Is Your Business Recruiting in This Down Market?

By Savage Kennedy

Always expect the unexpected. For whatever reasons, sometime we have employees resign with little or no notice. If we are not prepared, replacing this individual could be challenging. How do we prepare, you ask? Keep recruiting practices as your daily routine. If we don't, the fear of filling this crucial position could cloud our judgment when we hire a replacement. This new hire might not have the important expertise or might lack the knowledge to satisfy the position.

The best recruits will be acknowledged and found through constant and diligent efforts. Only recruiting when it's a necessity will create a "knee-jerk" response and the outcome could have a negative reaction. Consider recruiting daily and possibly hiring on a monthly basis. Even if you don't hire, this will give you a great database of future candidates.

Don't rely on a single approach when recruiting. For years; employers thought that an effective recruiting campaign consisted of a few advertisements in the Help Wanted section of the Sunday newspaper, with a formal recruiter or two thrown in for good measure. But those tools are simply no longer effective enough in today's market, especially when everyone else is using them too. Just as you wouldn't rely on a single technique to identify prospective customers for your business, your recruiting program should include the regular use of a variety of prospecting tools available at your disposal that can identify qualified candidates.

Today, there are unlimited ways to identify good candidates, including advertising on free internet sites, job fairs or even open houses, if you are in the real estate industry. Make sure your recruiting program takes advantage of all of the tools at your disposal.

First impressions count. Not just employer to employee, but vice versa. Many companies are in competition with one another. As an employer your interview with the candidate must be professional, efficient and responsive. Also be respectful of the recruits time and interests. This can easily be accomplished with organization, not postponing or cancelling the interview and getting back to the potential employee when you say you will. Making a promising impression prior to hiring the candidate will flow over when you do finally hire them as well.

Don't despair if a top candidate declines your offer in favor of another company. All opportunities are not created equal, and even that "can't refuse" offer may not look so great after a few months with another company. Stay in touch and you may just get a chance to win your top candidate back. And, even if it does work out, good candidates will be flattered by the attention and will remember you when they make their next move.

Even when companies are not contemplating expanding their business, even in the near future, sometime overstaffing could be fruitful. This is especially true in the real estate industry. It's said that good people are hard to find. Finding outstanding sales professionals are always an asset. Having these calibers of people who understand the company and its philosophies will provide a greater advantage when you are ready to expand your team or the need arises to replace a marginal employee.

Always be attentive and alert if you consider delegating your recruiting responsibilities. You can't effectively delegate essential recruiting activities to a secretary or an administrative assistant. The expense and consequences of poor recruiting are too great to place the task in inexperienced hands. Your effort to keep the best candidate starts with the initial contact. You must play an active role in recruiting from start to finish. - 31821

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