 marketing presentations to a job order, and it is not that high. I am just being really, really conservative. That means if you are all contingency, let’s say four job orders to a placement is what we see on contingency. I am going to a worst-case scenario; it may be 5, but even if you did 5:1, you need 20 marketing presentations a week to get a search you will work on.
Again, with our clients, the metric we are measuring is not just to get an opening, just to get a crappy opening; it is to get an opening you would choose to work on.
Practical Expectations for Recruitment Marketing Activity
At that level, 20 marketing presentations per week means you make four marketing conversations a day, and four marketing conversations a day is one search a week. Getting a search is probably closer to three marketing conversations a day. My gut feeling is, with all due respect, you are not doing that.
Marketing Activity is Supported with Great Technique
If you are hitting that level of activity, then it is a technique issue. Are you marketing a great candidate? Are you providing some value on the call before asking about the opening? There are a whole bunch of symptoms, but for the general audience, for all of our Inner Circle members that are listening, it is a little harder this year, and 10%, 15%, maybe 20% more conversations across the board, even in tech.
The great news is there is a lot of business out there. If anything, one of the benefits of that being the case is candidates may have fewer offers when they get to that stage in the process.
Thanks for that question.
P.S. Whenever you’re ready… here are 3 ways I can help you grow your recruitment business:
1. Grab a free copy of my Retainer Blueprint
It’s the exact, step-by-step process of getting clients to give you money upfront. https://get.therecruiteru.com/retainer
2. Join the Recruiter Think Tank and connect with firm owners who are scaling too. It’s our Facebook community where smart recruiters learn to make more money and get more freedom. https://www.facebook.com/groups/there…
3. Work with me and my team privately
And if you ever want to get some 1:1 help, we can jump on the phone for a quick call and brainstorm how to get you more leads, more placements, and more time. https://get.therecruiteru.com/scale-now
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