The distance between success and failure is often not that great, especially for recruiters. It is a thin line and there are slim margins between the two at times. However, the character and mind-set of a successful person and that of an unsuccessful person are often substantially different. To put it bluntly, winners have a winning mentality. Losers, well…
If you look around you at your peers and examine, for a moment, what it is that the successful people do compared to the less successful ones, you’ll notice that they don’t complain. Successful recruiters think and speak differently than unsuccessful ones. They work 10 times harder (and 10 times smarter) too. Unsuccessful ones complain, moan and come up with excuses.
Success doesn’t come easy, but it is simpler than you think it is. There are no secrets or shortcuts to success, but these tips – traits, opinions and ideas – that successful people have shaken off will stand you in good stead.
- Thinking that you can’t change the world
Unsuccessful people sometimes start off with fantastic intentions and a belief that they can change the world. But when the realisation dawns that changing the world is actually going to be a tough gig, they change tack, shrug their shoulders and proclaim, ‘What’s the point? You can’t change the world, can you?’ They give up, and settle for second best.
Success is about having the belief that you can change the world. Everybody has the power to do something incredible. Of course, few of us (by the law of averages) will ever do something that genuinely changes and affects the whole world – but that doesn’t mean you can’t be a big player in your world or somebody else’s.
Whether that means becoming the absolute best recruiter within your particular niche sector or region; or simply providing outstanding service to a specific category of candidate – you can change that world!
- Procrastinating
Procrastination is the scourge of the unsuccessful. If you want to be a successful recruiter there is a not a moment to waste. Every second is important. You need to know where you want to get to and what your goals are. Then you just need to have faith in what you can achieve, and get on with it!
Yes, you need to plan and think things through, but if you’re not careful planning just becomes another form of procrastination. A plan that stays on paper or on a beautifully colour-coded spreadsheet means nothing. You need to put the plan into action.
Get on the phone, to chase that client. Cold call to find more business. Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today, and do now.
- Wearing a mask
Successful people will let the mask slip. Recruiters need to be professional, yes, but honesty, openness and transparency are vital. In the triangle of trust that exists between the recruiter, client and candidate, trust can never be gained without the recruiter being genuine and letting some personality shine through.
- Selfishness
Successful people are not selfish, they are selfless. Successful recruiters put their goals, ambition and family before all else. They are insanely driven and focused, but this is not selfishness, because the emphasis is on giving and serving others. It is the way you give to and serve clients and candidates that will help you reach your business goals.
- Negativity
Successful people have given up on negativity and surrounding themselves with negative people. There will always be those that are more ‘glass half empty’ than ‘glass half full’ – that’s only natural, but if negative vibes are all you are getting daily in the office, or in a social media group, that negativity will seep into your psyche. This is incredibly damaging.
There will always be somebody waxing lyrical with their ‘voice of reason’. There are always going to be things that are holding you back – but only if you listen to the voices or believe that you can be held back.
All these 5 things to give up are pretty generic. They are general life hacks that can be applied in any setting. But, as you want to be successful in a recruitment setting, you need to hone in on how these 5 things relate to your context. Analyse where it is that these issues affect you and work on how to address them. You’ll have taken the important first steps on your journey to become a more successful recruiter!
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