As a recruiting leader, your job is to juggle multiple responsibilities, with recruiting being one of the most crucial ones. You can compare it to juggling 17 balls, where one of them happens to be recruiting. At times, it may feel like the ball you’re juggling is made of rubber, while at others, it’s made of glass, and you must ensure that you don’t drop it. It is a challenging job as there are always situations where someone in your market is going to write a bigger check, or you don’t quite cross the finish line despite your efforts. However, there are tactics and little things you can do that make big differences and move the needle.

As a leader, you will consistently face change management, as the market shifts, players come and go, and numbers get moved. You have to embrace the neutral zone, where you’re dealing with all the stuff to get to the next place. It’s a spot you will always be in, no matter what scenario you face, a year from now, two years from now, or three years from now. Therefore, it’s crucial to acknowledge it and prepare for it.

Managing Transitions by William Bridges is a book that can help you deal with change management better. As an industry, you’re always transitioning from one market to the next, one big player to a different player. Even when you’re getting someone to sign the offer and show up, you’re managing a transition for that individual.

Recruiting is not about selling. If we were to compare it to an accurate sell, it would be like selling a 50-million-dollar software package. It’s a complex sell that requires numerous decision-makers, conversations, research, and needs analysis. Therefore, it’s crucial to lay the foundation of what recruiting actually is and understand that it’s not just selling.