Contract Recruiting

Finding that Next Contract Recruiting Opportunity

Doug Franklin — Tue, 26 May 2009 21:52:28 -0400

Finding that next great Contract as a Contract Recruiter can be tough with the current cutbacks at many companies. In previous Blogs we discussed setting your goal and creating a plan for your search.

Once you have your plan started, the next step may be to create your own marketing materials. Make sure you have a good email address, small portfolio of your past work, and a solid resume to use in the search process. Once you have the basic marketing documents in place. you are ready to begin looking for that next great Contract Recruiting role.

Contract Recruiter Job Search...Defining the Goal!

Doug Franklin — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 09:21:36 -0400

Last month I wrote about the sometimes tedious and always time consuming job of looking for a new Contract Recruiter position. The steps can be remarkably easy however, if you create a search plan and stick to it.

The action plan has several steps and can look something like the following:

Define the Goal of the Search �?? �??To Identify New Contract Recruiting Job Opportunities�?��??
Refine Your Marketing Materials (Resume, References, Recruiting Specialization and Examples)
Build and Expand Your Brand
Market Research
Networking
Managing Your Search �?? Tools of the Trade
Action Items
Plan Measurement Dates

In this post, I�??d like to address the first and maybe most important step�?�Defining the Goal of the search. Now I know you are probably thinking, �??I just need a new Contract position and that seems pretty straight forward!�?? OK, I�??ll give you that. But, sometimes the Goal of our job search and Contract search can be modified and therefore change our direction and improve our success.

Here are a few modifications of just finding a Contract Recruiter job:

Network with direct contacts in the Contract Recruiting industry and make them aware that I am looking for a new position
Establish my brand in the Contract Recruiting industry through blogs and article writing for future Contract Recruiter job opportunities
Reach out to 100 past candidates to inquire about Contract Recruiter job opportunities at their companies
Identify the top Recruiting Agencies and contact them about Contract opportunities
Etc.

I know these goals are all similar and all have the key focus on eventually finding a new Contract Recruiter opportunity. However, the difference is the way you look at Contract Recruiting and whether you intend to build your position in the Contract Recruiting world or just survive for the next gig. Whatever your goal, make sure to write it down and come back to visit it a couple of times before you create your Contract Recruiting job search. Good luck!

Contract Recruiter for Hire!

Doug Franklin — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 08:29:29 -0400

Over the last year, I have seen the peaks and valleys of job demand for Contract Recruiters. Recently, my Yahoo Group (ContractRecruiterJobs) has been deluged with postings from Contract Recruiters looking for a new Contract Recruiting opportunity. I guess it goes without saying that the economic crunch we all are feeling is also hitting the Contract Recruiting business.

So, as I sat the last couple of days thinking about what to blog about (sorry I have been out for a while and not doing any blogging), I wondered what I should use for a catchy title for this small entry. Then it occurred to me early this morning that the real issue was simply finding work for Contract Recruiters, not a catchy title. Well, with that thought in mind, I decided to write a series of blog entries over the next few weeks and months to specifically cover the topic of finding new �??Contract Recruiting�?? opportunities.

I�??m an old marketing and sales guy from the world of manufacturing and distribution. So, when I come up against a challenge, I tend to reach back to my marketing planning days and put together a step by step action plan. With the challenge of finding Contract Recruiting opportunities really being very similar to a job search or sales plan of sorts, I think it makes sense then to put together a written plan of action and get out there to find that next great Contract Recruiting position.

Over the next few weeks, I will cover a multi-step action plan which I have actually used to find past Contract Recruiting jobs. I hope each of you in this great profession will add your thoughts and ideas to this fairly simply action plan:

Define the Goal of the Search �?? �??To Identify New Contract Recruiting Job Opportunities�?��??
Refine Your Marketing Materials (Resume, References, Recruiting Specialization and Examples)
Build and Expand Your Brand
Market Research
Networking
Managing Your Search �?? Tools of the Trade
Action Items
Plan Measurement Dates

Next time we will spend some time on �??Defining Your Search Goal�??. If you know where you want to go, it�??s easier to figure out how to get there. Good luck for great Contract Recruiting.

Free Gasoline!

Doug Franklin — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 10:12:18 -0400

Many Contract Recruiters have contacted me over the last couple of years to inquire about ?virtual? Contract Recruiting opportunities. Well, with the price of gasoline reaching $4.00 per gallon, maybe it?s time to get serious about virtual Contract Recruiting? Certainly, it?s time to suggest it to our current employers.

So what holds back companies and agencies from setting up Virtual Recruiters? I think the answer may just be ?out-dated thinking?! I think they are afraid that if some recruiters do virtual recruiting that everyone may want to do it. I also think they don?t understand the technology of today supports virtual Contract Recruiting. After all, we recruiters are hooked to a telephone and internet connection for most of our normal work day. The big exception might be when we spend time with candidates or clients, but those are and should be scheduled events. The rest of our day doing sourcing, database mining, recruiting, telephone screening, and other recruitment tasks can all be accomplished quite efficiently anywhere we can get a phone line and internet connection.

It appears that the biggest concern with virtual recruiting is to make sure Contract Recruiters are efficient, motivated, and actually getting the work done. Seems like all of those issues can easily be accomplished and verified first with the ?professionalism? which needs to be a part of all Contract Recruiter?s efforts, and secondly with some goal setting or metrics which recruiters can provide to employers to substantiate their high performance. Bottom line, if you don?t fill the positions, you are not effective right?

As a virtual Contract Recruiter, you should reach out to your employers and suggest ways to be more effective and efficient. I think virtual recruiting at times can make the most cost effective sense. After all, you don?t even need a desk, office space, or water fountain to gather around if you are virtually recruiting.

As gas prices continue to rise, more Contract Recruiters will join the ranks of ?virtual Contract Recruiters? in the coming months and years. It only make sense to get a VOIP phone and a high speed internet connection in your home office and spend at least part of your week doing recruitment work and not pumping gas!

Alternative Energy?Contract Recruiters!

Doug Franklin — Sun, 20 Apr 2008 10:03:42 -0400

Every day we hear about the price of oil going up and of course gasoline and other fuels going up just as fast or faster. It takes a fifty dollar bill to fill my SUV! We also hear about some of the work going on in alternative energy products and strategies for fixing our energy problems in the future. Well, I am here to tell you that there is an ?alternative energy? source right here in the recruiting industry which we can all start utilizing tomorrow. It?s a Contract Recruiter!

OK, not in the car or lawn mower, but for sure in the recruitment industry where today?s recruiting challenges need extra energy to get the job done. I?m talking about that spurt of energy that comes to an agency or recruiting department when a new face shows up or dials in from a virtual recruiting location to lend hand in the tough recruiting challenges facing the industry more and more each day. I?m talking about bringing a new perspective for those impossible to fill positions.

Whether we agree or not that economic or other trends are making recruiting more challenging in 2008; we all must agree that sometimes pulling in new recruiting talent through Contract Recruiters can save the day when everything else seems to fail. A talented Contract Recruiter can hit the road running and initiate a new approach to success on that difficult to fill open position or search assignment that has been going on for months. Contract Recruiters face each new contract with vigor as well as excellent past experience at taking on the tough assignments and winning. They are pros and are not worn down by traditional recruiting techniques or strategies. Contract Recruiters are independent thinkers and love the ability to succeed where no other recruiter has gone.

As a Contract Recruiter, we can bring fresh ideas to the sourcing strategy, or creative technique to the screening interviews to present better candidates for the hiring manager. We also are able to look at a job specification and compare it to a large variety of past assignments we have worked on to reach in to our bag of tricks and successfully complete or fill the open positions.

So the next time you stop at the pump and shell out the gold for that ole gas guzzler you are driving, thank the Contract Recruiter spirit for solving the most challenging of alternative energy and recruitment assignments. Who says we need that oil in the middle of the desert? We?ve got Contract Recruiters!

Contract Recruiters?in High Demand!

Doug Franklin — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 17:00:52 -0400

As many of you know, I founded and moderate a Yahoo Group for Contract Recruiters. It is called ContractRecruiterJobs and is open to all Contract Recruiters, Agencies, and Corporations who employee Contract Recruiters. There are almost 4,000 members to date and literally daily, job opportunities are posted, or contract Recruiters list there resume looking for new opportunities.

I created the Group to of course help Contract Recruiters and employers find each other. I was very surprised and pleased to see the Group grow so rapidly and become so effective in helping this talented sector of the Recruiting world. What has also come from the Group is an awareness or almost barometer of the state of Contract Recruiter opportunities.

Recently, as we hear more and more about economic cutbacks and woes, I have noticed that the Group continues to grow and even more Contract Recruiter opportunities seem to be posted. So, at first I figured maybe the obvious was happening; that companies were laying off full time recruiters and hiring Contract Recruiters. But then, as I watched the job postings a little closer, it seemed to indicate that many companies are actually bolstering there existing recruiter staff with additional Contract Recruiters so as to process internal search assignments even more quickly than the past.

I?d love to hear from you Contract Recruiters who have recently started a new contract or gig on what the circumstances were that drove your employer to add Contract Recruiting staff? Are you there to bolster the existing recruiting talent or replace it?

Looking forward to a Great 2008 in Contract Recruiting!

Are Contract Recruiters Insulated from the Economic Woes in 2008!

Doug Franklin — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 10:22:07 -0400

OK, so all day and night I have been flipping channels trying to get away from the election results and the bad economic forecasts, bummer! But it got me to thinking about the Contract Recruiter world and how Contract Recruiters may be impacted if 2008 continues to be doom and gloom?

If you look at some of the opportunities out there for Contract Recruiting positions, it appears that in some ways the professional Contract Recruiter is insulated from huge economic swings up or down? When times are good, companies and recruiting agencies are in a position to add Contract Recruiters to quickly bolster their capabilities to meet hiring manager?s needs. Then, on the other side of the coin, when the economy slows, Contract Recruiters are brought on to fill gaps in the recruitment department without having a long term commitment by hiring direct employees. All in all, Contract Recruiters are the perfect solution in either economic situation!

Then why do Contract Recruiters fear the unknown of these economic swings? I think it?s because of the lack of planning and proper market position. In other words, we need to do a better job of planning for the upswings and falloffs too. So how do we do that you say? Well, I think we need to have a plan for our ?careers?. We shouldn?t just hop from contract assignment to contract assignment and never reinvest in our futures. Here are a few thoughts on the things we can do to bolster our long term success and insulate ourselves from these economic gremlins:

� Create a marketing plan for our Contract Recruiting career. Include the proper materials like business cards, portfolio with past experiences, and a great resume.

� Challenge ourselves to find new contacts and opportunities ?before? we are in need.

� Stay current in technology and training for recruiters.

� Establish ourselves as an expert by function, market, or some other differentiator.

I?m sure there are many other ways to improve our Contract Recruiting careers. I?d love to hear from you and also whether you think that Contract Recruiters can stay insulated from the economic swings of 2008?

The Gift That Keeps on Giving!

Doug Franklin — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 19:06:54 -0400

No, it?s not the ?jelly of the month club?, it?s Recruiter Training. And it's time for every good professional Contract Recruiter to plan on giving yourself the gift that will improve your career and earning power in 2008 and beyond.

So where do I get this training you may ask? Of course, right here on ERE and other very helpful web sites where you can find all sorts of helpful information and training ideas. There?s also a host of books, webinars, and training tools out there that deal with recruiting which are applicable to Contract Recruiters as well.

I?m proud to have recently written the foreword to a recruiting training book by Dr. David Sweet. The book is called Recruit, Becoming the Top Biller, and it?s a blueprint for all recruiters who want to help their own careers and improve their own performance. Dr. Sweet writes the book from the angle of a contingent recruiter, but it?s great points are applicable to the entire recruiting industry and all Contract Recruiters.

So, take some time over the holidays to decide how you are going to enhance your training in 2008 and maybe take a look at this nice easy reading book from an industry leader in training recruiters, Dr. David Sweet. His book can be found on Amazon at:

http://www.amazon.com/Recruit-David-Sweet/dp/1604612924/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1198157849&sr=8-1

Good luck for a great 2008!

On the Backs of ?Contract Recruiters??

Doug Franklin — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 08:59:14 -0400

As I spend more time in the recruiting industry, I continue to hear about the strength of the Contract Recruiters who are out there every day getting the job done. I almost feel like Contract Recruiters are a subterranean group of experts who carry a major portion of the recruiting workload but who seldom are given the credit for their extensive capabilities in recruiting? I often wonder how many thousands of Contract Recruiters are out there?

Last week I met with a company who is a leader in the entertainment world. Our topic of conversation eventually came to the aspect of recruiting and some specific recruiting agencies in their vertical market. When I described the various ways I know major recruiting firms utilize Contract Recruiters to flex their recruiting staff, I began to think how Contract Recruiters can be a significant portion of the recruiting staff for major recruiting agencies and corporations. Of course, most companies will not differentiate between ?contract? recruiters and full time recruiters. So, the only way Contract Recruiters can stand up and be recognized is through Blog like this one, and other association groups like my Yahoo Group ContractRecruiterJobs with over 3000 members.

I doubt there are any easy ways to determine just what percentage of the workload is completed by ?Contract? Recruiters at any given company or agency? However, I think in some cases the percentage would be significant. The Contract Recruiting profession is a very important piece of the overall recruiting industry and growing every day! It is important we all recognize the responsibility we have to promote the Contract Recruiting profession, and strive to improve our ranks through professional training, completing our contracts with integrity, and helping the recruiting industry in every way possible as Contract Recruiters.

Are you Ready for Some Holidays?

Doug Franklin — Sat, 20 Oct 2007 10:23:30 -0400

The Holiday Season is almost upon us and traditionally, the job market can take a sometimes much needed rest. But that rest signals a bad omen for Contract Recruiters because we can be the first to go when hiring slows. So, are you ready for this Holiday Season in whatever it holds? If you haven?t given it much thought; you might want to start planning for the Holiday Season right now!

Here are a few ideas which might ease you through the Holiday Season in the Contract Recruiting business:

� Talk to your employer to get an idea of the workload ahead and whether they foresee any cutbacks in their Contract Recruiting needs.

� Spend some time reviewing the Contract Recruiter opportunities in the market to judge for yourself how difficult it might be to find another gig quickly.

� Spruce up your resume or portfolio in preparation for a quick change or contract search.

� Stay networked as always ? make sure you are keeping in touch with other Contract Recruiters, Agencies, and Employers who will know of new opportunities in Contract Recruiting. Respond to ERE Blogs for visibility!

� Keep your head down and stay focused ? those that produce are the last to go?fill those positions and be a top producer.

� Enjoy the Season and make sure you have a few bucks salted away to ride through the slow period. 2008 is right around the corner and the candidate market is still super tight, so Contract Recruiters will be in high demand.

I?d sure like to hear from the rest of you Contract Recruiters out there on what you see coming during the next couple of months and the Holiday Season. Respond to this Blog with your comments and let?s collectively have a great Contract Recruiter Holiday Season!

Get Trained for Better Contract Recruiter Results

Doug Franklin — Sat, 06 Oct 2007 09:48:13 -0400

Contract Recruiters need to invest in their own education and training to improve their performance as well as increase their earning power. I recently met a great trainer, Dr. David Sweet and learned of a new class he is teaching on Top Billers for recruiters. Better yet, he has classes in Orlando, Florida which provides a great winter get away and some time for fun in the sun with the Mouse as well! I understand his classes fill quickly, so email Dr. Sweet as soon as you can to check out which dates are still open. Tell him you heard about the seminar on the ERE Blog for Contract Recruiters!

Here is the information David sent me which I think is a valuable step towards improving your skills and value as a recruiter or Contract Recruiter:

THE TOP-BILLER SEMINAR

The Top-Biller Seminar a special 2 1/2 day program for contingency recruiters and headhunters who want to make more placements and grow their market. Attendance is limited to 15 attendees.

This training, with a money back guarantee, is limited to 15 contingency based recruiters to teach what to do and how to do it so they can make more money, quicker, and more consistently. Through a series of 5 modules, they learn all the elements of becoming a recruitment consultant: communication skills and body language, candidate and job vacancy generation, developing new business, controlling the recruitment process, client and candidate management, time management, headhunting, using the phone effectively, fee negotiating, handling objections, closing, and counter-offers. When an attendee leaves the training they will be more than a recruiter, they'll be a professional.

ORLANDO: November 5-6-7

ORLANDO: January 7-8-9 (2008)

Lightbulb Training

Dr. David Sweet

dksweet@lightbulbtraining.com

www.lightbulbtraining.com

Orlando, Florida

More Contract Recruiting Jobs!

Doug Franklin — Sat, 22 Sep 2007 18:11:26 -0400

A few weeks ago, I posted a few paragraphs about conducting your own search for Contract Recruiting opportunities. Now that the summer has ended, and the cooler weather is upon us, Contract Recruiting Jobs are really starting to flourish again. So, how about we all put together a list of places to look for Contract Recruiter Jobs? Here are a few places I have used in the past. Please add your comments and list any other places you would suggest!

ERE - Well of course, look at the posts right here on ERE.
Yahoo Groups - Come join my free Yahoo Group called ContractRecruiterJobs. There are 2900 active members and many opportunities posted daily!
Yahoo Groups - Don't forget to search the Groups list to find other regional recruiter Groups.
Contact Agencies who frequently have Contract Recruiter jobs. Find them here on ERE, or my Yahoo Group, or elsewhere and email them your resume.
Search the main job boards.
Make yourself known by responding to this ERE Blog or others.

So where else do you look for Contract Recruiter opportunities???

Contract Recruiter ?Summer Doldrums? ? Labor Day Holiday Deadline

Doug Franklin — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 18:03:50 -0400

Recently I have felt the heat of the Orlando summer and also observed the slowness of late summer recruiting. Or should I say ?lack of recruiting?. I think every year I work my way in to the summer and fail to be observant enough to recognize the slowing of recruiting efforts as a result of summer vacations, the third quarter blues within companies, and other effects just prior to Labor Day.

I have become convinced that Labor Day was actually invented as a way to signal companies and the recruiting industry that it was time to start hiring people again, rather than providing a Holiday for the masses at the end of summer. It seems like corporations almost make a mark on the calendar to slow down hiring until the day after Labor Day!

In the Contract Recruiting world, we can see regular cycles of recruiting efforts that tend to be magnified both negatively and positively. So, the bad news is that when there is a slight slowing of recruiting in the late summer, the ?contractors? are the first to suffer. However, the good news is that as soon as there is a spike in recruiting there will be an immediate panic to add Contract Recruiters to take up the slack.

So, as we await the panic in hiring which we hope will come shortly after Labor Day; I hope you have the time to spruce up your resume as well as work on your tan by the pool in expectation of a great fall hiring season soon to arrive!

Finding Contract Recruiting Jobs

Doug Franklin — Sat, 04 Aug 2007 14:49:28 -0400

Recently I have been receiving a lot of inquiries via my ERE email and also directly from individual recruiters looking for a Contract Recruiter opportunity. I?m certainly not the expert in the category of trying to find a contact position, but I guess since I write this Blog I should at least have some ideas of where and how to mount a job search for a Contract Recruiter position/job.

Usually I advise people to mount a multi-pronged search. It?s sort of ironic how we recruiters have such a tough time when we are on the other side of the desk looking for a job instead of looking for a candidate to fill a search we are working. What I usually try to do however, is to encourage Contract Recruiters to do all of the following:

� Create a ?networking? plan to reach out to all of your contacts. Utilize email, telephone, coffee and lunch meetings, and every possible way to make contact with individuals who might refer you to the final contract opportunity.

� Review job boards and of course the ERE job postings here to watch for contract opportunities. One great spider is www.indeed.com which pulls jobs from many sources and has a super simple search engine. Search contract recruiter and enter a city and state.

� Have your resume ?polished up? and current so you can respond to any opportunity immediately.

� Post your availability to the many, many Yahoo Groups for recruiters. There are Yahoo Groups for just about every state and city. I also of course mention my own Yahoo Group called ContractRecruiterJobs which boasts 2600+ members and receives daily posts of contract and sourcing opportunities from companies and agencies throughout North America and sometime globally.

� Specifically contact recruiting agencies who are known for hiring Contract Recruiters or who regularly place Contract Recruiters at corporate locations. You can become aware of these agencies if you simply watch their job posts over time on the many job boards and Yahoo Groups.

I?m sure there are many other creative ways to find contract work. Good luck on your Contract Recruiter Job search and send over your comments on other creative job search techniques.

Contract Recruiter "Tool Box"

Doug Franklin — Sun, 15 Jul 2007 09:41:43 -0400

What?s in your ?tool box? when you arrive at your next contract location? I?ve asked that question many times of Contract Recruiters who are looking for a new employment gig and feel they have all the tools needed to land the opportunity. Surprisingly, once they interview with the corporation or agency, they realize they may be a little behind the times in their tool box. Their knowledge of technology (hardware and software), ATS systems, resume parsing software, interviewing techniques, and other recruiter tools may be outdated.

I think it would be interesting to get all of you Contract Recruiters to help us build a list of the necessary ?tool box? contents. Some tools will be obvious, but I would venture to say that others may be totally new to our thinking. Here are some categories and specific tool box contents that I could think of:

Basic Software ? Word processing (Word), Spreadsheet (Excel), Email (Outlook)
ATS Familiarity ? Many larger companies have their own system or have modified off the shelf software ? are you familiar with the basics?
Resume Parsing Software ? There are several good packages out there to improve the efficiency of capturing resumes. Some companies integrate in to their ATS systems.
Interviewing Technique ? Various styles are used like behavioral interviewing, scoring systems, and even online testing systems.
Efficiency and organization ? What tools do you use to move quickly, keep a calendar, and do your job effectively?
Your Recruiting Network ? Are you tuned in to ERE, Yahoo Groups, Local recruiter Groups, and other networks which will provide good contacts for your assignments?
Industry Groups for sourcing ? Have you kept a list of industry groups (accounting groups, quality engineers, and any other industry specific associations) in the specific area you recruit in to provide solid sourcing pools?
Virtual Tools ? VOIP phones, database for candidates, good computer hardware and software systems, etc.

I hope I can encourage you to add your comments to this list and help identify additional Contract Recruiter ?Tool Box? items. What?s in your tool box that helps you be successful in your Contract Recruiting gigs?

?Summer Jobs? in Contract Recruiting

Doug Franklin — Sun, 08 Jul 2007 09:07:12 -0400

Summer is here and the Contract Recruiting business is HOT! Not only is the weather pretty warm, but the job market continues to be hot, hot, hot as well! Every day, I see more and more new companies posting Contract Recruiter opportunities on the web job sites as well as on various Yahoo recruiter sites. It?s not scientific, but my observation is there are even more ?virtual? Contract Recruiter opportunities being posted as well.

So what is it about summer that heats up the recruiting business and requires more companies to fill their recruiting resource needs with Contract Recruiters? I think it?s the simple fact that many jobs open up in companies ?mid-year? due to sales and budget cycles. When you add that significant surge in recruiting demand to many agencies or corporations with stretched recruiting resources due to vacations and such; you end up with a panic need for supplemental recruiting staff.

One might ask as a Contract Recruiter whether these ?summer jobs? are really worth taking? I read a recent job posting for a Contract Recruiter with the length of contract listed as 3-4 weeks! I laughed as I was thinking it would take me 3-4 weeks just to get settled in on a recruiting effort! Another position said contract length ?to be determined?, and still another said contact length based on ?vacation requirements of the internal staff?. So in other words, if everyone decides to take their vacation at the same time, you?ll be the only recruiter, but if most decide to take a winter vacation instead, you?ll only be here a few weeks, ha.

Summer jobs used to be those part-time jobs you looked forward to as a teenager where you made some extra gas money or school clothes money. Of course now with the price of gas, you have to work full time as a teenager just to have some extra ?cruising? money. But why do employers of today in the recruiting business think that a good answer to one of the most important functions they control in building their company, is to at the last minute call in a few Contract Recruiters for a short period of time? I?d say penny wise and pound foolish to those companies. You can?t seriously bring in a Contract Recruiter and expect them to make a positive difference in 3-4 weeks!

So this summer, when the days are long and the weather is hot, maybe those ?summer jobs? are tempting, but don?t plan on making too much of them as a Contract Recruiter. Earn some fun money and also take the time to plan for the Fall when companies hopefully will have a longer term attitude and be looking for a Professional Contract Recruiter for an extended period of time who can really help their recruiting needs! Stay cool and keep on Contract Recruiting!

Building Your Own Personal Contract Recruiter Brand

Doug Franklin — Tue, 12 Jun 2007 08:32:47 -0400

Brand awareness isn?t just for the big consumer products corporations any more. It?s also for Contract Recruiters who market themselves through the sophistication of the internet, networking events, and just plain word of mouth advertising.

Many Contract Recruiters looking for that next gig struggle to verbalize or even put in an email what their ?sweet spot? is when it comes to recruiting. As I work with the major recruiting firms around North America in their search for Contract Recruiters, there is one very common thread that seems to come around every time a new Contract Recruiter is hired. That is, where is their specialty when it comes to recruiting?

Over the years, I have felt that being a generalist in business and in recruiting is a good trait. In many cases that holds true for companies who need Contract Recruiters to handle many different functional positions. However, more and more, recruiting agencies are creating vertical groups of recruiters to handle for instance industrial positions, or healthcare positions, or financial opportunities. When these agencies come looking for a Contract Recruiter, they usually need immediate help in their particular vertical market. The last thing they want is a generalist to come on board and have to spend several days or weeks learning the vertical market specifics.

So, it seems that this requirement tends to direct us Contract Recruiters to determine what specific vertical market or functional position expertise we have, and then brand ourselves in an effort to better market our capabilities? If this is true, and you don?t want to be a generalist, then how do we brand our capabilities to the market? I think a few basic steps are in order:

� Determine your niche recruiting strength and force yourself to write it on paper as a way to clean up the wording.

� Prepare your ?elevator speech? which will clearly define your niche to any agency or company looking for a Contract Recruiter.

� Begin to build your brand. Put your marketing paragraph of your niche or expertise on your web page. Get involved in industry events specializing in this niche recruiting area. Comment in Blogs about your area of expertise.

Once you are confident in what your ?marketing brand? is, and you are prepared to market your talents, have fun expanding your opportunity list as an expert in that area of recruiting. Good luck in building your own ?Personal Contract Recruiter Brand?!

You Get What You Pay For!

Doug Franklin — Mon, 28 May 2007 09:41:22 -0400

Recently I have received several emails concerning Contract Recruiter pay rates and each email spoke of pay rates exceeding $100. per hour. It got me to thinking about how Contract Recruiters set their pay rate and whether the recruiting industry in general is working towards improved income levels as well?

The old statement that ?you get what you pay for? seems to apply for Contract Recruiters. But, how is this relationship measured when it comes to Contract Recruiters and employers in the setting of fee levels? Are we all the same or do you really get more if you are experienced or have some special capabilities?

Let me use an example that I was personally involved in a few months back. I was contacted by a past client who was ?desperate? to bolster the attendance at an upcoming recruiting night for their company. I had worked on a contract in the past for this client and recruited sales people for the same seasonal position. The call came in to my office on a Thursday and the recruiting event was the following Tuesday! Well, after some short discussion, I agreed to work on the project right through the weekend and see if I could increase attendance for them at the event. In my mind, this was exceptional effort and should include an exceptional hourly fee! Well, needless to say, it was my opinion only, ha. The client started the fee discussion at the same ?OK? fee they had paid me in the past. I couldn?t believe it! Drop all my current projects, work through the weekend, and do it for what you paid me 6 months earlier for a 6 week project!

That example got me to thinking that something was wrong with my ?value proposition?. I should have been able to double the fee that I charged in the past. There was probably no one else they could contact who would come up to speed fast enough to do anything, and yet, I was not prepared in advance like I should have been to present my value.

Bottom line, are we thinking ahead about our value and how to sell it as Contract Recruiters? Do we have a written list or marketing plan that we can quickly reference to use as a tool for negotiation? What can we do to better market our skills even if an unsolicited opportunity presents itself and we are not in the marketing frame of mind?

By the way, I did take the job at a slightly increased rate over my previous effort but vowed to myself to be better prepared in the future to negotiate!

Periodic Tune-ups ? Contract Recruiter Education

Doug Franklin — Wed, 23 May 2007 12:56:35 -0400

Have you tuned up your recruiting skills lately? I was reminded of this the other day when I stopped to buy the $3.45 gas in Chicago during a business trip. It made me wonder how efficient the rental car was that I had just rented and whether I should have chosen a smaller car just to have better gas mileage.

I think Contract Recruiters need to think about their career in somewhat the same way. Are we doing everything possible to be the most efficient as possible for our clients? Do we stay current on ATS systems, phone skills, sourcing and recruiting efforts, and even the basics of our profession as recruiters?

Over the years, I think Contract Recruiters have sometimes thought that they are not responsible for their own tune-ups? After all, we?re going to work for an agency or corporation and they will ?bring us up to speed? to whatever they expect, right? But, if we expect to be paid as professionals and receive top dollar for our experience, should we not also make sure we stay up to date on recruiting skills, computer systems, and such? Well of course is the answer.

There are many ways for each of us to stay on top of our game. Certainly reading posts from ERE, Yahoo Groups, and other industry venues is one good way. I also think we have to continue to network with our piers face to face and make sure we constantly are current on the recruiting skills that make us the best solution for our employers. There are various associations with courses and annual meetings we can join as well.

So, if you are reading this post, how about adding your comments on how you stay ?tuned up? in the recruiting industry. I know we all need better ?contract recruiting mileage?!

Filling Your Funnel ? New Contract Gigs?

Doug Franklin — Fri, 11 May 2007 08:22:53 -0400

Recently I overheard a discussion among Contract Recruiters around their marketing efforts to find new contract assignments. It seems many Contract Recruiters are great at finding candidates for a source list but always struggle when it?s time to find that next contract.

The conversation revolved around an old sales training topic I used to teach to my sales group when I was in industry. It was the concept of filling your funnel with sales ?potential?. Of course in this case, the concept is to fill your Contract Recruiting assignment funnel with new ?potential contracts?.

The concept is simple but should and can apply to Contract Recruiters in their marketing efforts to always have that next Contract assignment in their hip pocket. It has a few steps and they are basic but effective. Here?s how it might work:

� Step One ? Do your homework ? Survey job boards (ERE), join Yahoo Groups on Contract Recruiting (ContractRecruiterJobs has 2200 members), get involved with Contract Recruiting Blogs (this one is a great start) ? Essentially, increase your visibility as a Contract Recruiter.

� Step Two ? Make a master list of Contract Recruiter employers (Agencies and Corporations) who regularly advertise and hire Contract Recruiters (this is filling your funnel from the top with a sea of potential).

� Step Three ? Reach out with a professional resume to as many potential Contract Recruiter employers as possible and let them know you are in the business (even if you are currently employed) ? The funnel is narrowing as you will ?pre-qualify your potential future opportunities.

� Step Four ? Do periodic follow up calls or emails to potential employers who showed an interest in working with you in the future ? stay current with them and on their ?hot list?. (The funnel necks down at this point and should hopefully provide you with a large handful of hot leads for future Contract Recruiting opportunities).

� Step Five ? Go back to Step One and start again! I know, this does get tiring. But, if you want to be ready the next time your current Contract expires and you find yourself scrambling, take the time now and every so often, to ?Fill Your Funnel?. I think you?ll find it pays off. Good Luck!