Being an advertising agency recruiter is hard work. Here are just a few things you do on a daily basis…
Write job descriptions that engage, inspire and increase applications from people who are qualified to do the job. Sift through dozens of resumes on your candidate tracking system to find the elusive unicorn. Find and reach out to a great candidate on LinkedIn. Get your internal team to interview candidates (and get feedback). And, of course, find, brief, manage and then pay thousands of dollars to those damn recruiters. All of which I heartily encourage!
The point is you have a lot on your plate. Your agency’s resources are stretched. And you still need to find good people. So let’s remind ourselves of two somethings you can do today to make your advertising recruiter job a little easier and minimize recruiting headaches. And, gulp, even save your agency a few bucks on outside recruiters.
Earn more staff referrals by checking in with them
I’m not talking about the annual review that usually happens on month seventeen versus month twelve ( when it was scheduled). Nor am I referring to the candidate referral program you put in place awhile back, yet most staffers forget about.
What I’m getting at is a friendly conversation you can have with your very best staffers about how things are going for them in their day-to-day job. It’s an informal, quick check-in where you focus on what they’ve been working on and what they’re passionate about. This is an opportunity to let them know they’re doing amazing work and you’re psyched they are part of the agency tribe.
When’s the last time you did something like that? When’s the last time someone did that for you? How did it make you feel? Everyone works so hard now. We can all afford to live in a more human workplace.
A little bit of genuine, heartfelt cheerleading can go a long way towards keeping a keeper…and getting a candidate referral or two. Good people tend to know each other. So odds are pretty good this new referral is a terrific hire and will be great for your team. Making your job as an advertising agency recruiter a little easier. More fun, too.
Deliver a “you’re awesome” message to increase retention and build internal referrals
What, you don’t have time for a check-in? I get it. Unicorn candidates don’t just magically appear. And candidate interview feedback doesn’t show up on your inbox without a little bit of work on your part. If you’re too busy for an in-person visit, then consider a quick, personal email to that keeper staffer. Heck, you could even give ’em something relatively inexpensive, yet nice.
A dinner for two is always appreciated. This delivers three additional benefits: it acknowledges the keeper has a life outside the agency; it recognizes good performance in a tangible way; and is agency CFO-friendly. What’s not to like? Pass the salt.
Consider agency size with this kind of thing
Size matters when it comes to these check-ins and “you’re awesome” messages. Do they need to come from you or your department?
If our goal is getting more referrals, then sure. It could and should come from a recruiter. However at a large shop, one could argue that someone in HR or Recruiting may not know the ins and outs of a specific professional’s performance. You can get insights from people working on the business.
When these messages come from you, this delivers an extra benefit: it makes HR seem like a closer, more positive aspect of the agency. You can help make the department known for more than just hiring, firing and benefits.
So it can come from you, but why can’t it come from someone’s boss? Might feel more natural that way. The mere fact that someone gets one will help keep that keeper productive and employed at your agency. And yes, this will also increase organic referrals. Perhaps without even having a form filled out or a staffer being paid a recruiting fee. Another CFO-friendly practice!
You could always coordinate a referral ask after the boss tells a star performer they’re awesome.
At a smaller agency, there’s no reason these kinds of messages can’t come from you. Senior leadership will appreciate what you’re doing. And others will take up the cause.
Anywho, hope this makes you think a bit. Thanks for reading!
Looking for more ideas that can make your job easier? Check ’em out:
photo credit: Dwonderwall Dusted kitchen area via photopin (license)