If you work, be a recruiter. What? Let that sit with you for just a minute.
If you work, be a recruiter. That's it... no qualifiers needed. This doesn't say "If you work as a manager" or as an "executive" or even as an "HR professional". It doesn't say "if you work in private sector" or "a growing business" or "for yourself". Nor does it say "you can be a recruiter" or "you should act as if..."
No matter what you do for a living or for whom you do it, discipline yourself to be a recruiter and my promise is that you will differentiate yourself, positively, among those with whom you work and you will find a level of interest and challenge in your work that is energizing. And you never have to hire a soul!
Who am I to promise this? I've been gainfully employed as an HR professional since 1986. In 2013 I will celebrate my 27th year of consecutive practice in this amazing discipline; beginning in the days before something called email and arriving at this day when I am writing from an iPad. In addition to an advanced degree in HR , I've learned my craft from some of the best business and HR minds one could be privileged to know. I have experience in a multitude of industries and settings, including retail, higher education, freight rail, and high tech; in R&D, sales, data processing, software development and manufacturing. I've worked with some amazing companies, such as Computer Sciences Corporation, Intel, IBM, Cisco Systems and Lockheed Martin. And I've travelled everywhere, landing in places like Thailand, Israel, Singapore, China, Japan, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Portugal, France, Italy, Russia and India.
If you work, be a recruiter. How profound it is that I can take the collective wisdom I've gained from my life's experiences and condense it into 6 words including an "if" and an "a" and separated by a comma. But enough about me. You are not reading this to know me. You are reading this because I tempted you with a promise that if you discipline yourself to be recruiter, you will differentiate yourself among those with whom you work and you will find renewed energy in your work.
How can I make this promise? Think about the best recruiters you've known. What makes them so good? My experience teaches that there are four things: business knowledge, optimism, "their" network as their IP, and an insatiable drive for success.
Business Knowledge
If you work, be a recruiter. That's it... no qualifiers needed. This doesn't say "If you work as a manager" or as an "executive" or even as an "HR professional". It doesn't say "if you work in private sector" or "a growing business" or "for yourself". Nor does it say "you can be a recruiter" or "you should act as if..."
No matter what you do for a living or for whom you do it, discipline yourself to be a recruiter and my promise is that you will differentiate yourself, positively, among those with whom you work and you will find a level of interest and challenge in your work that is energizing. And you never have to hire a soul!
Who am I to promise this? I've been gainfully employed as an HR professional since 1986. In 2013 I will celebrate my 27th year of consecutive practice in this amazing discipline; beginning in the days before something called email and arriving at this day when I am writing from an iPad. In addition to an advanced degree in HR , I've learned my craft from some of the best business and HR minds one could be privileged to know. I have experience in a multitude of industries and settings, including retail, higher education, freight rail, and high tech; in R&D, sales, data processing, software development and manufacturing. I've worked with some amazing companies, such as Computer Sciences Corporation, Intel, IBM, Cisco Systems and Lockheed Martin. And I've travelled everywhere, landing in places like Thailand, Israel, Singapore, China, Japan, Switzerland, United Kingdom, Portugal, France, Italy, Russia and India.
If you work, be a recruiter. How profound it is that I can take the collective wisdom I've gained from my life's experiences and condense it into 6 words including an "if" and an "a" and separated by a comma. But enough about me. You are not reading this to know me. You are reading this because I tempted you with a promise that if you discipline yourself to be recruiter, you will differentiate yourself among those with whom you work and you will find renewed energy in your work.
How can I make this promise? Think about the best recruiters you've known. What makes them so good? My experience teaches that there are four things: business knowledge, optimism, "their" network as their IP, and an insatiable drive for success.
Business Knowledge
The best recruiters know the business cold. Anyone can call someone and inquire about their interest in working for IBM and trust that if the person has heard of IBM, they'll say "yes" and do their own research. The best recruiters "live" IBM. They've read "Who Says Elephants Can't Dance". They can tell stories about the Watsons, Lou Gerstner, Sam Palmisano and Ginny Rometty. They digest information about the company's strategy and key performance metrics. They know what the company sells, why it sells it, and how much money it makes doing it. Servers, enterprise software, services and financing excite them! They read about HP, Oracle, Accenture, Microsoft and Google and know what it will take to win in the marketplace. They know how IBM is structured and where organizations and associated job roles fit. They know how performance is measured and what success looks like; both organizationally and at leadership and individual contributor levels.
Optimism
Optimism
The best recruiters are optimistic about the future and look, almost naively, at possibilities for successful outcomes. Catch them in a moment of honest reflection and the best recruiters at Cisco Systems will tell you that when they ask someone to consider Cisco, they are met with hesitation. Hasn't the stock lingered between $15 and $25 per share forever? Isn't it time for John Chambers to retire or be fired? Aren't the likes of Huawei, Juniper and HP going to drive margins down? Other than routers and switches, security and services, what is Cisco?
The best recruiters are not ignorant to marketplace realities but make a choice to look not at the challenges but to the opportunities. Cisco has made huge strides to reduce cost and simplify operations around its differentiated capabilities. It has a patent portfolio that is the envy of the industry and a record of sustained success that warrants acknowledgement. Its most senior leaders have stayed together throughout storm after storm and exemplify commitment. The world of emerging markets is in its nascent stages and ripe for development. Cisco is looking for people with the desire and energy to elevate it beyond historic levels; the kind of challenge any future leader should literally salivate over.
Their Network as Their IP
Their Network as Their IP
The best recruiters network, all the time. But it is so much more than how prolific one can be in adding names to an electronic rolodex; the best recruiters know which names to add and how those names will enrich their talent portfolio. They know the difference between true contribution and impact and "professed" accomplishment. They can spot in a minute the person who has 10 years of hard earned experience and the person who has one year of experience 10 times. They treat their network as their intellectual property.
The best I've ever seen at this has makes her living in the search world; an executive headhunter. And even as one paid for hires, she would never compromise her IP portfolio with someone from whom she can not learn; someone who is not a phenomenal leader; someone she doesn't trust; or someone with whom she'd be hesitant to enjoy a glass of wine. She looks at her network as a vehicle by which she remains current regarding marketplace innovation. She engages with the select people in her network because they are mentors for her; she learns from them and teaches them. Their strive for success motivates her striving for success. They are not all her friends but they would not be in her network if they would not be her friend.
Drive for Success
The best I've ever seen at this has makes her living in the search world; an executive headhunter. And even as one paid for hires, she would never compromise her IP portfolio with someone from whom she can not learn; someone who is not a phenomenal leader; someone she doesn't trust; or someone with whom she'd be hesitant to enjoy a glass of wine. She looks at her network as a vehicle by which she remains current regarding marketplace innovation. She engages with the select people in her network because they are mentors for her; she learns from them and teaches them. Their strive for success motivates her striving for success. They are not all her friends but they would not be in her network if they would not be her friend.
Drive for Success
The best recruiters know how they are incented and work, unabashedly, to achieve those incentives. They treat each job they are working to fill as a project and they are the project manager. They maintain a "book of business" that accounts for each opening. Within their book of business they write down commitments made to their hiring managers on terms of cost, quality, time to fill and satisfaction. They know that attainment of incentives requires this level of planning and commitment. And they work tirelessly to meet every milestone.
In one of my first jobs, I worked as a Recruiter for Computer Sciences. Having little idea what this entailed, I asked my manager to help me build my game plan. His words were simple: "write down what they ask you to do, and then do it". As it turns out, all the managers asked me to do similar things. Help them open their job requisitions. Advertise the opening. Build pools of candidates. Screen them. Refer only the best. Help them interview. Participate in the selection. Convince the selected person to accept the offer. Over the years so much (technology enablement) and so little (recruitment milestones) has changed about these requirements. But one thing has not changed at all - success demands making, accounting for and keeping commitments. A person willing to do this is "driven".
Don't Just Act Like a Recruiter, Be a Recruiter
In one of my first jobs, I worked as a Recruiter for Computer Sciences. Having little idea what this entailed, I asked my manager to help me build my game plan. His words were simple: "write down what they ask you to do, and then do it". As it turns out, all the managers asked me to do similar things. Help them open their job requisitions. Advertise the opening. Build pools of candidates. Screen them. Refer only the best. Help them interview. Participate in the selection. Convince the selected person to accept the offer. Over the years so much (technology enablement) and so little (recruitment milestones) has changed about these requirements. But one thing has not changed at all - success demands making, accounting for and keeping commitments. A person willing to do this is "driven".
Don't Just Act Like a Recruiter, Be a Recruiter
So, how can one be a recruiter if they are not responsible for hiring? The key is in leveraging your network as your intellectual property. If you are not one of the 175 million people to open a LinkedIn account, you might open one now. Or, create a spreadsheet or buy a Rolodex. Or buy a spiralled notebook and a pen.
Challenge yourself to create your own professional network of at least 10 people. Not just any people, but people you respect. People from whom you can learn and who you can teach. People you would like to work with and work for. People that are worthy of your on-going, planful engagement. People that would work well over a glass of wine. No idea where to start? How about professional associations, church or community organizations, or a search in Facebook or LinkedIn groups?
Once you have your network, start the conversation with them about what it is you do. It really doesnt matter what you do; if you work, you can do this. What is it you can tell them about your business? Its past, present and future? How well prepared are you to respond to questions? Manage negative perceptions? What are you working on and what commitments to excellence have you made? What will it take to be successful?
Then, turn your attention to them. For whom are they working and what are their business opportunities and challenges? With whom do they compete? How competitive are they? How do they define excellence and what commitments have they made thereto? Keep detailed notes of their responses so you can build on these conversations going forward. And take what they tell you as a gift that you can leverage in your own work.
Routinely ask yourself this question: "in my engagement with my network, am I making a compelling enough case to attract them to my work?"
To be successful in this space, you need to be a recruiter; meaning, know your business, be optimistic, and drive for success everyday. You will not be able to own your network if you don't have anything to offer the people you've invited into it. And in finding that thing to offer, you will notice a renewed level of energy, commitment and performance in your daily work that will differentiate you among your peers.
Challenge yourself to create your own professional network of at least 10 people. Not just any people, but people you respect. People from whom you can learn and who you can teach. People you would like to work with and work for. People that are worthy of your on-going, planful engagement. People that would work well over a glass of wine. No idea where to start? How about professional associations, church or community organizations, or a search in Facebook or LinkedIn groups?
Once you have your network, start the conversation with them about what it is you do. It really doesnt matter what you do; if you work, you can do this. What is it you can tell them about your business? Its past, present and future? How well prepared are you to respond to questions? Manage negative perceptions? What are you working on and what commitments to excellence have you made? What will it take to be successful?
Then, turn your attention to them. For whom are they working and what are their business opportunities and challenges? With whom do they compete? How competitive are they? How do they define excellence and what commitments have they made thereto? Keep detailed notes of their responses so you can build on these conversations going forward. And take what they tell you as a gift that you can leverage in your own work.
Routinely ask yourself this question: "in my engagement with my network, am I making a compelling enough case to attract them to my work?"
To be successful in this space, you need to be a recruiter; meaning, know your business, be optimistic, and drive for success everyday. You will not be able to own your network if you don't have anything to offer the people you've invited into it. And in finding that thing to offer, you will notice a renewed level of energy, commitment and performance in your daily work that will differentiate you among your peers.
Paul E. DuCharme. September 2012
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