1. Locating inefficiencies
While in many ways, the recruitment sector is nimble and dynamic, it is not immune to problems when it comes to waste and inefficiencies. Recruiters spend a lot of time and energy looking for new leads: from trawling through LinkedIn profiles to spending time on the phone or on email contacting potential recruits, there is no end to the amount of contacting to do.
As a finance leader in recruitment, it can seem like you’re just letting your team members be left to their own devices by giving them a computer and a phone line. The first stage for recruitment firms that need to cut down on waste is to monitor what their team members are doing: a data system that monitors how much time is spent on looking for and contacting leads is a must-have, especially if it means that areas of time inefficiencies can be identified and dealt with.
2. Automation of tasks
As mentioned above, there are a lot of tasks that recruiters find themselves doing on a repeated basis – such as issuing fresh LinkedIn requests to potential targets, or emailing those who have expressed an interest in a job move. Once you have a handle on which employees are performing best or how much time your staff members are spending on inefficient tasks, you can then locate automated replacements. Perhaps a tool that can send out LinkedIn requests to potentially interested parties might be a good idea.
This is harder for phone calls, and that’s an area in which recruiters can’t really automate their processes with ease. However, the good news for many recruiters is that the response to phone calls can be monitored. If your recruiters are currently spending hours and hours on follow-up phone calls and receiving little commission in return, for example, then it may be worth looking to shift to a new strategy. Without a productivity system that can identify these problems, though, you’ll never gain that insight.
3. Research CRM options
If you’ve located time inefficiencies and spotted areas in which tasks can be automated, it’s worth then looking for opportunities to change your customer relationship management – or CRM – software. If your staff are able to locate the email addresses, names and employment preferences of candidates on the books within seconds, the aggregate effect will be a much more nimble business.
For recruitment firms, efficiency is key – especially in an age when jobseekers and recruiters alike are busier than ever. Luckily, implementing the steps of this three-point plan – avoiding time waste, automating tasks, and finding a good CRM – are easier than ever thanks to data and software solutions.
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