We know that working in recruitment is seriously competitive. Whether you’re just starting out or you’ve been established a few years, winning new business is always challenging.
To help you grow and establish your agency, we’ve put together five different ways you can win business within recruitment. They might be things you’ve tried before, or new ideas, it’s just our way of helping during this difficult time.
1) Do Your Research
Making cold calls is part and parcel of recruitment life, however can you warm those calls up in advance by doing some more detailed research about the company? Look at recent news so you have something to connect about that’s more personalised than your usual introduction.
Be up on the latest industry statistics, so you know which sectors are growing and can be the first to contact companies that are looking to expand.
There are also a range of different tools online to help you improve your recruitment processes. Google Trends for example, can help you look at patterns in online searches, or tell you the times of year that certain roles are more popular, which could help you identify gaps in the market.
2) Use the Power of Social
Social media isn’t just for posting jobs, it’s also there for you to interact with potential new clients and candidates. Think about different pieces of content you could create, whether it’s white papers, salary surveys or video guidance on how to conduct the perfect interview! Creating compelling content is the way to win on social.
Connect with the relevant people, interact with their posts and become the expert on industry topics. Be that person on LinkedIn who has an opinion on the latest industry news, and don’t be afraid to share it (assuming it isn’t too polarising or controversial!). It encourages conversation and helps you to start appearing in the feeds of new and relevant people.
3) Build Your Brand
You shouldn’t underestimate the power of your agency brand, even if you’re a recruiter working alone. Think about what your company currently stands for and means to the people you work with. Are you putting across the right values in your look and communications?
Case studies and testimonials can be particularly powerful, and put you head and shoulders above your competition. Even if you’re not comfortable sharing the company you worked with, demonstrate how you met a tricky brief and include quotes from clients and candidates that show what a great recruitment professional you are.
4) Reignite Your Networking
When you first start out, networking is always the go-to business development tool. However once you’ve been in business a while, you can become a little complacent. Try to reignite your networking by attending relevant industry events (these could be virtual for a while) and taking part in online discussions.
If you can’t find a relevant event for your industry, then why not create one? This can easily be done online, by finding a platform and inviting people who might be interested. It’s also another way to establish yourself as an expert!
5) Grow Your Relationships
If you’ve worked in recruitment for a while, then you’ll know that one of the best ways to get new clients, is through your current clients! Recommendations are so valuable and showcase what a brilliant recruiter you’ve become.
Invest time in offering the best possible service you can to your existing clients. Look at your process and see if you can make it more customer-centric, to give yourself the best chance of being recommended and winning new business!
