The recruitment industry must take a longer-term view while the current boom rages.

Thinking beyond the current cycle is not something we are famous for.

Yes, it is a candidate-tight market.

Yes, it seems ‘finding clients‘ is not the hard part of the job right now.

Indeed, some agency recruiters have developed the view that ‘if I can find the candidate, I can get the clients, so who cares?‘.

I even heard some office banter a while back where the theme was ‘we don’t need to spend time on clients because everyone is hiring‘.

And talk to recruiters about BD, meeting clients face to face, nurturing client relationships, and they go blank or even smirk.

Yes, candidates may ‘rule’

For now.

But these client-dismissive attitudes are very, very dangerous.

Mark my words. The wheel will turn.

Someday soon(ish), you will be longing for these ‘candidate-short’ days.

Because you will be client-and-job short!

And that is an altogether uglier thing!

Then who will have the skill, the networks, the credibility and the client relationships to survive?

So many recruiters are becoming ‘job-fillers‘ and getting good at it—total respect for that.

Some are becoming excellent at candidate outreach and managing the process. Counteroffers, The Valley of Death. We are all over that!

But connecting with new client prospects? Arranging a sales meeting? Conducting a sales meeting? Taking qualified orders? Advising and consulting? Explaining and proving our value? Shifting the relationship from transactional to consultative?

Can even your ‘old hands’ do that? Will your newbies have any chance when the market shifts?

So, my big message is that you need to hire people who can thrive in this market. But who also have the potential to survive when the market turns.

And you must train and coach accordingly.

Make sure you allocate time for new client prospecting, client nurturing, client development, and make sure your client never believes you are ‘using the market’ against them.

Because when economic factors shift and hiring demand wanes, you will pay.

And I repeat. It will wane.

I don’t know when. (But, I suspect, sooner than most imagine)

I just guarantee you. It will.

Which recruiters, rising on the tide now, will be left swimming naked when the tide goes out?

You?

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