Back in the day, when we all had landlines in recruitment, management would present a report to the company at end of quarter drinks whilst all staff were present about how much time you had spent on the phone for that quarter and rank you against all the other consultants. Shortly after, the next slide would be shown, and it would detail the top biller for the quarter and a big announcement would be made. Guess what? That top biller would be the consultant who had spent the most time on the phone. Every time.
Managers keep telling their staff it is not rocket science. It’s not. KPI’s are about leading you to outcomes. As you grow, the KPI’s are embedded in your brain and just become part of your job, not a ‘stat’ as you once viewed them. I thank my first job in recruitment every day for teaching me what was required on a weekly basis to enable success.
Around 2007, I had a friend who worked for a recruiter in London. At the time his manager would literally tape his hand to the phone, bound with masking tape. It was hard to put the receiver down, he was trained to ring. He continues to be highly successful in the recruitment field these days.
Commencing your recruitment career in an environment that is driven by KPI’s will teach you that Activity = Sales. Sales = Success. It is a great way to learn the industry and learn about success. As you grow, get more experience and understand what it takes to succeed, most consultants move to an environment where KPI’s are treated with maturity. This is when you are left to run your business within a business and drive your own outcomes, from the principles you learnt earlier in your career.
If you are after a quick laugh (and a lesson!), go and re-live the phone scene on The Wolf on Wall Street. “All you have to do today is pick up that phone and speak the words I have taught you. Pick up the phone and start dialling”. Integrity behind the calls are low but the principles behind getting on the phone and having presence are as true today as they were then.
Great Activity = Sales.