So many recruiters are doing it tough.

It is hard to win work, and it is challenging to close opportunities.

It can lead to desparate behaviour, flinging resumes around, chasing every job-order regardless of its ‘quality’. It is understandable, but it is counter-productive on every level.

Blaming the market, the clients and even the candidates is a common response.

And sure, these factors are genuine.

But what can we, the recruiters, control?

This!

It is bizarre that our industry accepts contingent job orders in competition. No other industry works this way.

It is also bemusing that highly skilled professionals are ‘OK’ with working incredibly hard and providing exceptional value and only getting paid for 25% of the work that they do.

It is so entrenched in our ethos that most just accept it

And then work harder and harder for less return.

One big step will change all this.

I know it is not easy. And you won’t be able to fix it all overnight

But, building client relationships that are based on mutual commitment is the issue.

Because if you are a recruiter worth your salt, and you have jobs exclusively, and you take consultative, qualified job orders, and you know your candidate market, you will fill 9 out of 10 of them

That’s right. Get paid for 90% of the work you do

Please, please watch this video. It’s rough and ready, but it is the golden truth.

Think of the benefits. To everyone!

Better client service.

Much better candidate service.

Better quality recruitment consulting.

And here is the irony that so many fee-cutting resume-racers don’t get.

If every job were given to recruiters exclusively, we could halve our fee percentage, and we would triple our revenue. Easily. More, in fact.

We only fill one out of four orders on average and one out of three in a good case.

The video covers:

• The story of two recruiters. Exclusive vs contingent. And how it affects their lives.
• The commercial reality of filling 1 job out of 4 vs 9 jobs out of 10.
• It’s not only money. It is self-esteem.
• It starts with the belief that exclusivity is the interests of the client.
• Why is it in the client’s interests?
• Why it’s in the interest of the candidate.
• The underlying lie of contingent recruitment.
• Speed over quality. Effing madness!
• Transactional recruitment is dead. Consultative recruiting is back!
• Understand the value of the parts of your service.
• Take fewer jobs. Take better jobs!
• Commitment is the key!

You could drop your fees and increase your billings!
Follow my logic. Closely.

• You charge a fee of 20% for permanent placements. (Yay!)
• But you fill one job out of four. (Boo)
• Which actually means you are charging 5 % per job worked. (Boo! You ARE. Work it out)
• So, your actual fee is really 5% (Big fucking boo)
• How about you take every job exclusively? (Yay!)
• You drop your fee to 15% (Hold that ‘Boo’ till you get to the end)
• You take fewer jobs (Boo. No wait, Yay! Because they are better, qualified and real jobs)
• You fill 9 jobs out of 10. (Massive Yay!)
• So, your average fee is actually 13.5% (Yay!)
• 13.5% is better than 5%, right?

This is just an illustration to show you how dysfunctional our business model is.
 Plug in your own percentages.

It is not my ‘recommendation’ to drop your fees. Once outcomes are proven, you will be able to put them up! Pricing is a nuanced issue, but the point is well-made.

But maybe DO at first, for REAL exclusivity, perhaps even a small retainer. (By the way, via this link is a bonus video on how to sell exclusivity. The goodness just keeps on coming!)

My point is changing your business model

And change your life, your self-esteem, and your bank balance.

Commit to learning how to sell exclusivity and deliver on it.

I have written heaps on this, all on this blog.

I wrote a book that covers this in detail (and a lot more). ‘Recruit. The Savage Way’. Get it here

My Academy has masterclasses on this on top in its 150 hours of recruitment video training.

Work fewer jobs. But better-qualified jobs.

Work with fewer clients. But more committed clients.

See fewer candidates. But look after them better.

Promise your customers more. And deliver on it.

Raise the entire ethos of what we do.

Get paid more often.

See your career and earnings grow, and your mental health improve.

*********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************

Some positive actions you can take right now

Subscribe to this blog

Connect with Greg Savage on LinkedIn

Get  ‘The Savage Truth’ Book

Get the ‘Recruit. The Savage Way’ book

Subscribe to the Savage Recruitment Academy

The Savage Recruitment Academy

**********************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************