Goal Setting for Recruiters: A Goal Without a Plan is Just a Wish

Gearing up for the New Year - Have you set your goals?

By Steve Margalit

As with anything you set out to do in life, practice and repetition of your plan (and good habits) are paramount to your success. It's not only important in your job as a recruiter, it's required. As an Executive Recruiter, there are lots of moving parts that need to be managed in real time, between less than responsive candidates and clients, the handling of different personalities, and any other surprises that are thrown your way. Having a good plan in place will help make achieving your goals a reality. With less than a month left this year, there is no better time than now to reflect back on 2017 - the good and the bad - and set some realistic goals for 2018. Here are some steps to help you script your plan...

Be Specific - rather than simply saying "I'd like to beat last year", set a numeric target for yourself. Put a post-it note on your computer monitor so you are reminded and motivated every day.

Measurable Goals - make sure you have mile markers along the way so you can adjust as necessary to create your reality. Setting daily, weekly and monthly goals as a barometer will help you stay on track.

Realistic and Reasonable Goals - I'm sure everyone would love to double last year's production. Depending on what your production was last year, that might be achievable. Ask yourself, "is it possible to arrange one extra first level every month?" If you run the FPC system averages for that extra activity, you are likely to increase your production by over two placements!

Achievable Goals - make a list that includes everything you can think of to achieve your goals, and as you come up with new ideas or activities add them to the list. How do you speak to more quality candidates? How do you obtain more premium jobs? The first step in achieving your goals is creating a consistent flow of activity. Particularly for the folks who have been running a desk for a longer period of time, why not start by reaching out to all of great candidates you didn't place last year or the year before last? Whether they weren't the right fit, or the timing didn't align, these candidates can be a valuable resource for you to achieve your goals. They can turn into a placement this year, possibly refer you to another great candidate, or perhaps point you in the direction of other hot jobs.

Set a Deadline or Deadlines - because you are staring at the calendar, it's easy to set your final deadline for the end of the year. If year-end 2018 seems like a lifetime away, you're right...it is. Create a deadline for quarterly goals that fall within your longer term goal. For those who have some historical perspective, in order to account for seasonal ebbs and flows in hiring in your industry, these quarterly goals don't have to be exactly 25% per quarter - adjust accordingly. Once again, these shorter time frames will ring alarm bells for you to make adjustments on the fly to stay the course.

Make a Plan - determine how many 'outbound efforts' it will take on a daily basis to create the activity you need to meet your goals. Be sure to make a plan each and every day.

Use FPC National - if nothing else you have an accountability partner. Collectively we have over 50 years of experience in Executive Recruiting...we can help!

If You Believe, You Can Achieve - self-confidence and belief in your mission is a critical component in your success. For the newer recruiters, put on a brave face and fake it till you make it! For those who have achieved some modicum of success previously, draw on that when delivering your message.

Please use the next three weeks to your advantage and create YOUR vision for 2018. With a little bit of planning, a whole lot of hard work, and hopefully a little luck you can make it your best year yet! Good luck!