Six signs your new recruiter is destined to fail!

Every city. Every country. Every recruitment business leader. “It is impossible to hire great recruiters!”

So, inevitability, recruitment firms (and corporates too, I imagine) will relax their criteria. Maybe they will train more newbies into the industry, and that is no bad thing.

But…

The most significant cost to every recruitment firm is salaries, and the primary destroyer of profits is underperforming or failed recruiters. That is a fact.

So as the recruitment industry gains momentum, we all must make sure we hire people who can bill consistently, who can learn, and who fit our culture.

The irony is that our industry is notorious for making bad hires. As a rule, we don’t train that well either, and our own staff turnover is often a disgrace.

Yet, there is another problem, which might at first seem counterintuitive.

When we make a bad hire, often, we are slow to put it right. We hold on to under-performing people for too long.

Now please understand me. I don’t believe in ‘Hire and Fire’. Investing in people is the key. But even so, there are sometimes early signs you have made a wrong hire, and it’s not going to work.

I am not suggesting you let someone go if one or even all these signs emerge, but it should set off alarms and trigger action. Because doing nothing is the one thing you should not do.

• Slow learners. Intelligence is a much-underestimated trait when it comes to recruiting. I always look for it when hiring. ‘Recruitment is not rocket science’, say the unthinking idiots. Well, we are not building rockets, are we, so who cares? It’s still an incredibly challenging role full of nuance and requiring sophisticated expertise. A newbie who is slow to learn, repeats mistakes and just does not ‘get things’ is a potential disaster. Proceed with caution.

• Unwilling learners. “Coachability‘ is a crucial recruiter requirement, in my opinion. Poor listeners, know-it-alls, and those who just can’t focus on learning different ways in their new environment are likely to fail long-term. Assess it early. Mange it rigorously.

• Social misfits. Seriously, sometimes on the first day, I know I have made a bad hire. Not because they can’t recruit. But because they can’t fit in. Inappropriate jokes, over-familiarity, too loud or too quiet. Of course, you must consider new-starter nerves, and often people settle in over time. And don’t rule out quirky personalities, unorthodox styles and unusual backgrounds, because diversity is brilliant and all recruiters are slightly mad. But sometimes, you just KNOW…this is wrong!

• Late and lazy. Do they do the simple things well and with energy? I always see a red light flashing when the new recruiter starts coming in late in the first week, misses meetings, or does not follow up on simple, basic tasks you have given them. And as for looking at their phone during training session…If that’s their ‘honeymoon’ effort, just wait till a few months down the track!

• Lack of courage. Sounds strange talking about courage in a desk job. But, in fact, you do need to be brave in recruitment. Make that cold call. Tell that candidate they are not suitable for a job they really covet. Negotiate a fee. Lead a client meeting with your new boss in the room. I have noticed that new recruiters show their “courage colours” early. Don’t throw a raw newbie in the deep end. That’s not right and unlikely to help. But they do need to be given little tasks, which involve doing tricky things. A role play on a phone screen on the day they were taught it is an excellent example. Then screen a real candidate later that day. How they tackle those is a strong signal of their long-term success.

• Miss those goals. Oh yes, baby. Get used to it. Accountability is the bedrock of recruiting success. Do the things we know lead to success. I have written about it for 30 years. Don’t write me off because of it. You are reading my blog, after all. The fact is you should set your newbie simple, achievable activity goals. “Call these 20 temps we used to deal with but have lost track of”. And then assess how they respond to that. With energy? Get it done? Or is it four calls by days end?

Please use my tips with care.

Every new recruiter will show some of these faults. But on the other hand, if you see them in a rookie, home in on it. Examine it. Test it. Counsel them on it. Coach and mentor.

And look for rapid improvement.

If improvement is not forthcoming, you may have a serious issue.
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