Do you ever notice what a street vendor does when they don’t have a line of customers? They prep. They clean. They get organized. Why? Because they know that when they do get busy, they won’t have time to do these things—and the more ready they are when business does pick up, the more they will be able to capitalize. You know what they don’t do? Stop. You won’t hear them say "Why should I prep food when I don’t have any customers?" You won’t see them standing around feeling sorry for themselves. They know there are lulls and busy times in their business, and they take advantage of both. It’s the same with your favorite restaurant, grocery stores, retail stores, and a whole host of other businesses. It’s a strategy that can work in staffing, too.
Unfortunately, it’s not the approach most recruiters take when demand gets a little soft. "Why should I recruit? I don’t have any jobs to fill!" We hear it over and over again in a down market. It’s as if we have two options: stomp on the gas or slam on the brakes. It wasn’t that long ago when we were lamenting that we had too many orders and no candidates. And we all know the orders will return—we just don’t know when. But when they do, wouldn’t it be great if we spent this time being better prepared?
So, what can you be doing now to maximize opportunities when they present themselves again? Here are five ways you can be ready to go when business comes back.
...continue reading this article in Staffing Success magazine published by the American Staffing Association. I'm a contributor to the Recruiting Today series.
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