Guest Post
Small or big? That is the question. It’s no surprise that recruiting attracts independent minded people. We are folks who want or need little supervision. We have personalities that are built to take on tasks and get them done. Are you drawn to work with a Goliath size recruiting operation or is your mind set on running your own show? Perhaps working with a small gang of headhunters who feed off each other’s successes is the calling you must obey.
Small recruiting firms take on the giants and win.
Full cycle recruiting is an industry where results rule more than any other factor. In headhunting, the one who finds the best candidate walks away with the fee. An effective strategy for small operations is niche recruiting.
While the principles of recruiting remain the same for any niche, the jargon and fine points of a new industry must be learned. The ‘talk’ can be learned quickly because one does not need to be an engineer to ask a candidate if she has a EE degree.
Establishing relationships is not cliché.
Recruiting requires understanding our clients. They pay our fee and invest time educating a few select recruiters on what they require in a candidate and what their department/company is committed to accomplish. When a recruiter listens and quickly produces the talent needed, it creates a bond. Our work matters.
One successful placement can quickly lead to our becoming the ‘go-to guy’. I’m from the Chicago area and everyone in Chicago ‘knows a guy’ who can get ‘it’ done. A client wants to depend on ‘their guy’ to produce. We become part of their team. I can count on two fingers the number of people who asked the name of my company over the years. Sure they see the name on the invoice, but they don’t care.
The big name brands try and sell their brand but I can beat them all day long by doing my job better than them. I have fewer distractions, fewer clients, and more at stake. I have one purpose and the luxury of dedicating myself to them and only them if I so choose. When a big brand has 30 clients (or 1000), someone is not being served well and that client is not happy.
Mega recruiting operations have the same perks as other big corporations. More money can buy more resources. More money and more resources can also lead to waste, bureaucracy, mistakes, and inefficiencies. The odds favor more placements when the right processes are in place but the company will rightfully take more of the recruiting profits as well.
This is the age of million dollar small businesses.
If you have the desire and mindset to own your own business consider taking on the risk. One person recruiting shops can invoice a million dollars a year. It takes planning and dedication. Most important is the belief you are worthy of this level of income. If you don’t have the desire to take the risk of business ownership, there’s a place for you in the recruiting world waiting with open arms.
The recruiting process encompasses a series of conversations. The best recruiters respect all parties involved and take care to connect authentically to every person they engage. This is not easy. The better we connect the higher the quality of information transmitted between parties. The David’s of the recruiting world find the exact candidate needed for the job. Sometimes they work alone, and sometimes they work for Goliath.
About the Author: Kimberly Schenk is an entrepreneur and executive recruiter. She is author of the book Top Recruiter Secrets and provides recruiter training for organizations and individuals. Get more recruiting tips and tricks from her blog http://www.toprecruitersecrets.com/blog.
Image: Jakub Jirsak/Bigstock.com
