Finding and hiring the best possible talent is integral to the success of an organization but it’s become a challenging task. Competition is intense when it comes to hiring high-performing recruiters and sales professionals that specialize in technology staffing. Barb Bruno, President of Good as Gold Training, highlights the importance of an IT and engineering staffing firm to set itself apart to attract and retain the best talent in order to drive growth in the organization.
Experience vs No Experience
One of the big challenges faced when hiring talent is deciding whether to go for someone who’s had experience in the profession instead of someone without experience. Experienced professionals can be desirable because they don’t require much training and can effectively hit the ground running. They have a proven success record and have expertise that enables them to generate revenue faster. Of course, there are downsides including requiring higher compensation, lack of flexibility, and possible baggage that may hinder their ability to perform or follow your company processes.
“If they bring a book of business, they are stealing from another owner and may do the same to you in the future,” Barb said.
Inexperienced individuals can be far more affordable for a company and can be trained in the fundamentals of recruiting and your niche. They can be molded according to your firm’s requirements to attain the minimum standards of performance laid out for them.
“If you have your business set up like a franchise with structured comprehensive training, processes, systems, minimum standards of performance, you can train an overachiever who wants to sell quickly and you’re not breaking any bad habits,” Barb said.
These individuals have their limitations as well. They lack experience and technical knowledge. Experienced employees may also have a lack of trust in the candidates they present because they are inexperienced.
NEW WEBINAR: How to Identify, Hire,
Train, and Retain High Achievers
Don’t Put Out an Ad!
Most top producers are too busy conducting searches or successfully selling for someone else and have no time to respond to ads.
“You’ve got to go out and recruit them,” Barb emphasized. “Don’t pitch your opportunity. Suggest a conversation to see where they see themselves next. Because if you pitch too early, potential hires will not respond because you sound like everyone else who’s trying to hire for a staffing and recruiting firm.”
One key step in recruiting employees is presenting them with an opportunity that represents career advancement. It’s also essential to consider if the person has sales experience because these individuals can become profitable much quicker than others. This includes experienced recruiters, outside sales reps, account executives, multi-unit retail managers, ex-athletes, ex-actors, individuals who have displayed leadership, and other people with a history of peak performance.
“This job is a sales job,” Barb said. “It doesn’t matter what title you use, but you’ve got to find someone who has been successful in their past who wants to sell. And now you are going to teach them the recruiting profession. If somebody has never sold in their lives, they have to want to sell. They have to want their income to be primarily impacted by their performance.”
How to Identify and Retain Potential Top Performers
There are common denominators of the peak performers in our staffing which include:
- Handles obstacles as they come
- Closes business in a timely manner
- Has firm control over emotions and doesn’t react impulsively
- Discuss cost with confidence
- Recovers well from rejection
- Shows willingness to put in the effort necessary to become a top producer
- Focuses on attaining goals
Another effective way to attract and retain peak performers is by offering them the opportunity to earn their professional certification for recruiters and account executives. This is a truly competitive market in which everyone wants to hire the best possible people for their staffing firms. Offering the CPSAE and CPSR certifications, such as the one offered by TechServe Alliance Certification program, to your account executives and recruiters is a differentiator that sets both the members of your team and your firm apart.
TechServe Alliance members can access Differentiate to Attract, Hire, and Retain the Best Internal Team webinar through the TechServe Online Learning Center. To learn more, Barb Bruno developed a handout – click here to access it.
