REMOVING THE REPETITIVE

The staffing and recruitment industry remains stuck in a past with a reputation that is often no better than that of used car salesmen, attorneys, and politicians. While it’s easy to blame this on the minority of people who are operating with poor ethical standards, the real problem is how we do business day to day. The methods and practices that perpetuate a poor reputation and the perception of being a commodity are called Repetitive Practices.

Companies that have eliminated these Repetitive Practices are achieving higher revenues, increased profit margins, lower labor intensity, elimination of commoditized buying, and improved visibility and standing in the eyes of Empowered Buyers.

Below are some of the common Repetitive Practices these successful temp, contact, and direct hire firms have replaced with true best and innovative practices. To see your Business Practices Grade and to assess the changes your firm needs to make, select the most appropriate answer for each practice.

Removing the Repetitive

Sales and Recruiting Repetitive Practices

  Yes, we do this at least some of the time No, we don’t do this I’m not sure if we do this
Client or candidate control
Negotiating fees and bill rates (versus setting and sticking to your fees and rates)
Feature-benefit selling
MPC-Most Placeable Candidate presentations
Always Be Closing (you doing the closing versus getting clients and candidates to close themselves)
Skill marketing
Fee and rate reductions
Disclosing markups
A focus on time killing deals
Ruses (sourcing and research methods that involve lying)
Submitting resumes to generate interest
Traditional, open-ended questions
Behavioral interviewing

Leadership, Management, and Strategic Repetitive Practices

  Yes, we do this at least some of the time No, we don’t do this I’m not sure if we do this
Providing customers with only one way of buying
Carrots and sticks as a leadership approach
Boot camps
Daylong training sessions
Strategic plans
Back to basics
A focus on getting employee buy-in
Succession planning
Employee engagement techniques
Motivating staff
Multi-tasking
Disciplinary actions and write-ups