Create More Profit with New Ideas in Prospecting

By: Jessica Rareshide
Date: 10/1/2008

When you are in the business of searching for qualified candidates, the first step is to draw new prospects to register with your firm. Many in this industry talk about increasing placements whether direct-hire or temporary by encouraging us to "just go out there and find them." We never hear about the "how." Here are a few ideas to achieve a better result with your current prospecting techniques.

1) Hold an "Open House" with a theme, such as an alumnae night. You decide how to define alumni. The candidates you placed years ago are probably not with the same company where you first placed them. Invite people who registered with you on a certain day, week, or year depending on the number. Invite those applicants that you didn't place. They may have just the right experience or training now. Encourage them to bring their "support" team, their spouse (another prospect). Your office is an ideal place to hold the event, but you could have it anywhere. Have them RSVP and register online so you can get their information prior to the event. If they don't attend, you'll still have their contact information. Start the event with a thank you for attending. Then explain the benefit to them. This same concept can be used for your clients.

If it's a small group, ask them for their opinion. People love to give their opinion. Tell them as an owner; it's your job to evaluate different products that would bring greater value to the applicant process. For example, you can say there is a job fit assessment that you are evaluating, it takes 12 - 15 minutes to complete. They will get a one-page report that tells them what type of jobs that they would be best suited and which ones to avoid. You want their feedback on the value of this assessment so you can make an informed decision whether to add it to your services. They can take the assessment with paper and pencil right then. They will also get a personal 15-minute explanation of the one-page report results by phone. If they are interested in a full report about themselves, you'll be happy to provide it for, say, $10.

Another "Open House" theme would be to collaborate with a resume writer. You provide the people and the place. She/He provides information on a topic, such as "How to Get Your Resume from Good to Fabulous in 30 Minutes." The resume writer gets to promote his/her business. You get to register all that attend this session.

One other "Open House" topic; "Is Your Career stalled?" or "Be Prepared - Is Your Company in Lay-Off Mode?" A Career Coach is eager to give you tips on career success. Many coaches would be willing to partner with you to have access to potential new clients.

2) Career Days at High Schools. Many agencies dismiss these opportunities as a complete waste of time. These students are not in the job market now so why should I waste my valuable time attending. Here's why. It's an interesting statistic. One-third of all high school graduates do not attend college. You'll be able to add these prospects to your applicant pool in a year or less. When you talk about the job market and different positions, please be specific on job title, career path, beginning salary, and what earnings they can expect during the life of the career. Generalities will not influence them to contact you.

3) Retirees are excellent prospects often overlooked. The media has convinced us that all baby boomers will retire from their jobs and travel the world. Actually, the retirement picture for most baby boomers today is bleak. They have not saved enough. Those that have saved in the stock market have lost money. Now is not the time for them to retire. If they do retire from their current employer, they still want to work, but in a less stressful environment, have flexibility in days or hours, or work part-time. In my conversations with baby boomers, they tell me that they want meaningful work, work that matters. When asked about salary, they say yes; they will take less money. The best place to find these prospects is to ask your clients if you can contact those retirees about opportunities before their retirement date.

4) Speaking before Civic groups is also a great way to generate new prospects. Job fit is a great topic in today's market because we know that 66% of all workers are ill suited for the job they currently hold. Tell them about the process we use to screen, test, and interview. Suggest guidelines on how to choose an agency and tell them when they need to "fire" an agency. Unfortunately, there is still a perception in the business community that we still send "just bodies" and don't know anything about their business. I want to mention here that the United States Staffing Association is taking action on that issue which has haunted the staffing industry for years. USSA has created the Agency Accreditation Certification (AAC). This accreditation will signify those agencies that operate under the best practices of the industry using five qualifying business components. USSA will be promoting this Accreditation to the business community and the employment industry.

5) Radio Shows are another good way to get prospects to know you and your company. Identify a "hot" topic that would get the attention of a host interviewer, for example, "How to be Prepared for the Inevitable Lay-off."

Remember to publicize your events numerous times. Place an ad in the business section or sports section of the newspaper with a sizzling headline to grab attention to your company and the opportunity for the reader to solve career, job fit, and other issues by attending your open house.

Certainly, if your current prospecting techniques are not getting the desired results, you must change what action you are taking to get a different result. Take a qualified risk, act, evaluate the results, tweak, and repeat several times. It may take several times to determine the successful formula. You can use these ideas, call me to discuss more ideas, or brainstorm with your own staff to create your own.

Jessica Rareshide, CPC, CSP, currently serves as Executive Director of the United States Staffing Association, and the local Louisiana Staffing Association. Her consulting company is Rare Insight, LLC, a human capital management firm. Contact her at 888-424-6789 Ext 1.