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Leadership key to achieving greater respect for recruitment industry
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Leadership key to achieving greater respect for recruitment industry
The recruitment industry is notorious for chasing people in good times and ignoring them in the bad, says former Adecco CEO Ray Roe, and must deliver more consistent service if it wants greater respect.
Roe believes the industry is "quite under-valued; we`re not often respected by our candidates, we are not often respected by our customers, and the outside world - the public world - doesn`t even rely on the industry for facts and figures about employment".
He told Recruiter Daily that the industry`s lack of respect and perceived value by the outside world was one of his continual disappointments during his 16 years in senior management positions.
To improve both personally and professionally as an industry, recruiters must focus on leadership, which he says is "the key to everything".
He swears by nine principles or "guideposts" around leadership that, when followed, improve respect within recruitment companies and from clients and candidates.
"It`s not just about leading people in the office, but demonstrating principles that inspire people to believe in us."
Respect
Everyone in the industry talks about respect, Roe notes, "but the biggest problem with respect is that... a lot of people just talk about it".
He says that when someone is in a position of authority - whether as an employer or by delivering a service - "you are not entitled to any respect, you must earn your respect".
"But the people who work for you, and the people you`re working on behalf of, are entitled to your respect," he says. "And if you as a leader or an office manager are so precious that you want people to demonstrate respect for you and you start using the phrase `well, I`m the boss, you have to show me some respect`, you are on the wrong foot."
A true leader, he says, earns respect from others through their performance - "by what you do, by how you treat [people]; they then of course respond pretty well".
The industry would be more highly valued if everyone in it demonstrated a consistent level of respect for candidates, he says, and this is as simple as returning their phone calls and getting back to them at the times promised, "even if it`s bad news".
"I think as an industry we`re notorious for pursuing people when it`s good news and they have something and we need them, and then when it`s bad news... we don`t answer the mail and we don`t return phone calls."
If you`re in charge, take charge
If you`re in a leadership position people expect you to give direction and to see your policies followed, Roe says.
"If you`re in charge you have to take charge. You can`t be in charge if you`re constantly blaming your boss or the company for what`s going on. If you`re branch manager, it might sound good to everybody and you might feel better by telling the branch: `The MD has said we have to do this. I hate it but we have to do it.`
"[But] we don`t need managers like that. Managers need to take on the responsibility and carry out the mission as if it`s theirs. And when you can`t do that you shouldn`t be in the organisation."
Make a difference
Finally, Roe told Recruiter Daily, recruiters must "decide to make a difference".
"We make a difference in people`s lives every day and you can decide to make a positive difference, or you can not decide and let things go, or you can decide to make a negative difference.
"Just the way you talk to people makes a difference in people`s lives, so if you`re in this industry and you want to be good at this, decide today to go out and make a difference, one step at a time."
Source:
http://www.recruiterdaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&stream=All&selkey=
Roe believes the industry is "quite under-valued; we`re not often respected by our candidates, we are not often respected by our customers, and the outside world - the public world - doesn`t even rely on the industry for facts and figures about employment".
He told Recruiter Daily that the industry`s lack of respect and perceived value by the outside world was one of his continual disappointments during his 16 years in senior management positions.
To improve both personally and professionally as an industry, recruiters must focus on leadership, which he says is "the key to everything".
He swears by nine principles or "guideposts" around leadership that, when followed, improve respect within recruitment companies and from clients and candidates.
"It`s not just about leading people in the office, but demonstrating principles that inspire people to believe in us."
Respect
Everyone in the industry talks about respect, Roe notes, "but the biggest problem with respect is that... a lot of people just talk about it".
He says that when someone is in a position of authority - whether as an employer or by delivering a service - "you are not entitled to any respect, you must earn your respect".
"But the people who work for you, and the people you`re working on behalf of, are entitled to your respect," he says. "And if you as a leader or an office manager are so precious that you want people to demonstrate respect for you and you start using the phrase `well, I`m the boss, you have to show me some respect`, you are on the wrong foot."
A true leader, he says, earns respect from others through their performance - "by what you do, by how you treat [people]; they then of course respond pretty well".
The industry would be more highly valued if everyone in it demonstrated a consistent level of respect for candidates, he says, and this is as simple as returning their phone calls and getting back to them at the times promised, "even if it`s bad news".
"I think as an industry we`re notorious for pursuing people when it`s good news and they have something and we need them, and then when it`s bad news... we don`t answer the mail and we don`t return phone calls."
If you`re in charge, take charge
If you`re in a leadership position people expect you to give direction and to see your policies followed, Roe says.
"If you`re in charge you have to take charge. You can`t be in charge if you`re constantly blaming your boss or the company for what`s going on. If you`re branch manager, it might sound good to everybody and you might feel better by telling the branch: `The MD has said we have to do this. I hate it but we have to do it.`
"[But] we don`t need managers like that. Managers need to take on the responsibility and carry out the mission as if it`s theirs. And when you can`t do that you shouldn`t be in the organisation."
Make a difference
Finally, Roe told Recruiter Daily, recruiters must "decide to make a difference".
"We make a difference in people`s lives every day and you can decide to make a positive difference, or you can not decide and let things go, or you can decide to make a negative difference.
"Just the way you talk to people makes a difference in people`s lives, so if you`re in this industry and you want to be good at this, decide today to go out and make a difference, one step at a time."
Source:
http://www.recruiterdaily.com.au/nl06_news_selected.php?act=2&stream=All&selkey=
