Thoughts please recuitment/ BD/ General business people....
Discussion
Morning all,
After a bit of help/ advice if you'd be so kind.
GF works for a small time recruitment company, well respected in the area it operates and has been running 10/12 years. The problem being, as we all well know, the last 10/12 years has been a period of boom. As such they have built the business, as I see it, on placing unskilled people into mundane jobs i.e. picking/ packing etc. This was helped by the massive influx of Polish to the east of England.
Now they are struggling a touch as companies round here are cutting back on temp labour so the number of temps that they had 'out' on a weekly basis has dropped dramatically.
After shedding quite a few consultants they seem to still be struggling and the bosses of the company seem to be putting pressure on the remaining consultants to be saviours and come out with the ideas to save the day (the way I see it is, although everyone is pulling in the same direction, it is ultimately the responsibility of the directors/ partners to win new business and decide on strategy)
This upset my girlfriend a bit as although she’s good at her job, she’s not got a marketing/ business development brain. Now she has been told that she must come up with three ideas to take to a 'target meeting' on Friday to stimulate her desk. This is where you guys (hopefully help)
My girlfriend used to spend a few hours a couple of days a week driving round the local industrial estates dropping in on the HR departments and saying hello, dropping doughnuts/ cakes in along with pens/pads/ drinks mats/ mouse mats. This has now been stopped due to cost saving. Which seems stupid in my eyes as you need to spend money to make money.
Instead now they have a database of all companies in the local area which my gf has to continually phone to say hello and ask if they need any temps. 99% of these phone calls end in an abrupt no which is de motivating in itself. I assume this abrupt response is due to the number of similar calls they must be receiving from the hoards of recruitment agencies trying to get the small bit of business.
Now to open it out to you guys. Anyone have any 'golden ideas' of how she can bring work in for her industrial desk.
After a bit of help/ advice if you'd be so kind.
GF works for a small time recruitment company, well respected in the area it operates and has been running 10/12 years. The problem being, as we all well know, the last 10/12 years has been a period of boom. As such they have built the business, as I see it, on placing unskilled people into mundane jobs i.e. picking/ packing etc. This was helped by the massive influx of Polish to the east of England.
Now they are struggling a touch as companies round here are cutting back on temp labour so the number of temps that they had 'out' on a weekly basis has dropped dramatically.
After shedding quite a few consultants they seem to still be struggling and the bosses of the company seem to be putting pressure on the remaining consultants to be saviours and come out with the ideas to save the day (the way I see it is, although everyone is pulling in the same direction, it is ultimately the responsibility of the directors/ partners to win new business and decide on strategy)
This upset my girlfriend a bit as although she’s good at her job, she’s not got a marketing/ business development brain. Now she has been told that she must come up with three ideas to take to a 'target meeting' on Friday to stimulate her desk. This is where you guys (hopefully help)
My girlfriend used to spend a few hours a couple of days a week driving round the local industrial estates dropping in on the HR departments and saying hello, dropping doughnuts/ cakes in along with pens/pads/ drinks mats/ mouse mats. This has now been stopped due to cost saving. Which seems stupid in my eyes as you need to spend money to make money.
Instead now they have a database of all companies in the local area which my gf has to continually phone to say hello and ask if they need any temps. 99% of these phone calls end in an abrupt no which is de motivating in itself. I assume this abrupt response is due to the number of similar calls they must be receiving from the hoards of recruitment agencies trying to get the small bit of business.
Now to open it out to you guys. Anyone have any 'golden ideas' of how she can bring work in for her industrial desk.
Edited by Mx_Stu on Thursday 16th April 10:54
Yes.
Find a new desk at a good company.
This is the exact reason why some companies survive a recession and others don't last a year. Anyone can ride a wave of easy business and high margins.
When the s
t hits the fan and they cut back on marketing in a personal way and put their efforts into pointless cold calling they may as well shut up shop.
In a reducing market you can only do two things. That is do something that competitors don't do, or find a new market.
Find a new desk at a good company.
This is the exact reason why some companies survive a recession and others don't last a year. Anyone can ride a wave of easy business and high margins.
When the s
t hits the fan and they cut back on marketing in a personal way and put their efforts into pointless cold calling they may as well shut up shop.In a reducing market you can only do two things. That is do something that competitors don't do, or find a new market.
JustinP1 said:
Yes.
Find a new desk at a good company.
Was considered but we found out she was pregnant when she started applying for other jobs and as such she need to stays/ hope the company is still around until she can Find a new desk at a good company.
Suggest a change in approach. At the moment it's cold (lukewarm) calling. Instead, look to build relationships with the HR departments/managers to develop long term business.
Of course that won't get the instant results, but it's what I'd be pushing.
Of course that won't get the instant results, but it's what I'd be pushing.
Edited by Stevenj214 on Thursday 16th April 11:27
I think her company needs to change the offer (the service - Temps - can remain the same). Her customers are cutting down on temps to cut costs - this is short term thinking in a time when most companies need as much flexibility as possible, including worksforce requirements - as a temping agency they need to promote the advantages of outsourcing all non-core staff - depending on their own balance sheet and goals, they could offer to TUPE across existing staff and have the same people doing the same job at a slightly higher day to day cost, but with significant lower risk and cost over the long term. Works well in many other industries.
Buy a load of joke prosthetic hands.
Print up a sticker that says:
"Need a hand? Short and long term staff - XYZ Recruitment - 01234 234567
Put the sticker on the hand, put it in a box and sent to the head of HR of all of the companies.
Of course, this is going to cost a few quid per shot. But it will be hugely more effective of getting an instant impact in the short term and to be remembered in the short and long term.
They will also stick around and be used as office jokes for weeks to come.
If your other half doesn't get a bonus for that from the extra business I'll eat my hat.
Print up a sticker that says:
"Need a hand? Short and long term staff - XYZ Recruitment - 01234 234567
Put the sticker on the hand, put it in a box and sent to the head of HR of all of the companies.
Of course, this is going to cost a few quid per shot. But it will be hugely more effective of getting an instant impact in the short term and to be remembered in the short and long term.
They will also stick around and be used as office jokes for weeks to come.
If your other half doesn't get a bonus for that from the extra business I'll eat my hat.
Windsorphil said:
I think her company needs to change the offer (the service - Temps - can remain the same). Her customers are cutting down on temps to cut costs - this is short term thinking in a time when most companies need as much flexibility as possible, including worksforce requirements - as a temping agency they need to promote the advantages of outsourcing all non-core staff - depending on their own balance sheet and goals, they could offer to TUPE across existing staff and have the same people doing the same job at a slightly higher day to day cost, but with significant lower risk and cost over the long term. Works well in many other industries.
This is probably the kind of thing the directors are looking for. No change of cost, or approach, just a slightly more intelligent way of packaging the product.She should probably push the personal side too, that approach that worked so well in the good times won't suddenly stop working. As a taxi company we push day cash fares by giving out chocolates, birthday cards, sweeties, biscuits etc to receptionists all over town.
I used to be a recruiter, but never got involved with temps, so some of my ideas may not work for your missus.
The big thing is to build the relationships with the decision makers, wether that be through playing golf, or buying them a cup of tea once in a while. One bloke I worked with used to get amazing fees with legal firms by shagging whoever he could get hold of in the HR department
I'm not suggesting your good lady tries these tactics, but all I'm saying is that the relationship is key.If your new best mate happens to be a plumber, you wouldn't reach for the yellow pages next time your boiler packs up would you?
Put yourself in the DESK and the MIND of a Production Manager, who is stressed. Not enough work for the people he has, and yet 4 are off sick and he's got an order deadline for yesterday and his supplier has let him down.
Offer him a days FREE trial on your BEST candidate.
NEED to get past the HR department and make friends with shift managers.
EVERY person on your books has a past history, you should be able to get 10 names of contacts from each Person.
Offer him a days FREE trial on your BEST candidate.
NEED to get past the HR department and make friends with shift managers.
EVERY person on your books has a past history, you should be able to get 10 names of contacts from each Person.
If they have 10 years of customer database but only supplying manual labour then it must be worth exploring other roles within the business. Plus a lot of the contacts must have moved on so it is worth finding out where to. If you are local get the customers in to see you with a free seminar or similar. What about focussing on the need to reduce costs/restructuring/redundancy, the introduction of new grievance/disciplinary procedures and new rights to flexible working etc then introduce the offering? Alternatively, partner with some of these 'HR consultancies' like Peninsula who already do this and discuss th benefits of a flexible workforce.
Windsorphil said:
I think her company needs to change the offer (the service - Temps - can remain the same). Her customers are cutting down on temps to cut costs - this is short term thinking in a time when most companies need as much flexibility as possible, including worksforce requirements - as a temping agency they need to promote the advantages of outsourcing all non-core staff - depending on their own balance sheet and goals, they could offer to TUPE across existing staff and have the same people doing the same job at a slightly higher day to day cost, but with significant lower risk and cost over the long term. Works well in many other industries.
This is a whole different ball game. By the sounds of it the company doesn't have the finance to do this. Edc - quite right it wouldn't really be in the remit of the company to do this. Following redundancies they are two partners, three consulants and an admin person.
Thanks for all your comments, they are very useful.
As with some of you have elluded they have milked the good times and are now struggling in the bad times! Personally I think they need to first concentrate on the existing relationships that they have and make these as strong as possible and then go from there. At the end of the day all I want is for my gf to stay employed (and stay hopefully stress free) until she goes on maternity.
Thanks for all your comments, they are very useful.
As with some of you have elluded they have milked the good times and are now struggling in the bad times! Personally I think they need to first concentrate on the existing relationships that they have and make these as strong as possible and then go from there. At the end of the day all I want is for my gf to stay employed (and stay hopefully stress free) until she goes on maternity.
I think the first part of my post is still relevant - the tactical activities (doughnuts/pens/hands, etc) will have almost no impact on sales if the customer base doesn't see the benefit of temps - you need to do a number of things:
1. Ensure your GF's pool of temps (your GF's product) is of good quality
2. Ensure the economic buyer within the target customer understands what you offer and how you can save him money/improve productivity/why now, more than ever he needs reliable flexible staffing services
3. Engage a top down/bottom up policy on sales - engage at the highest levels to communicate the high level benefits, but as it's usually a department manager who calls in the temps, you need to engage at that level, too.
4. Offer long term solutions - perhaps price breaks for number of days of work, try and deploy the same temps in the same jobs to improve productivity, guarantee the quality and reliability of your staff (and incentivise them to work hard).
1. Ensure your GF's pool of temps (your GF's product) is of good quality
2. Ensure the economic buyer within the target customer understands what you offer and how you can save him money/improve productivity/why now, more than ever he needs reliable flexible staffing services
3. Engage a top down/bottom up policy on sales - engage at the highest levels to communicate the high level benefits, but as it's usually a department manager who calls in the temps, you need to engage at that level, too.
4. Offer long term solutions - perhaps price breaks for number of days of work, try and deploy the same temps in the same jobs to improve productivity, guarantee the quality and reliability of your staff (and incentivise them to work hard).
Target the redunancies. Offer to go in and do 'CV' sessions for free to get these skilled but unfortunate people on the books. There must be loads of top notch skills being shed at this moment which will eventually drift to the recruitment agencies but she can head the better ones off at the pass and cream off the best for her books, giving her edge over the competition (it won't take many good placemnets for the clients to realise the quality staff they get from her?). Nobody wants a duffer when they are under pressure.
Edited by Brown and Boris on Thursday 16th April 22:51
If not too late, many recruitment agencies who employ temps are geared to offer payroll outsorcing to other companies http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/layer?...
Ethically questionable suggestions (an so particularly suited to recruitment agencies):
They could contact all placements they have placed over 9 to 12 months ago and try and convince them to get a new job. Then they can be ready to contact the employer with an offer of a new member of staff at the right time. And if they can place the person they convinced to quit, then double bubble!!
I presume that as soon as they receive a CV from someone considering a change, that they then bombard the 'current employer' on the CV with sales calls/letter/potential CV's?
Try convince a group of niche workers from one company to work for the agency, then resell them in to do their old jobs at more cost to the employer. Pay the workers a bit more out of the profit. A bit risky in this climate I guess!
Ethically questionable suggestions (an so particularly suited to recruitment agencies):
They could contact all placements they have placed over 9 to 12 months ago and try and convince them to get a new job. Then they can be ready to contact the employer with an offer of a new member of staff at the right time. And if they can place the person they convinced to quit, then double bubble!!
I presume that as soon as they receive a CV from someone considering a change, that they then bombard the 'current employer' on the CV with sales calls/letter/potential CV's?
Try convince a group of niche workers from one company to work for the agency, then resell them in to do their old jobs at more cost to the employer. Pay the workers a bit more out of the profit. A bit risky in this climate I guess!
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