Companies are remiss if they go it alone in trying to recruit good people. Most organizations are unable to fulfill all of their own needs for full-time employees and temporary help. And that is okay, as hiring is not their core business. This is the staffing industry is a vital contributor.

Staffing and recruitment companies must do a better job of delivering services that allow their customers to always hire someone today or acquire contract talent in an instant. Almost every…

It’s been said that time is not on our side. The latest stats back this up. According to the Dice-DF Vacancy Duration Measure, time-to-fill has risen to its highest level in 15 years.

The problem is not capabilities, as there are more of those today than 15 years ago, especially the added efficiencies through technology. Nor is it available talent, as competent recruiters can always find…

Competitive golfers and dancers keep their competition top of mind, knowing their influence can undermine them at any moment. Just the noise from these competitors can cause them to slice a drive or miss a step, creating a lost opportunity which ends up losing the match. The competition ends up stealing their trophies, their winnings and even their self-confidence and pride. The real power of these competitors comes from where they live—right between the ears. That’s why we often hear people…

In almost every video game, there are special bonuses that convey advantages, such as more strength or firepower. These powerups can heal injuries, increase supremacy and accelerate a character’s ability to achieve the objectives and win a level or even the entire game.

Real-life powerups are available to leaders who foster interdependent relationships between all parties—managers, employees and co-workers. Interdependence creates a healthy dynamic…

Hiring managers typically need that empty seat filled yesterday, yet they often wait until tomorrow or a series of tomorrow’s before that happens. It is this very gap between yesterday and tomorrow that holds one of the greatest opportunities for staffing and recruiting firms.

The staffing industry can quickly elevate its reputation by more consistently providing talent on demand, right when it is needed. This not only delivers tremendous value; it is how firms can be rewarded with a…

While less is more is a popular statement, many people find that saying it is much easier than living and working in this manner. Achieving better sales, recruiting better talent, and being more effective as a leader requires doing less while focusing on always taking action on the next right thing.

Here are the three steps to create the space and focus needed to become a leaner and more proficient leader, salesperson, or recruiter:

1. Identify which aspects of your job you…

A leader need not be brilliant to be effective. Efficient leaders always do three things:

1. Set clear and reasonable expectations.
2. Succinctly communicate what is expected.
3. Unwaveringly hold people accountable to these expectations.

These three behaviors, consistently executed, are the hallmarks of a simply effective leader. The difference between these individuals and those just getting by is the development and utilization of these traits…

It’s often said that salespeople should listen more than talk, however, those spouting this wisdom typically are the ones who continue to inundate those around them with voluminous amounts of words. In fact, most salespeople spew a stream of factoids, details, and feature-benefit chunks of information all over prospective clients.

No one likes to be thrown up on, and it’s certainly no way to start or grow an important relationship. Instead, our industry must adhere…

Staffing and recruitment firms who are achieving the fastest growth in margin percentage and dollars are taking their cues from some of the best at innovation: Starbucks, Airbnb, Warby Parker, Patagonia, Kickstarter, and Apple. Instead of bombarding tons of prospects with mundane sales and marketing pitches, hoping to get them to care about their offerings, they are figuring out what matters most to these buyers, then delighting them, one person at a time. This approach,…

Car fanatic or not, there is a lot to like about a Teslaand how this electric vehicle is a model for better business. Acceleration from zero to 60 miles per hour in just 3.1 seconds, which the Model S can now achieve, is the kind of rapid velocity staffing and recruitment customers can experience when firms shift from reactive to active recruiting. Most buyers need that talented person yesterday, so speeding that…

In just two minutes the salesperson had gotten the client to say “yes” to giving his firm a shot at filling their needs. Had he stopped there, all would have been right and good in his world. Unfortunately, he continued to talk, extolling the features and benefits of the staffing services provided by his company. The “yes” turned into a “no” after the customer recanted, deciding to take time to think over his decision. Now that customer is buying from another firm, one I suspect whose…

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up, live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Having a dream is a powerful thing. So proved Dr. King in the life he lived and in the words he shared as an American civil rights activist. Dreams, based upon deep convictions and core beliefs, can be the basis of tremendous good in both personal and professional…

How easy it is to apply previous experience to current circumstances. Such was the case when I emailed colleagues last week about a trip to New York I was on as a chaperone for my son’s thespian troupe. I received responses like:

• “Ugh, teenagers. Good luck.”
• “How’d you get roped into that?”
• “Better you than me!”

This trip was one of…

Watching the Florida State football team lose to Oregon on New Year’s Day was not shocking nor disappointing, given the impressive performance of the Ducks. What was disheartening was the poor sportsmanship displayed by both teams; many of the Seminoles headed to the locker room instead of shaking hands with the victors, and several Oregon team members openly mocked Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston and the accusation of sexual assault that has followed him for the past…

Given that how we invest our attention, time, and energy each day is a choice, I offer the following Wintripisms as suggestions for the coming year:

• Those who pay the least demand the most. So, when choosing customers in 2015 pick the best so you can leave the rest.
• Avoid implementing permanent solutions to temporary problems. It’s a great way to avoid regrets later.
• If you want…

Yes, I’ve borrowed this statement from the Christmas song with the same name. And this concept, as the song ran through my head (over and over again after hearing it), reminded me that each and everyone of us is an artist, trading a day of our lives for what we create each day. We receive daily “clay” in the form of opportunities, connections, conversations, and moments in time to create something of meaning.

Whatever was already created this year is done, baked, and hardened. All we…

People are not the only ones getting on the scale as staffing and recruitment firms across the globe are trimming the fat as a catalyst for growth. Lean Recruiting initiatives across the globe are focusing leaders to eliminate wasted time, resources, energy, and effort. The results benefit everyone as clients have talented people working more quickly, candidates land better opportunities with less effort, and their providers are rewarded for their efforts while also be able…

Like a computer with a well functioning operating system, companies that perform exceptionally well year after year have a well planned Renewable Operating System (ROS). Better than a strategic plan, an ROS creates a better way of doing business with speed, agility, and reduced effort, similar to the powerful processors in today’s technical devices.

The first step I initiate with every leader with whom I work to create an ROS starts with the current “code.” Just like rewriting an…

While I’m all for being grateful, especially being mindful of this during this week’s American Thanksgiving celebration, I’m not too keen on satisfaction. Satisfaction can become a trap that keeps you cemented to your doorstep, allowing competitors to grab the glory, the gusto, and even some of your market share.

One of my favorite examples of this is when I asked a workshop participant, who was resistant to ideas for improving her company, if she was satisfied with her current…

It’s all too easy to play the game their way. Following their rules, their pricing, their way of doing business. They are the customers, your competition, the majority of the market, and playing their game doesn’t serve most firms very well.

If you’re really satisfied with playing the game their way stop reading, because this post is not for you. For the rest of you, here’s how you play the game your way:

Identify…