However, there is no part of a recruitment business that works in isolation and so it’s time we did start looking at marginal gains and what we can be doing in every area to create high performance and increase productivity:
Collaboration
Collaborative working is as much about the access of information as it is about working with other individuals to find solutions. Collaborative working spaces, whether physically or technologically, allow information to be exchanged, shared and passed on to all members of the group quickly and efficiently. When consultants are waiting for documents from the marketing team and the finance team are waiting on information from the sales team and marketing still don’t have what they need from the directors to launch job ads then everything slows down dramatically. Things might only slow down slightly for each team, but combined everything begins to move slower in your agency. Implementing the right technology in your business that allows everyone to access information at the right time marginally improves everyone’s ability to do their job. Collaborative tools like Workspace, project management tools and integrated systems between back and front-office, as well as recruitment software that allows access from all departments, ensures that your employees can get what they need when they need it, leaving no time delays as information passes between teams.
Technology
It goes without saying that technology exists to make our lives easier, and when it comes to recruitment software, life has indeed gotten easier. However, it’s not just big CRM and ATS systems that increase performance, but other tools that can enhance your consultant’s productivity. For example, tools like GoToMeeting, Followup Then and Videomy Job can marginally increase how much time recruiters have in their day, overall giving them more time back to focus on candidates and clients.
Feedback
A seemingly small task with a big difference, constant feedback ensures constant iteration and therefore constant growth. Cultivate a culture of feedback and improvement on a regular basis. Waiting for quarterly catch up reviews and yearly performance assessments is no longer enough to ensure your teams are growing and reaching their potential. With small bits of feedback every week your people are marginally improving. This is also true of your hiring managers and clients. Encouraging constant feedback quickly also improves your time to hire and speeds up your own hiring cycles.
Emails
The plague of the inbox is one we’re all afflicted with as we spend our mornings, afternoons and evenings trying to manage our emails, but it’s worth implementing email free zones or even sending less emails to your employees. You might even consider sending company emails only at specific times in the day, such as between the hours of 4-5pm once people have completed most of their day and achieved high productivity. With less emails to go sift through, your workers have more time and headspace to concentrate on achieving results.