Posted: Fri 09 Jan 2009
Focus on cash; remember your candidates and stay positive. That's the message from recruiters responding to a snapshot survey undertaken by Lander Associates, training and performance experts to the international specialist recruitment sector.
"Positivity was a recurring theme among our respondents", said Fiona Lander, Managing Director. "One of our clients suggested selling a positive story every day to clients and candidates while another has instigated 'raise your game meetings' in order to ensure positive responses to any issue."
Respondents also warned against relying on a larger candidate pool. As one recruiter commented: "Don't forget that your candidates are your customers too and while it may be hard to find them a role, if you don't treat them well, when the roles return, they won't!"
Cash and credit management were obvious strong themes. "One of our clients has appointed a 'credit crunch controller' said Lander. "Similarly, another of our clients advised on abandoning turnover for the sake of it: 'cash in the bank is the harsh reality so concentrate on getting the money in'."
Other tips included remaining visible and leading from the front; keeping a sense of humour and to use common sense when cutting overheads. And in the words of Charles Darwin: "It's not the strongest species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the ones who are most responsive to change!"