Using your company recruitment database by David Lawrence

I’ve been interviewing recruiters recently from other agencies and I always like to ask about what company database they use, how they use it and manage their network within the system. From the feedback I’ve had I’ve been actually quite amazed at how many recruitment consultants are not using their own company databases. I’ve had answers like:
I don’t really know how to use properly so tend to use outlook and folders instead
It to its full of rubbish and you can’t find anyone you want
It’s so out of date I would rather use the job boards
Now this should ring some alarm bells to companies who may have invested a large sum of money into getting a database but perhaps are not managing it well (and some of them are well known agency names in London)
We recently went through a major migration moving from a server based database to a cloud based database. There was a lot of work in preparing for the migration and when you’re a small agency you generally have to manage that yourself with minimal resources. What it does give you the opportunity to really look at how the system has been used and clean up the process as well as the data currently on the system by doing a data cleanse. You then need to build this into your system administration process on a regular basis.
As a recruiter your database should be the number one place you go back to once you have built your network of client contacts and candidates and then maintained contact with that network. You should be able to access it from anywhere so when you’re out meeting candidates or clients you can look up information or quickly add information from your client visit or candidate interview and share with your team. It’s imperative that you keep information up to date for both clients and candidates but as the saying goes information really is power. If you’re not using it properly or feel it’s something the company needs to look at going and speak to your manager and tell them how important it should be to the business.
How do you use your company database? What could be done to improve it? How often do you get training on the system? Would be great to get your view.

http://davidjlawrence.co.uk/using-your-company-recruitment-database/

Recruiters – How to plan for success in 2012 By David Lawrence

I wanted to start 2012 by sharing some of my ways that may help you have a successful year in your recruitment role:
You may have ended last year on a high or it may have been a challenging end to the year. Either way, that’s now in the past and you need to focus on the present moment and where you would like your success to be in the future. Here are some of my tips that may help you:

1. Research: Research your market and your potential customers before making a call to them. You can find a lot of information about the company on their website, Linkedin company page as well as from candidates who have worked for them in the past. Information really is power and will show you have some understanding of the company in advance.
2. Features and Benefits: Do you know your key features of using your company and how it benefits the client? If you don’t make your own list or get together with your team mates and create one that you can say easily.
3. Client meetings: Make sure you meet all your clients face. I’m surprised at the number of recruiters I have interviewed who have told me they have not met most of their clients. You can’t build a long term relationship with someone just on the telephone and you need to see the environment they work in to really be able to sell the company to your candidate network.
4. Qualification: It’s key to qualify your client properly before engaging and also the jobs you work. If you have a properly qualified job spec right from the start it will save you and your client a lot of time in the long run in ensuring you identify the right candidates.
5. Looking after your candidates as much as your clients: This may sound obvious but plenty of recruiters don’t pay as much attention to their candidate network as they should. Keep close to your candidates; give them as much market information as you can even if you haven’t got a current role for them. You’ll find over time they will help you out for helping them out.
6. Plan your day: Before you go home at night or first thing in the morning before th day starts plan what you want to achieve and if necessary split tasks in certain parts of the day e.g. checking email, sales calls, following up candidates, meetings etc…
7. Plan your year: What did you achieve in 2011 and what do you want to achieve in 2012? Can you break it down into the 4 quarters and then make a short business plan on what activities you will need to do to achieve those goals on a monthly basis.
8. Rejection: Don’t take rejection personally. Most people aren’t rejecting you but the service or company you are promoting. Life your head up high and start again.

There are plenty of other things and I welcome any comments that you think would be useful to share with others.
Although not related to just recruitment I started off the new year by sharing this with my team; why not use it to write your own plan?
Pick a point in the future (e.g. this time next year). What would greater success feel like? What would it look like? And what would people be saying about your success? In the following five areas:

1. Work – what you do, what you cause, the impact of your commercial activity
2. Personal Growth – who will you become, what will have changed about the person you are and how you go about everyday
3. Wealth – you relationship to money and financial freedom, you broader wealth (beyond possessions)
4. Health – your body, your physical and mental capabilities
5. Friends & Family – your relationships that matter