Great people are the number one factor in building a successful business in the staffing industry. Identifying, evaluating, and hiring great talent is only one part of the equation when building a great team. See Part 1. Now that you’ve found, interviewed, and hired a potential rock star, you need to assure that they have the tools needed to produce in the fast paced world of recruiting and staffing. Training and development for a new recruiter can at times be a tightrope act. In my experience, one of the best and most important personality traits that I find in a successful recruiter is a bit of an entrepreneurial streak. The good recruiters have a “get it done” mentality, and don’t require constant care and feeding. They are creative, self-motivated, and possess natural leadership abilities. Downside, they can also be resistant to taking direction, stubborn, and at times overly independent. I was always very clear with my newly hired rock stars, and out of the gate told every new hire this, “I’ll micro-manage at only two points in your career. First, when you begin working here, because I’ll spend significant time with you to give you the tools necessary to be successful. Second, if or when your production decreases to a point that requires additional training and remediation in order to get the production back up, or to identify the lack of desire or skills necessary to perform the job well.”
Much like working with a new client on a placement, or for timeshEASY, working with a new client on implementing software, the more time you spend at the beginning of the process, the more time it saves you on the back end. Not only is it important to spend the time, it is also important to structure the training. Systemization of process in general is a good idea, its the whole “Sharpen the Saw” mentality. By making the path to success clear and consistent, you can save your team and yourself a ton of time.
Another great training and development opportunity is the certification programs for staffing firms with the American Staffing Association. By becoming a TSC CSP certified professional, your recruiters and account reps will gain the knowledge to add some of that “out of the box” value that your competitors aren’t. Your clients will appreciate your investment in training, and without providing legal advice; your recruiters and account reps can help to keep your business out of the courtroom. As you’re well aware, the regulatory environment for employers and staffing firms isn’t getting any easier to navigate. FLSA, FMLA, ADA, ADEA, OSHA, Title VII, along with many other federal and state employment laws are a very real part of the daily job of staffing. I personally always felt better as an owner, knowing that my team was versed in the laws governing my industry, and made the certifications an integral part of our new hire training program.
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