Since I started in the recruiting business more than 20 years ago, many hiring tools and processes have come and gone. While transactional recruitment strategies like job boards and cold-calling may have been effective in the 90s, they simply don’t move the dial in today’s market. Competition is at an all-time high in every sector, and with more recruiters than ever vying for the same business, recruiting firms have to leverage new strategies to attract new clients. Is it time to evaluate whether or not your methods are outdated and ineffective? Here are four ways to determine whether or not your firm is stuck in the 90s—and how to modernize your methods to keep up with what today’s clients and candidates expect. 

1. Your primary source of new business is still cold calling

At one point, cold calling was one of the most successful and effective recruiting strategies, but that’s just not the case anymore. Because everyone has caller ID, direct lines and cell phones, people choose not to answer the phone when they don’t recognize the caller.

At my recruiting firm, Versique, we’ve used digital and inbound marketing tools to generate over half of our revenue. Rather than cold calling, we create thought leadership content, leverage our networks through LinkedIn and invest in Search Engine Optimization so our website appears first when clients and candidates enter terms like “Recruiting Firm Minneapolis” in Google Search.

 2. The top metric your company tracks is the number of phone calls

If the number of phone calls your recruiting firm is making is the top metric you’re tracking, you may be stuck in the 90s. Think about this: when was the last time you ever bought something from a telemarketer who cold called you at home? Although I know it does work, you have to ask yourself: what is the ROI of 100 daily phone calls?

As an owner, the digital metrics you should be tracking are things like impressions, total visits, total conversions, cost-per-lead, and customer lifetime value. See a common theme here? Your website should be a primary target for your niche. It’s one of the best tools you have in your toolbox to measure the effectiveness of your recruiting firm.

3. You don’t use your website to generate leads

If your recruiting firm doesn’t have an online presence, or doesn’t have a way to attract and capture leads using your website, then you’re still stuck in the 90s. In today’s world, your website is essentially your storefront and, if optimized correctly, can quickly become your most effective tool for new client and candidate generation.

Appearing at the top of search results is critical, but you must also be proactively creating content such as blogs and landing pages to educate prospects, build loyalty and showcase your firm’s credibility. People are coming to your website every single day to determine if they are going to buy from you. What story does your website share with people?

I recently received a call from a VP of HR for an 800-person healthcare organization that was looking to hire their next CIO. She found us on Google because we ranked #1, but that alone wasn’t enough to land us the business. It was the credibility, thought leadership and relevant content on our website that helped us land the search. If a client like this came to your website, what story would they see? Forward-thinking firms know where they rank on Google, and have the content to back it up.

4. You’re still leaving voice messages and hoping for responses

As a recruiting firm owner, I get 50 plus phone calls every day. When the phone rings, the first thing I do is look to see who it’s coming from and if I don’t know the caller, I don’t answer. I would be willing to bet that I haven’t answered the phone in over a month if I don’t know who the number is. This isn’t to say that cold calling doesn’t have its place or isn’t effective, but it can be very expensive.

The one time that I will always return a phone call, email, or agree to meet with someone is when someone in my professional network that I trust provides a recommendation or asks a favor for me to talk with them. If you leave me a voicemail and want a response, you’d better have some credibility to back it up. The first thing I’ll do is go on LinkedIn or search Google to learn more about someone, and based on their credibility, I decide whether or not to return their call.

Is Your Recruiting Firm Stuck in the 90s?

If you’re still cold calling or your firm isn’t online yet, there’s a good chance you’re stuck in the 90s. If you’re tired of cold calling or you need to find a way to generate new business, building your brand through digital marketing is the solution.

What did Parqa’s Digital Strategy do for my firm, Versique?

• 50+ placements from online marketing

• 87% increase in revenue

• 300+ new clients generated from Google

Start building your brand through digital marketing; contact Parqa today.