How do you create a winning team?

Tips from a rugby great.

Rod McQueen (Ex Wallabies Coach) gave me the following words of advice some years ago. They seem very relevant today with the current challenge all recruitment agencies face of attracting and retaining the best talent for their businesses.

1. Ensure that you have the systems in place. Creating a winning team hinges on having the right processes and procedures in place to facilitate a smooth integration for the new team member. Consider a detailed induction pack, initial formal training both internally and externally on the "right" way to do the business will equip your new people with the skills and knowledge they need to be successful.

2. Allow the team to take ownership of nuances in culture. Allow your team members to integrate your new person into the culture of the team. Remember that the players are custodians of the game. The "we" not "me" culture. The existing players dictate the culture and set the rules for appropriate and inappropriate behaviour by the team members. Make sure your standards are high enough to reach the vision for the business and that all the team have the "passion to be the best".

3. Create a buddy system to teach what's important. Coaches and mentors are the way of the future for our industry. Buddy your new recruits with mentors (either internal or external) to help them be successful. Let them learn from the best, not the average. Success breeds success in rugby as in recruitment.

4. Never rest on your laurels. Always be creating a new and innovative way. Complacent rugby teams lose. Focus on the weak points, make them strong. Always be improving. For me the message is be continually stretching your team, acknowledge them for what they have done well and then stretch them once again toward excellence.

Winning teams are committed, consistent in their activities and behaviour and are passionate about their desire to be the best!

Are you part of a winning team?

Don't let lost deals get you down!

I have just had a coaching session with Dan, a recruiter who lost $60K this month in withdrawn offers. He was devastated as you can imagine. We got to talking about what he could have done to avoid this. The plain and simple truth was both situations were out of his control. He had done everything he possibly could do to control the process with both clients giving verbal commitment that offers were coming and then changing their minds a few days later.

He asked me for ideas on how these blows might be less devastating in terms of reaching his target and I got to thinking about how he manages his numbers.

Let's assume for a moment that on average you lose 1 in every 5 offers to a counter or conflicting offer. That means that you need ensure that you have enough in your pipeline that the loss of one fee is not life and death to meeting your target.

I explained how I used to work on my desk. I always ran at least $20K in fees more than I needed to from live opportunities to ensure that I always met and exceeded target each month. I also worked a month ahead of everyone else. So for example, if you invoice on start date then you should be closing your quarter at the end of this month (May) not next (June). Make sure that you have enough "closeable" jobs covered in your pipeline so that you have reached target for this quarter at the end of May.

How do you ensure enough "fillable" jobs in your pipeline? Increase your activities!
Always look at your target as the minimum you need to attain as opposed to the maximum. That way, if something goes wrong, you will still have enough in your pipeline to meet target and won't be in the situation Dan currently is in with not enough starters invoiced this quarter to meet his target.

Start today thinking about next quarter. How many jobs need to be filled to reach target + 20K?
What is your average fee?
What are your fill statistics? ie. How many jobs must you work to fill the number required?
What job coverage do you currently have on those jobs? ie. how many candidate CV's have you sent out and how many client/candidate interviews have your organised?
What actions do you need to take THIS WEEK to increase your activities?

Need some help getting and staying focused, then why now consider a coaching program with me. Visit www.gaynorlowndes.com/Gaynor%20Lowndes/coaching for more details on how I can help you reach your potential.