It was great to take part in the RECLive25 panel: “Racing to the top not the bottom - holding value in a price driven market”…
… but it went in a flash, and I couldn’t cover all the points I’d have liked to share!
So I’m doing that now. Because, with all the noise created by change that directly impacts the world of work, getting the right balance between using AI, tech and the human touch is going to be crucial for value-led businesses.
And this is where consulting recruiters can really shine.
Anyone who knows me will know I’m obsessed about the three growth pillars of strategy, operations and talent! Here are some relevant insights from our Growth Framework® and how it’s being applied:
1. Creating value-led businesses starts way before it gets to the stage of discussing price with a client. To be really effective, it has to start with the top leadership team, setting the scene for the right focus in the first place.
Be 100% clear on what you are and what you are not:
The types of customers you want - and don't. The services and products you will supply to them - and won't. The quality you’ll work to – and won’t. The price you will charge - and won't. The behaviours you value in your business – and don’t. (Do you see the theme?!).
There’s a lot more to strategic planning, but in this context, it’s about customers (all types, external and internal). When markets change, be ready to adapt this to what you need it to be, rather than letting change, outside of your control, overwhelm you.
2. With that focus, all operations across your whole business, can be set up to support it.
The most successful business leaders I’ve worked with don’t leave these to chance – they define what good looks like for the whole of their recruitment service. And they consider how they want people experiencing it to feel, and the results they expect from it.
Using consultative selling methods for natural deep dive conversations, the areas that most influence customers to see the value are:
Client first meeting management, to ensure deep mutual understanding first, rather than just order-taking.
Job brief management, to understand the real role and everything and everyone to do with it.
Candidate interview management, to build deep trust from the start.
Strategic approach to account management meetings, to spot opportunity to add value as clients change and evolve.
These leaders are also clear about the behaviours needed from teams, to maximise every inch of potential and add value. So all elements of internal talent management are defined in a similar way, right from hiring and onboarding, to appraising, promoting, and reward.
This means everything runs according to your version of “what looks good”, regardless of the method of delivery; AI and tech can be tailored and toned to your specification, and humans are supported to excel, supported by clear easy, joined up systems.
Plus, when training and coaching in these areas, your defined standards can be used in practice sessions, then applied straight away. One particular business owner improved onboarding effectiveness from average 9 months down to 2, sales by 20% and created huge confidence in line managers to develop their own teams.
3. Know your difference.
It’s useful to define your differentiators, and empower your teams to use them – when appropriate – during the natural consultative conversations they have with customers.
These can be unique, unusual, and same but better. It’s usually a mix of the three (remember this applies to all customers, inside and out):
Same but better. Things that great consultancies take for granted and don’t shout about enough, such as thorough interviewing, with feedback and advice, adding value, keeping promises, staying in touch. It’s simply doing the basics very well, and that builds great trust.
Unusual. This could be service-related, a different way of using tech or process etc. For example, offering above and beyond advice; profiling diagnostics and other additional service as an add on option; sharing and discussing sector-related research and campaigns (e.g. by REC); coaching customers in what you find easy – but they don’t.
Unique: Apart from your own people, not much is truly unique, as it’s fast copied. It could be state of the art tech, or being first to spot and win new markets. Teaching teams to be strategic thinking really helps identify these types of opportunities and being first in a market can create real deep dive specialism that sets you apart.
4. In tough markets, there’s usually a need to re-focus, re-calibrate and inspire.
This needs teams with the right mindsets. Help your people to be determined, not fearful. Draw out their insights to collaborate on where the opportunities are and focus on those, together.
I’ve seen and hosted “Welcome to the recession” meetings, that acknowledge the changes, and impacts caused by external factors, then moves on to collectively agreeing what’s working (to keep), and what’s not working (to change or replace). I've seen teams reassured and inspired as a result, because they are heard, understood and trusted to be part of the solution.
One example is the most successful team in a particular business, whose sales suddenly dropped. Their response was to do more of the same activity they’d always done, but it just wasn’t working. When invited to look at their market strategically (using SWOT & PESTEL), they saw that their best customers simply were not hiring, whereas other sectors of their market were. So they made a simple change to focus on the latter whilst maintaining friendly, less regular contact with the former, and using their time much more productively. Both old and new clients were very happy, and the team went back to being high-performing - and happier too.
Other examples include realising there were some gaps in delivery and capability, requiring some additional training and coaching, and shoring up processes and systems to support teams to be able to deliver the best service again.
If any of this resonates with you, I recommend acting soon, but carefully and in consultation with your people.
It’s surprising how impactful even just fine-tuning can be, often with significant impact.
Now is the time - because every ounce of opportunity counts.
The Growth Framework® advantage.
Business growth can still happen in tough market conditions, or at least the foundations for growth can be set, ready for the upturn. Either way, making every opportunity count makes sense - at any time.
That’s why we created the Growth Framework®, so that quality, trust and real difference shine through - creating deep, long-lasting customer relationships for mutual benefit.