No matter who you are, or what your professional goals are in the Staffing and Recruiting Profession, achieving more influence is critical for success.   There are four basic cornerstones to cultivate influence:

Live life with integrity

Always demonstrate a positive attitude

Consider other people’s interests are as important as your own

Don’t settle for anything less than excellence

Leaning the art of influence has countless advantages, but gaining influence like any other skill, takes time and effort.  Following are strategies you can apply to cultivate this valuable characteristic.

CATCH PEOPLE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT 

Catching people doing things right provides satisfaction and motivates improved performance.  Give praise immediately, make it specific and encourage others to keep it up.  Accentuating the positive is one of the best tools for influencing others to increase productivity and profits.

BUILD TRUST

Influence is most easily carried out through trust which you must earn from your team, clients and candidates.  If you want a healthy and influential working relationship, you’re going to have to cultivate trust.   The easiest way to do that is to address the three questions your team, clients and candidates want answered, but will never ask you.

• Do you care about me?

• Can I trust you?

• Are you going to do what you promise?

When you are open and honest and the answers to these questions are all “yes”, you will earn the trust of your team, clients and candidates.

REALIZE YOU OFTEN GET WHAT YOU EXPECT

It’s not easy to influence someone who you’ve already judged and as a result have established low expectations.  This impairs your ability to see this person clearly and often this person will live down to your expectations.

CULTIVATE RELIABILITY THROUGH CONSISTENCY

Inconsistency is the fastest way to ruin your reputation and lose the respect of your team. Consistency, on the other hand, is slow but sure.  If you execute your tasks effectively and on time, day after day, eventually your employees will learn they can rely on you.  Respect is something you must earn, not demand.

REALIZE TRYING IS JUST A NOISY WAY OF NOT DOING SOMETHING

There is a huge difference between being interested or being committed to improving your ability to influence others.  When you are interested in doing something you do it when it’s convenient for you.  When you are committed, you follow through no matter what.

BE FLEXIBLE

Flexibility is also important.  While this may seem like it conflicts with the need to be assertive, it’s difficult to assert yourself fully if you’re open to changing your opinion.  Being too stringent or adamant in your beliefs will work against you.

The Millennials are the majority in the workforce and adjustments are needed on the methods you should use to influence this generation.  Chances are you are employing, have candidates and some clients who are Millennials.  Take time to understand, not judge them and show your flexibility.

Work actively to show your flexibility when negotiating and know upfront where you are willing to compromise.  When people believe you to be flexible, they›ll be more likely to listen to you even if they have an opposing view.

FOCUS ON ACTIONS VS. ARGUMENTS

Trying to build influence through words and not actions is a waste of your time.  If you’re going to build influence you need to speak through your actions, which must back up what you’re saying.  

FOLLOW THROUGH ON DECISIONS

You make many decisions, but it’s your commitment, not the decisions that really matter.  Commitment involves making sure that what you intend to do actually gets done.  If you want to influence a positive outcome of your decisions, create systems that help you follow up on your good intentions.  

BE RESPONSIVE TO THE NEEDS OF OTHERS

Remember that influence is a two-way street.  If you want to build an influential relationship with your team, clients and candidates, you first must listen.  Listen to everyone’s opinion, and encourage people to speak up, especially if they don’t often voice their opinions.  Take time to respect and acknowledge everybody’s opinion, and let people know that you value them.

BUILD A CULTURE WHERE FAILURE ISN’T FATAL

Your team, clients and candidates will all experience failures throughout your interaction with them.  Judge them on their ability to overcome their failures rather than focusing on the failure.  If you want to increase your ability to influence others, they must feel comfortable taking calculated risks because they know failure is not fatal.

The market is extremely competitive and if you don’t take care of your team, clients and candidates, someone else will take your place.  Influence is an extraordinary asset in the Staffing and Recruiting Profession that will help you become more respected.  This will help you achieve your goals while helping others achieve theirs.  

Barb Bruno is a top trainer, speaker and overall great recruiter's coach.  She has lots of products to help you become successful in recruiting and staffing. Want to learn more from Barb Bruno?  Learn more at:  Top Tudor Producer site or buy Barb's leading training here:


Top Tudor Producer