It happened this week, in some interesting way the challenges were there, my colleagues needed a freindly and positive outlook to spur them on their way.  Recruiters are much like sales people, they both need an inspirational word now and then.  As well my fellow sourcers on my team needed a pick me up, as one got down on himself, and another is new finding his way.  I am one who has to manage my desk in such a way as to lift others up.  Such a powerful thing is positive energy - case in point - a recruiter I sourced for had closed an incredible candidate I had found, and then the candidate backed out, only to have that wretched occurence happen again, this is what happens when the economy comes roaring back to life, as the clients realize FINALLY that they can't sit on the candidate as if they are some piece of equipment - they actually have to show an interest within a reasonable time or that talented golden candidate is onto a better place.  Well, working with this same recruiter she was starting to get worried, and on another search we found a candidate perfect for our client, and then she set up the interview by phone, the candidate had worked for the company in England, and was a citizen of the US - this expatriate wanted to return to the Bay Area, and with another offer in hand decided our client was a better choice, all the while our Account Executive worked the client and candidate to make the marriage stick - and a nice fill with a nice profit margin was ours.  The positive energy from that one fill made a difference and spurred my colleagues back on the game as our new guys got interviews, my fellow sourcer came over and thanked me for my kind words and he got back in the game as well our new guy who has just recently been trained in the staffing business and in his first real venture secured several interviews this week.  Now, factor in our new recruiters just trained in the business roaring to life and securing their first interviews, it was quite an inspirational week.  Some other factors that lead to a great point of inspiration - a recruiter who I enjoy working with watched as 3 of our reqs got cancelled from the clients after interview activity - at which point they then reopened one of the reqs - this recruiter bless her heart dug out submittal after submittal after submittal and made a difference in working the reqs until she secured two in-person interviews.  Another recruiter and I on my team partnered on another difficult Siebel Developer role, and was able to get the candidate to sign on securing yet another amazing profit margin.

I watched as our fortunes changed on St. Patricks Day - on one steady day, things started gelling, we secured incredible submissions to several new clients.  Add to this some brand name fills this month and I realize my job as sourcer is not just to feed hungry recruiters resumes but to be an inspirational partner to both my fellow sourcers and recruiters.  What a fun role to play.  As you maintain positive energy flow suddenly the obstacles that crowded your view are shattered in the face of success.  Staffing is so full of ups and downs, more ups than downs, but if your attitude stinks well then you just are stuck in a rut.  There is a great movie called Facing The Giants about facing the giants in your life that are challenges and "blooming where you're planted."  That is the essence of a successful marriage on the staffing side, being able to manage the client and candidate experience such that there is a fair shake on either side of the staffing equation.  Recruiters need to be thoughtful partners in the career direction of stellar candidates.

I submit, that staffing has more incredible moments for greatness and for maintaining on your commitments to excellence.  When life gives you some lemon of mass proportions how you rise to come back often speaks to your character and substantial life direction.  Such a way and attitude is so necessary to success that negative energy can be a self fulfilling prophecy, when one is not focused on the total life perspective. 

I have so many blessings, in fact we need to count them as this famous LDS Hymn states:

Count Your Blessings:

Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your blessings, see what God hath done!
Count your blessings, name them one by one,
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done

That is the essence of a great attitude, may we learn to count our blessings, and keep our inward focus that enables a clear direction.  One of the best things is being able to put people back to work, and putting the right person, in the right place, at the right time is surely one of the best pieces of success one can hope to have.

Hopefully we can count our blessings and realize how trully blessed we are.  We all need that reminder very often - and that is one of the truest ingredients to staffing success.