Welcome to The Fordyce Letter:

The Fordyce Letter

Straight Talk for the Recruiting Profession


Business Development

Ask Barb, Business Development

Can Your Team Say What Makes Them Better Than the Competition?

by on Apr. 10, 2013


Ask Barb

Dear Barb:

Can you give me some idea of how to brand myself and my company? I saw you speak recently to a room full of owners. You asked us to tell you why we should use your firm. You told us we could not say anything that anyone else in the room could say. I found it almost crazy that none of us could think of an answer. If we as the owners don’t know why someone should use us, how are the people who work for us supposed to know the answer?

You said hiring authorities tell you that we all say we’re different and then when they ask us how, we all give the same answer. I think you’re 100% right, this has bothered me since I returned from the conference. We had a brainstorming session about this question and it did not go well. We were all saying the same things that I know our competitors say. I can’t remember some of the examples you gave us and would appreciate it you would refresh my memory.

Pat D.

Tulsa, OK

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Business Development, Entrepreneurship, Staffing

Adding Temp To Your Services? Here’s How To Market It

by on Apr. 9, 2013


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marketingCompanies across the United States want to streamline their processes. Flexibility, efficiency, and cost savings are necessary to survive in this new economy. Contract staffing allows companies to achieve those goals and become productive at the same time.

There are three pieces of good news here for recruiters. One is that the companies you are already working with for direct hire placements probably need contractors, and you already have those business relationships established.

The other piece of good news is that any recruiter, regardless of size, can add contract staffing to their business model if they use a full service back-office provider. The back-office should handle the financial, legal, and administrative tasks so you don’t have to deal with funding, contracts, time sheets, payroll, taxes, workers compensation, background checks or any other administrative issue.

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Ask Barb, Business Development

You Need 30 Clients to Keep You Safe

by on Apr. 3, 2013


Ask Barb

Dear Barb:

I hear you always warn against having too few clients. We have four clients that provide more than enough orders for us to cover. We are currently only filling about 40% of the orders we are given. Do you still advise to continue marketing our services to other prospective clients?

Sharon M.

Springfield, IL

Dear Sharon:

I strongly advise that you build a client territory of 30 accounts for your business.

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Business Development

If You Want My Business, Here’s What You Need to Do

by on Mar. 19, 2013


Staffing agency

Editor’s note: Matt Lowney, EVP of talent & operations at The Buntin Group, will be speaking at the 2013 Fordyce Forum.  He’s worked with hundreds of outside recruiters and agencies during his years as a recruiting leader at HealthSpring and DaVita. He’s been pitched so many times he’s lost count, but knows what works and what doesn’t. He’ll share that insight during his Forum presentation and tell you just what you need to do to get his business and how to set yourself apart from the herd.

Staffing agencies struggle to differentiate their brand message and uniqueness in a sea of competition. In my dealings with staffing agencies, their pitches all begin to sound the same, but they also recognize that the sheer volume of competitors makes it difficult to sound different, if they truly are. In most local markets there are a handful of solid players and a larger number of peripheral staffing firms that tend to create the “noise” (read: sales calls).

Here are my thoughts on being a top agency player in your market:

Be different: I harped on this point a while ago, but I challenge any staffing agency that wants to be great to clearly communicate their compelling business case. Talk about your recruiting process, client relations, local market connections, and client successes.

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Business Development, The Business of Recruiting

The Advantages of Working With An Executive Search Firm In Asia

by on Mar. 8, 2013


Howard Lim

Working with an executive search firm in Asia insures that you make the right decision when hiring a person for your business.

The costs of a bad hire can have negative results:
  • Downtime in sales activities.
  • Downtime in planning, operations and strategy.
  • Downtime in expanding your business.
  • Downtime period!
Why do people invest millions of dollars and significant time in Asia, then decide to skimp or save money on their recruiting costs by searching internally, posting on job boards, or, using a firm outside of Asia to find their person?
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Business Development, Contract Staffing

Thinking of Staffing? Here’s How to Get Started

by on Feb. 19, 2013


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brain_moneySecuring direct hire job orders isn’t what it used to be. Before the recession, they were everywhere, and the biggest problem was finding the right candidates. Now, even as the economy recovers, direct hire job orders have still not returned to pre-recession levels.

Meanwhile, contract staffing seems to be leading the recovery as more companies seek workforce flexibility. Consider the following statistics:

  • The temporary help services industry accounted for 91% of job growth between June 2009 and June 2011;
  • 58% of employers plan to add more contract workers in the next five years.

So if you are reluctant to try contract staffing because you are afraid you won’t be able to get job orders, don’t be. Contract job orders are out there. You just have to know where to look, who to ask, and what to ask.

Where to Look

Let’s begin with the where. Below are the most common places recruiters find contract job orders:

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Business, Business Development, Cold Calling, For Managers, Staffing

If You Want My Business, Here’s What You Need to Do

by on Feb. 11, 2013


Try me marketing on billboard

Editor’s note: In a world where corporate recruiting leaders get a call — or more — a day from staffing and search firms pitching their business, how do you get through the noise to land the business? Drawing on his years dealing with recruitment vendors of all types and sizes, Matt will tell you how to reach him and sell him during his workshop at the 2013 Fordyce Forum. 

Try me marketing on billboardStaffing agencies struggle to differentiate their brand message and uniqueness in a sea of competition. In my dealings with staffing agencies, their pitches all begin to sound the same, but they also recognize that the sheer volume of competitors makes it difficult to sound different, if they truly are. In most local markets there are a handful of solid players and a larger number of peripheral staffing firms that tend to create the “noise” (read: sales calls).

Here are my thoughts on being a top staffing agency player in your market:

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Business Development, Cold Calling

Six Steps to Emails That Get You the Call

by on Jan. 24, 2013


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computer-praying_2If you’re in the recruiting business and you’re serious about drumming up new business by tele-prospecting then you absolutely, positively need to integrate emails into your approach to the market. If you compose an effective, eye catching email and combine it with a disciplined telephone follow up program, you will get past more gatekeepers, get more voicemails returned, speak to more decision makers and get more appointments.

This month’s article will show you everything you need to know to get you started and to make you more effective with your tele-prospecting efforts.

IVEMP refers to “integrated voice and email prospecting.” It is the process of combing the visual power of an email with the audio power of a well-crafted voice message, be it a live conversation or a voicemail. IVEMP is NOT about sending email blasts and hoping that you get a response. It is about crafting 1:1 emails, working in small batches and customizing your approach. The emphasis is quality.

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Ask Barb, Business Development, Motivation

Send Out Rock Stars. Reignite Your Passion and See Production Grow

by on Jan. 16, 2013


Ask Barb

Dear Barb:

I have been producing in excess of $300,000 for the past six years. I just can’t seem to increase my production; this year, I’m on track to produce only $270,000. How can I turn this around? My clients are just dragging their feet on every candidate I submit, and candidates are so much pickier than they were just a few months ago.

Frances P., Akron, OH

Dear Frances:

Over the years, I’ve seen this happen to many experienced recruiters. This could be the result of many things including the following:

  • Not upgrading your client base so you are representing the best companies in your niche or area of specialization;
  • Not identifying new sources for top talent;
  • Not having a strong referral program for both candidates and clients;
  • Your attitude.

Clients don’t drag their feet when you present rock stars. Review the quality of person you are presenting. I’ve also found that candidates don’t drag their feet when you present opportunities that address their hot buttons. You need to step back and see what you can do differently versus looking for excuses why your production has decreased.

Motivate yourself by setting goals for yourself and the people you love that can only be attained if you dramatically increase your production. Track your stats and ratios, and focus on increasing the number of send-outs you book (first interview between a candidate and a hiring authority). Obtain interview times, a target date to fill, and understand the problems occurring as a result of each job order you write. Turn off your automatic pilot, determine the 20% that provides you with 80% of your results, and do more of those actions. Reignite the passion you once had for this profession and you will be pleased with your results.

Barbara J. Bruno, CPC, CTS

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Business, Business Development

When It Pays to Say No to Business (And When You Should Say ‘Yes’)

by on Jan. 10, 2013


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frustrated-guy-by-zach-kleinHere’s a thought. Sometimes it is good business to turn business down.

What do I mean? Surely any opportunity to earn money from a potential client must be worth taking on? Well, sometimes I think not.

Let’s look at the facts. There is plenty of evidence elsewhere that companies which drop their prices to compete in the market end up on the rocky road to ruin, so I will not cover that ground here. But a similar principle and mindset apply when considering what work to take on even at the right price.

When companies engage external recruiters to fill those hard-to-fill roles their internal recruiter is unable to fill, we know these jobs won’t be easy to fill otherwise the internal recruiter would have filled them already! Usually these are jobs requiring some kind of specialism. This is where the specialist, niche external recruiter can help. We know the market well, have an extensive contact database in the domain or geography and can get to the candidates other recruiters (internal or otherwise) simply can’t reach.

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