While the comprehensive functions of a staffing franchise requires many different skills, essentially, sales and recruitment skills are the most important. Owners with the ability to recruit top talent and quality employers, have what it takes to run a growing staffing franchise. The question then becomes, what does it take to have this ability? Let's discuss this by examining the important role of proactive recruitment strategies for staffing franchises.

Proactive vs. Passive Recruitment

Being proactive doesn't exclude the introvert or quiet type of entrepreneur, and it doesn't automatically mean the outgoing type has what it takes. Rather, being proactive in recruitment involves the ability to listen, think independently, and develop innovative strategies. The main goal is to find recruitment strategies that work, whether conventional or not, and then exploit them to their full potential.

The passive mindset in recruitment should only be used in addition to proactive strategies. The passive mindset could be defined as making minimal efforts with: advertising, networking, and marketing – then passively waiting for the results. The owner with this mindset may have excellent business administration, IT, and organizational skills, yet the growth of the business will be left up to chance.

Skills Needed for Proactive Recruitment

Essentially, a staffing agency's function is networking and facilitating HR services for employers and employees. People are the main asset, therefor, owners/recruiters need “people skills” such as:

• Communication

• Listening

• Discernment

• Industry Expertise

• Organizational Networking

• Social/Friendly

• Honesty and Loyalty

Proactive recruitment should be a naturally occurring talent that recruiters have, or a skill they're willing and dedicated to learn. Effective proactive recruiters are people who, additionally, have these skills:

• Naturally put themselves where the action is and people are

• Love to talk and converse with people about industry and business

• Are always ready to take the business relationship to the next level

• Aren't afraid of rejection

• Like overcoming challenges

• Are confident in uncomfortable environments

• Have the ability to develop innovative recruitment strategies

Simply being social isn't enough, proactive recruitment requires a person to have a business mindset, as well as the ability to listen and be empathetic toward others. Recruiters are human brokers, which means they stay in the background while providing the essential functions for facilitating business connections. If entrepreneurs have these types of skills, investing in a staffing franchise provides a great opportunity for them.

The Results of Proactive Recruitment

Staffing franchises provide an established system to guide franchisees in their efforts to build a growing agency, which establishes a solid foundation for recruitment strategies. Yet, this shouldn't be the extent of the agency's recruitment strategies, rather the foundation. Owners with the ability to proactively recruit top talent and employers in their local and regional areas, will ensure a thriving business results.

For example, here are some proactive recruitment strategies:

• Attending local or regional industry conventions

• Hosting conference seminars

• Maintaining contact with key business partners (golf, coffee, email, etc.)

• Industry specific campaign outreach

• Hosting and participating in job fairs

• University and Community College outreach campaigns

• Follow up with placements

• Workplace gamification

• Proactive recruitment training for recruiters

These are just some of the countless proactive recruitment ideas available. Many ideas will be industry and geographically specific, depending on the location and areas of expertise each staffing franchise is focusing on.

The main idea is for owners and recruiters to find effective strategies to connect with employees and employers, in order to connect them with each other and grow the staffing agency's holistic network of people assets.

Summary

For entrepreneurs with the right skills, investing in a staffing franchise is an exciting business opportunity with great potential. Staffing franchises are unique to any other franchise opportunity, because their essential function is connecting people for employment. Essentially, this type of business requires proactive recruitment skills, which include “people skills.”

Proactive recruitment plays a central role in thriving staffing agencies; it works to expand and organize an extensive network of people assets, which, ultimately, creates a thriving hub of brokered connections.

Owning a staffing franchise is an exciting career for the right person, placing them in the mix of industry and business, while challenging them to contribute in innovative ways. If interested in learning about Nextaff's staffing franchise opportunity, please contact us today.