Developments from the Staffing Industry Daily News and The Staffing Stream to help you focus on emerging movements that could shape your business for the better.
Ask Before You Text
Leveraging the power of texting
To reach more candidates more effectively, many recruiters are starting to experiment with text messaging. Text messaging has some very desirable benefits for recruiters, including its highly touted 98% open rate. But think about the last time you received a text message from someone you didn’t know. Were you happy about it? Or did you feel that person was invading your personal digital space?
Here are five ways recruiters can leverage the power of text messaging without alienating candidates.
1. Know your audience. Recipients between 18 and 24 are more likely to view the recruiters as professional, while those over 45 were more likely to view them as unprofessional.
2. Not for initial contact. Texting is most effective after a relationship has already been established.
3. Ask permission. The best way to guarantee your text messages will be welcome is to ask candidates’ permission to send them.
4. Stick to business hours. Many will view texting outside of business hours as inappropriate.
5. Etiquette. Although text messages should be short, still follow the rules of written business communications. Don’t abbreviate, don’t be rude and check your spelling.
Petal to the Metal
Shorten the time it takes for sales reps to get to full speed
It takes about six to eight months for most sales people in the industry to be running at full speed and providing a return on your investment. But there are ways you can accelerate that learning curve.
Provide a structured orientation and training program. A strong onboarding plan should be a blend of in-person and online training, job shadowing, one-on-one coaching, and structured time scheduled to put what they’ve learned into practice.
Educate them on how to sell your company. New sales reps need to be able to confidently and succinctly articulate why your company is a better alternative to an existing provider and the other staffing firms.
Do the prospecting for them. You know the companies (or at least the types of companies) you want them to go after, so make it easy for them by providing a list of those companies (with contact information is even better).
Focus on activity, not results. Set, monitor and reinforce activity expectations. In addition to phone calls, they should also be active in networking organizations, leveraging connections, social media (primarily LinkedIn), emails, mailings, etc.
Boom to Bust
Most global oil and gas hiring managers are reluctant to expand hiring efforts.
Sixty-five percent of oil and gas hiring managers report decreased hiring plans over next six months, while 54% say job cuts are more likely in the next six months, according to a global survey conducted by Rigzone.
Road Block
A lack of career path, not salary, is the top reason employees leave their jobs.
Of employees who left their jobs in the last 12 months, 26% cited lack of career growth opportunities as the primary factor, followed by low compensation at 23% and poor leadership at 19%, according to Randstad’s 2015 Employer Branding Survey.
