I was listening to a Wayne Dyer CD again. I like listening on the way to work because it distracts me from the long commute and it helps me focus on the important things in life. My take away from my last drive was the concept of reputation. He said something very simple and yet so true. He said that our reputation is not with us, it is with other people. Many of us spend a lot of our lives living up to what others think of us or trying to dissuade people from what they think of us. Either way, that’s a lot of energy given to other people that we could be spending on ourselves.

Beware of the pedestal that others put you on… Whether or not you work hard to get somewhere, your path is constantly changing and only you know where you want to go. Don’t let others steer you without your permission.

Spending Energy on yourself:

As a successful recruiter it is imperative to live up to a consistent reputation. Focus on relationship-building rather than on cv's. In recruiting, who you know is as important as what you know – and the more people who know, like, trust, and respect you, the better the reputation you’ll build for yourself and your company. That reputation will translate, down the road, into more great candidates and successful hires. So cultivate your candidates and your contacts, treat them fairly and courteously, and do good turns for them wherever you can. Base your relationships on sincere good will and long-term cooperation, rather than on short-term gains, and you’ll establish relationships that will benefit you for years to come.

Establish a network of top-notch candidates
You won’t find the people you need simply by depending on job boards and resume banks. Instead, build your own network of great candidates, and add to it weekly. Your network will provide you with three essentials: great employees to satisfy your demanding hiring managers, referrals to other stellar candidates, and valuable information when you have questions.

Use technology in as many ways as you can
To recruit effectively, one must embrace technology. In today’s recruitment scene the importance of technology cannot be said enough. From drafting JD’s to posting jobs to sourcing, shortlisting and arranging interviews to networking on the internet we can see the use of technology at every stage and sans technology it becomes rather difficult to even imagine, considering the pace of recruitment needs these days.

Understand the need for speed at all levels of the recruiting process
A successful recruiter posts open jobs quickly, begins networking with contacts immediately, schedules phone screens and interviews with top candidates right away, and extends offers to winning candidates without delay. Every day you shave off your hiring process doubles or triples your chances of success.

Recruit all the time
There’s no such thing as a 40-hour week in recruiting! Instead, be willing to spend extra time and effort to research where the talent is hiding, and then go there to start building relationships. This means talking to people every where – airplanes, professional events, conferences, you name it. It means hanging out at happy hours, attending charity events, maybe even going to karaoke bars. It also means joining recruiting groups, and using recruiting forums where you can network with others willing to share advice and offer help.

Now I pose the question agian, as a recruiter are you living up or down to you reputation? Are you living up or down to your clients needs? Are you truely listening, 80% listening, 20% selling? Are you motivated enough to put your reputation on line as a true test of your services and skills.

The honest truth, I try everyday and somedays I fail, but I do have the mind set of success and I know that it is ok to fail, but do not quit, never give up on yourself. Be all you can be and then be more!

I was told in highschool - Reach for the stars and the Heavens will reveal themselves to you.