A Little Discomfort Can Be a Good Thing For a Recruiter
Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2025 8:37 am
For the past few months I have been engaged as a Consultant/Mentor to a team of 35 IT Recruiters and I’ve been trying to figure out the activities that separate top performers from their less successful colleagues.
And I think I've cracked it.
“Uncomfortable is where the rewards are”.
Funnily enough, it came to me in a Spinning Class (Indoor cycling). I am a Spinning Instructor in my spare time and teach three classes a week at Almaden Valley Athletic Club in San Jose.
Now, anyone can sit on a Spin bike (or at a desk) and look like they are working. But to truly experience the magical powers of indoor cycling - you need to get outside of your comfort zone and really pick up the pace. The payoff is huge: lower blood pressure, cardiovascular supremacy, rapid weight loss, improved strength and endurance, high self esteem, improved appearance to name a few. And you learn to love it because you love the results.
But what could this possibly have to do with recruiting?
Everything.
Because all of the Big Billers ($500k billings per yr minimum) that I know are highly tunisia phone number library proactive and I am sure they spend a good portion of the time working “outside of their comfort zone.”
Sounds a bit esoteric – right? So let’s define the term “outside your comfort zone”,
Recruiting "Outside Your Comfort Zone"
“Activities that stretch your communication and networking skills PLUS your powers of persuasion to their absolute limit. These are the activities that can potentially result in multiple rejections (which is, consciously or subconsciously, what most recruiters are trying to avoid) and that spur you on until you achieve the results you were shooting for”.
You see, the nectar of the profession (“Show me the money!”) can only really be accessed when we go outside of our comfort zone. In other words, you’ve got to get busy, organized and uncomfortable!
- Get organized. Don’t let the day run you. You must run your day to hit your targets. (Important vs Urgent –you must read David Allen’s GTD ) Spend a few minutes every morning creating a game plan for your day – customized to your current workload. Write it down. Stick to it and set some tough activity goals for yourself. Show it your boss if you have one.
And I think I've cracked it.
“Uncomfortable is where the rewards are”.
Funnily enough, it came to me in a Spinning Class (Indoor cycling). I am a Spinning Instructor in my spare time and teach three classes a week at Almaden Valley Athletic Club in San Jose.
Now, anyone can sit on a Spin bike (or at a desk) and look like they are working. But to truly experience the magical powers of indoor cycling - you need to get outside of your comfort zone and really pick up the pace. The payoff is huge: lower blood pressure, cardiovascular supremacy, rapid weight loss, improved strength and endurance, high self esteem, improved appearance to name a few. And you learn to love it because you love the results.
But what could this possibly have to do with recruiting?
Everything.
Because all of the Big Billers ($500k billings per yr minimum) that I know are highly tunisia phone number library proactive and I am sure they spend a good portion of the time working “outside of their comfort zone.”
Sounds a bit esoteric – right? So let’s define the term “outside your comfort zone”,
Recruiting "Outside Your Comfort Zone"
“Activities that stretch your communication and networking skills PLUS your powers of persuasion to their absolute limit. These are the activities that can potentially result in multiple rejections (which is, consciously or subconsciously, what most recruiters are trying to avoid) and that spur you on until you achieve the results you were shooting for”.
You see, the nectar of the profession (“Show me the money!”) can only really be accessed when we go outside of our comfort zone. In other words, you’ve got to get busy, organized and uncomfortable!
- Get organized. Don’t let the day run you. You must run your day to hit your targets. (Important vs Urgent –you must read David Allen’s GTD ) Spend a few minutes every morning creating a game plan for your day – customized to your current workload. Write it down. Stick to it and set some tough activity goals for yourself. Show it your boss if you have one.