The Yearly SIX Essentials – Part Two: The Final Three
As the year winds down and you look toward 2025, now is the perfect time to re-focus on the Six Essentials that can drive your success as a recruiter. These aren’t just items on a to-do list, they’re the habits and mindsets that top producers implement daily, regardless of the market. When setting your goals for the new year, keep these core principles in mind, handed down by the industry’s biggest billers.
Here’s the second part of The Yearly SIX Essentials – The Final Three:
4. Make Plenty of Presentations
If you haven’t prioritized this yet, it’s time to refocus. In recruitment, visibility is everything. To stay competitive in any market, you need to have the ability to consistently make enough daily marketing presentations to keep your pipeline full. I recommend aiming for 10-25 presentations (or connects) per day.
Let’s break that down: if you connect with 25 people daily, that’s 125 people per week, 500 per month, or 1,500 per quarter. So, aim to establish a network of 1,500 company contacts. If you’re calling a larger company with over 500 employees, each hiring manager or department can count as a separate contact, making it easier to hit that 1,500 target. Then, recycle your contacts quarterly, some more frequently, some less, depending on urgency.
You need to expose yourself to the marketplace consistently. By doing so, you’ll start building your personal brand. The key to success? Make the calls. I can’t promise you much in this business, but one thing’s for sure: you will never make a placement with a company you haven’t called.
5. Recognize That Not All Job Orders Are Equal
Understanding the quality of the job orders (JOs) you’re working on is crucial. Here’s the breakdown: out of 15 JOs, only 0-1 will be of “Search Assignment” quality, 4-5 will be of “Matching” quality, and the rest—around 10—will fall into the “Can’t Help” category. All of these are JOs, but they vary dramatically in value and impact on your bottom line.
If you don’t recognize this early on, you’ll spend your time getting frustrated with slow placements or indecisive hiring managers. You’ll feel like you’re constantly searching for the proverbial “needle in a haystack.” The reality? Your problem is not some shift in the market, but the type of JOs you’re working on. Qualify those JOs early, and you’ll see exactly where to focus your efforts.
6. Inspect What You Expect
Monitoring your progress is one of the most important steps in any recruitment strategy. Without it, how can you expect to succeed? One of the most effective methods I’ve used is the “100 Point Sheet”, a tool that helps recruiters measure their daily activities. At the end of each day, tally your points. If you hit 100 points, you’re on track to make placements. If not, you need to step up your game.
I introduced this 100-point method to a London office years ago. The manager there wanted to push it even further, so we adopted a 200-point goal. Sure enough, they consistently hit the target—and soon became our highest-producing office, both overseas and in the U.S.
This principle works. Measure your actions, track your results, and when you hit your targets, placements are inevitable.
Wrapping It Up for 2024
As we look forward to 2025, remember that success as a recruiter isn’t about merely checking off tasks on a list. It’s about focusing on the activities that truly move the needle—generating Send Outs, connecting with people, and presenting candidates in ways that get your clients excited. These Six Essentials are your blueprint for a strong finish to this year and a solid foundation for the next.
A Christmas Story to Inspire Your Recruiting Journey
It was Christmas Eve, and Jessica, a recruiter at a fast-paced agency, felt the familiar pressure of the year-end. With only a few days left to meet her targets, she knew that success didn’t come from shortcuts or wishful thinking—it came from consistent effort. As she prepared for the final stretch, she recalled a conversation she’d had months ago with her mentor: “The key isn’t the number of calls you make—it’s the quality of the connections you forge.”
Armed with this advice, Jessica called one last company before heading home for the holiday. She met with the usual gatekeepers, but after some persistence, she finally reached the hiring manager. They connected, discussed the position, and within days, she had a strong candidate lined up. It wasn’t a quick placement, but it was the right one—a “Search Assignment” quality job.
On New Year’s Eve, Jessica reflected on that call. The lesson was clear: the right connections—and the right mindset—will always yield success. She was ready for 2025, fully equipped to tackle the new year with energy, clarity, and a plan.
Remember, just like Jessica, when you invest time in these essential activities, you’re not only setting yourself up for success, you’re building a reputation that will last long into the new year.
Merry Christmas Everyone; and here’s to a record-breaking 2025!
Next week: We will begin a New Series
Bob
Bob Marshall began his recruiting career over 44 years ago at MR in Reno, NV. In 1986 he established The Bob Marshall Group, International, where he has trained recruiters throughout the United States and also in the United Kingdom, Malta and Cyprus. With a dedication to executive recruiting, he continues to offer his proven training systems to individuals, firms, and private corporations both domestic and in select international territories. To learn more about his activities and descriptions of his products and services, contact him directly @770-898-5550/470-456-0386(cell); bob@themarshallplan.org; or visit his website @ www.TheMarshallPlan.org.
Bob Marshall
President
TBMG, International
247 Bryans Drive, Suite 100
McDonough, GA 30252-2513
770-898-5550
520-842-5550 (fax)