The biggest mistake a recruiter can make right now is to retreat into their ‘cave’.

I hear it all the time. “I am going to sit this out”.

No. A thousand times, no!

You are not sitting anything out. You are diving in!

Now is the time to be connecting and communicating and content-creating.

Every webinar I have done in the last month (and I have done a lot!), and every second message I get, the question is asked, “But what can I get my recruiters to do? They are stuck at home, and so are their candidates and clients.”

I know. It’s a unique time. Accept it, and make a plan.

Now is your chance to shine!

Recently I came up with 30 ideas for how recruiters could make their time productive, but today I want to focus on one key concept.

Goodwill equity.

Your goal is to spend your day on consistent, quality outbound engagement. Sure, tidy your drawers. Make a list if it makes you feel better. But you need to make yourself visible and valuable.

You don’t have any jobs to fill? You can’t find any clients who are hiring? Keep trying, but also, make it your mission to be generous.

Yes, now is the time for you to give!

Not only out of pure humanity, but trust me, people will remember those recruiters who reached out when the chips were down. Who were supportive. Who were still ‘there’.

Whenever you talk or email, whoever you speak to – spread calm. Be the voice of hope. “This too shall pass”.

You take charge of your own journey through this shitstorm.

How you handle it and what you contribute will be how you are defined. Later.

You know, “What did you do in the war Daddy?”

Well, what are you going to answer? “What did you do in the COVID time”?

Cry? Mope? Whinge? Blame? Scan Instagram for funny memes? Get fat? Tidy out your sock drawer?

Don’t get me wrong. You can probably do ALL those things. We are human, after all. But what else did you do?

You are the CEO of your life. And that stands for Chief Energy Officer.

Don’t spread negativity and doomsday talk. Look at every possible way you can enhance the day of your candidates and your clients.

Build your ‘equity’ with them now, because it is the right thing to do, but like any smart equity holding, it will reap dividends.

You come up with the ideas, but here is a start:

• Invite someone to a ‘virtual lunch‘. You and your sandwich, them with theirs. Skype or similar. Add wine if appropriate 🙂
• Call candidates, whose options have dried up, to reassure them they will not be forgotten when things recover.
• Offer candidates a free, no-obligation, resume review, career planning or salary benchmarking chat. You are at home; they are at home. Why not?
• Call every person on your ATS, that you have met or spoken with, and reconnect. Maybe start with the simple question, “Are you OK?”
• Offer your candidates help to use any downtime to improve and work on their online brand. Writing content, tidying up profiles.
• Write a helpful blog and post it on LinkedIn
• Share someone’s social post with an encouraging word
• Add to a discussion on LinkedIn. Give real input. To help
• Encourage someone who is down.
• Introduce someone to a connection who may be able to help
• Call a client just to share market news
• Return messages. Try to help. At least offer a supportive word.

That’s just a start. Brainstorm it on your next zoom meeting with the team

Of course, we are after revenue. New job orders to fill.

But at the same time. Spend your time helping others through this. That’s a better way to spend your day than staring into the fridge (again), or on some shitty TV re-run.

And it will pay off in spades when the recovery comes. The ‘equity’ will deliver

And above all that. YOU will feel better. Now.

Goodwill equity. Build it.

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