Something to Smile About

Apparently, April was a little bit better month. Could the recession be in recession? One can only hope. The RCI (Recruiter Confidence Index) is slowly inching up, showing consecutive growth over the last three months. How can we keep it going? Executive recruiters are reporting improvement, but what about in-house recruiters? Is their confidence rising? Having a belief in recession relief is simply not enough. Rescinded requisitions, altered job descriptions, and hiring freezes do not bode well nor make the in-house recruiter more confident.

"According to April’s survey of 142 executive recruiters, 41 percent are confident or very confident the executive employment market will improve in the next six months – up from 38 percent last month and 28 percent in February." ~OnRec.com

In-House Recruiters know what a recession in recession looks like. Hiring Managers are happier and responding to resume submissions, teams are filling out and retention is a possibility. Happiness and positivity are infectious. We know this. Remember when you were a kid and your mom would be in a bad mood. "Ain't no one happy if Momma ain't happy." That is because Momma's happiness and good mood were just as infectious as her bad moods and malcontent.

The same holds true for you as a Recruiter or HR Professional. Doom and gloom doesn't help the "crisis." Plowing through it does, but simply plowing through isn't enough, plow through with a smile.

SMILE the BLUES AWAY.
"It's easy enough to be pleasant when everything goes like a song, but the man who is worthwhile, is the man who can smile when everything goes dead wrong." ~Anonymous

by rayannethorn

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Permalink Reply by Todd Kmiec on May 5, 2009 at 12:50pm

Rayanne,

You are so right about the attitude and about positivity being infectious. So I say this with a big smile on my face......I don't see it getting better yet. I have been pleasantly surprised that billings are pretty good so far this year. However, in my informal daily survey of clients, prospective clients, and every person I can find with a pulse who might hire someone some day, there is not a ton of optimism and not a lot of jobs. That said, I do think there will be an uptick before long (things don't go in a straight line in any direction forever), but I think that a healthy balance of optimism that things will turn around and fear or concern motivation that you better do everything you can to keep things going in this market is the best approach for now. In the end it probably doesn't matter. I love the business even when it's hard. :)

TK

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Permalink Reply by Todd Kmiec on May 5, 2009 at 10:07pm

That's great. My high school basketball coach gave us that poem and made us memorize it. On our sheets it was called State of Mind and it was by that infamous poet Anonymous. I actually still remember it word for word. There were a couple of slight differences. Ours said For Many A Race Is Lost, Before Even A Step Is Run....... The fact that I remember it so well shows the impact of such things. Great stuff. Thanks for bringing that one back for me.

TK

Rayanne said:

The comments made me think of one of my dad's favorite poems,
I memorized it when I was a kid and recited it at his funeral...
I think it's called "You Can"

If you think you are beaten, you are.
If you think you dare not, you don't.
If you like to win but think you can't,
It's almost a cinch you won't.

If you think you'll lose, you're lost.
For out int he world we find,
Success begins with a fellow's will;
It's all in the state of mind.

If you think you are outclassed, you are,
You've got to think high to rise,
You've got to be sure of yourself before
You can ever win a prize.

Full many a race is lost,
e'er even a step is run.
And many a coward fails,
e'er even his work is begun.

Think big and your deed will grow.
Think small and you'll fall behind.
Think that you can, and you will,
It's all in the state of mind.

Life's battles don't always go
To the stronger or faster man.
But sooner or later,
the man who wins is the man who thinks he can.

Like you, I plan on being one of them that thinks (s)he can...