Prioritizing Search Assignments
The Pareto Principle (also known as the 80-20 rule), when applied to recruiting, says that roughly 80% of our placement success will come from as few as 20% of the job orders and search assignments on our desk. The better job we do at identifying which 20% of our job orders are the highest priority, the faster we can generate over 8-% of our revenue. There are three primary buckets in which we can group our prospective search assignments – “Can’t Help”, “MAPPING”, and “Quality Search Assignment”. Let’s break down each bucket:
“Can’t Help” Search Assignments – Unfortunately, just because a client has a need doesn’t mean that we can, or have to, help them fill that need. This could be because the position is outside of your niche and specialty, or because their search criteria are unrealistic, or because the candidate they are looking for does not truly exist. Instead of trying to be all things to all people, it is perfectly acceptable to be honest and upfront with a client and let them know that you are not the right recruiter to fill their position. It is best to turn down a client in the beginning stages of a search, rather than let them down in the end stages.
“MAPPING” Search Assignments – “MAPPING” stands for “Matching and Presenting”. In essence, this is keeping your eyes and ears open for a qualified candidate, but not committing to filling the search. This could be because the position is outside of your niche (yet during the course of your recruiting calls you might stumble across this type of candidate), they have a lower sense of urgency (but would hire the right candidate if they came along), or have some red flags that you’ve identified and are not sure as to the viability of this search. There is nothing wrong with keeping these types of searches on your radar screen, but it’s important to explain to the client that you will not be dedicating all of your efforts to filling this opening. Most clients will complain that they will spend time with a recruiter giving them job specifications, never to hear from them again. If this assignment falls in the “MAPPING” category, make sure you articulate to the client that if they don’t hear back from you, it doesn’t mean you are a bad recruiter – it just means that there are other searches you need to prioritize first.
“Quality Search Assignments” – These are those few that are of the highest priority, and are the searches that are “closest to money”. In an ideal scenario, you’ve evaluated your assignment and you’ve determined that the position is viable, there is a true sense of urgency, narrowed the criteria for qualified candidates, identify “red flags” and missing information, and assessed the most appropriate service offering and fee structure. Having several “quality search assignments” and being able to accurately deem which are quality and which are not are all essential skills to developing an efficient and profitable practice.
Solid Search Assignments – Learn more.
Taking a thorough and solid search assignment is the most valuable tool you have for determining how you can best partner with and serve your clients. There are ten essential areas of a Solid Search Assignment Profile – the first nine are listed in this section with questions and dialogue for each. The last area of the form, “Establishing the Proper Service Charge and Terms”, will be covered in the next section of the Exchange.
It is important to create a Search Assignment Form that can be used as a general guide for your conversation. There are several example forms in this section, but all examples should be modified based on additional industry specific information that is imperative to cover. When you are both creating your Search Assignment Form and implementing your Form, do not skip any area and get comfortable asking the tough questions – the areas you skip over will surely be the ones that kill your placement in the end. When on the client phone call, it is important to phrase your questions in an open-ended, conversational manner – be consultative in your approach and avoid making this a mechanical order-taking exercise.
The real power of this tool is achieved when you use it as a foundation on which to ask further questions that will give you some true insight. Asking clients more challenging questions may change their perception of you and the service you provide, as well as create a stronger sense of mutuality or purpose. Remember that there are two rules of thumb when taking a Search Assignment. The first rule is to continue to dig and always ask “why” to uncover the differentiating information of any search. When a client says “we are a great company to work for”, ask “why”. If they respond with “we have a fun environment”, ask “why”. When they respond with “because we have team happy hours every Friday, have a suite at the local football arena, and take a company ski trip each year”, you now have your real answer. The second rule of thumb is to always be thinking “what does this mean for my candidates”. When you ask for the physical address of a company, that seems like pretty straightforward information. But what does that mean to your candidate? Is it a great neighborhood or an industrial park? Is it on the other side of a bridge that costs $5 each way, or is it an easily accessible location? We could continue to expand on this one point, but suffice it to say that remember to always keep the perspective of “what this means for my candidates”.
An in-depth Search Assignment Form might take anywhere from thirty minutes to over an hour to fill out. Some recruiters are fearful of asking a client for this much of a time investment, and the recruiter just wants to get the basic information and get started on the search. However, taking the time upfront with a client shows that you are professionally committed to the process that you know works, and it will avoid you having to waste their time in the future with questions that you forgot to ask on the front end. Lastly, following a well-structured Search Assignment Form helps you direct and guide the conversation and keep you, and your client, on track.
