Adding value even if your pipeline is low

The other thing I’m conscious of, is looking after the well-being and engagement of my recruiters. Recruiters are driven, they want results, quite often, now.

The fact is, when you have a period of a reduced pipeline you are being given a unique chance to get all those things done that slip behind when immediately filling roles, and more importantly, set yourself up to be in an excellent position when the bounce back comes.

So, think about how your day might need to change from the traditional, sourcing in the morning and BD in the afternoon and start thinking about the strategic long-term value you can be adding to your desk.

Lead generating

This should be an essential task to every single recruiter out there, but I guarantee most recruiters when asked, say they should be doing more. We should be absolutely on top of any hot leads but as a lot of you know, a lot of the time it’s too late when a process has already started. So, think longer term and more strategically. This is your chance to map out entire companies and sectors and build yourself an all singing, all dancing business development strategy.

Build value-adding relationships with new and existing clients

You are speaking to ‘x’ number of clients a day, finding out how they're doing, what’s working, what’s not, and you can be the conduit to share the information amongst the sector. Whether it’s systems, processes or fun ways to keep people engaged, you are a veritable fountain of knowledge. Offering your knowledge for free can be incredibly helpful during this tough time and helps to cement your relationships moving forward.

Get your ducks in a row

Are your hotlists up to date? Is the data you’re working with accurate? Who should be your high priority targets when business returns to usual? Set your desk up in the way you always dreamed it would be organized, and you’ll be in prime position to take advantage of the upturn.

Coaching & Content

Again, you are a fountain of knowledge when it comes to your sector. What can you do to help your candidates? Has your marketing manager been on to you to get that intellectual gold down on paper? What are the common challenges your candidates are facing? How can your candidates be best prepared to find a job in the current climate? Creating informative and educational content can help to make your candidates stand out above the rest in the sector.

Be creative with your outputs

Cold-calling can be incredibly demotivating at times, so be more creative with your outputs. Set targets to spec out excellent candidates so your clients have them when they are ready to hire, send videos instead of cold-calling, or reach out to contributors of content. These are long-term, value-adding outputs!

Learn!

Take this time to get to know your market inside out. Learn the technicalities of the spaces you recruit and set yourself up to have even more informed conversations with your clients and candidates.