Treating Your Staff Well – A Cautionary Tale

As my business is to back, set up, and support recruiters who want to build their own companies, it’s natural I speak with a lot of recruiters who want to set up on their own, with many motivated to take this step because they don’t like their current employer and how they run their company. Unfortunately, I regularly hear horror stories of independent recruitment business owners who morphed over time into believing they are some sort of legendary entrepreneur with immortality in the business world. Sadly, success can have the side effect of recruitment egos growing out of control.  

I’ve found independent business owners tend to lean one of two ways when the business takes off and they start making good money. Some appreciate the success; recognise the essential part the staff played and share the results of the high profit business with the people they employ. They show gratitude to their staff, and share the wealth with good commission structures, paying for team nights our and trips away and generally showing they appreciate those who helped get them to where they are. And above all, they give their team respect, ensure they feel wanted and stay humble. However, some go the opposite way.  Success and money changes what was a decent person into one that has grown to only see their staff as money machines, not people. They also can suffer from what I call the ‘greed syndrome’ where they feel people are out to take their newfound wealth and can even become a tad paranoid.  

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