EnTrends

The "R" word is once again making
strides as the buzzword of the corporate
world. With some industries already
experiencing mass layoffs and echo's of
spillover effects you may have already
considered pushing the "warning" or
"panic" buttons. How can we insure that
our own demand will not dive or flat line
along with the business sectors we serve?

The back-to-basics three-step anti-
recession plan!

1. Research 2. Strategize 3. Network

Research

The best expert in your industry is you.
Start speaking with your clients and get a
better feel for the corporate pulse. Try to
find out what their hiring plans are for the
next quarter, year, etc. Don't overlook the
people you've placed with them either.
They'll often give you a very different
opinion on what's happening than
management does. It may be a good time
to make some post-placement follow up
calls to hit the root of the vine. If you are
probing for restlessness or fear you'll get
it from staff much quicker then
management. Attitudes will vary from one
company to another, from different
professional types within companies, etc.
The ultimate red flag is receiving streams
of phone calls from employed applicants
and candidates inquiring about the
marketplace.

Strategize

See the big picture and know what your

best available options are. Consider
diversifying your portfolio in different
areas. There are a few approaches you
can take. Consider serving your industry
and clients with different professional
types than you do currently. For example,
if you are a technical recruiter you can
begin to provide sales, marketing, human
resources and/or accounting
professionals from within your industry.

If you really enjoy working within a
specific profession type you can consider
crossing industries. Approach employers
in other markets or industries with sharp
people from your current industry. Skill
sets are transferable and will be attractive
to companies in markets experiencing a
greater talent demand. Consider
establishing contacts in other regional or
global markets. It's tough to move people
when local markets are thirsty and much
easier when saturated.

Network

Stop turning away searches that aren't
directly in your preferred niche(s). You'll
yearn for the attention later on. Be the
first one to make the shift and you'll have
leads and contacts established before
everyone else realizes that they need to
react. Let's take it one step further! Start
reconsidering all the searches you've
turned away in the last year or two. The
key here is to start planting seeds with
your contacts. If new business isn't
knocking on your door, market a
candidate or two to let your contacts
know you're on the ball and to keep your

name fresh in their minds. Consider it an
ice-breaker. If you do end up
experiencing the recession blues your
subsequent calls won't be surprises or
come across as pleas.

During recessions it becomes
increasingly important that you close as
many job orders as possible because
you don't have the luxury of falling
onto other openings. In boom
economies we tend to have a lot more
"irons in the fire" and the impact of
losing a deal or two isn't felt nearly as
much. Competition will be fiercer and
retained searches will be harder to come
by.

With a limited amount of job
opportunities available you'll maximize
your earnings by achieving a maximum
job order to placement ratio. Your key
to success is through establishing a
reliable network of peers that you can
count on for splits. If you haven't had
to count on a split in the past half a fee
is a lot better than no fee at all. Don't be
left without anyone to turn to when
your search takes a turn for the worst!

Nelson Abreu is the Manager of
RecruitersCafe.com

(http://www.recruiterscafe.com) a
networking and split placement site for

third-party recruiters. The only career
site on the Net exclusively promoting
qualified, short-list caliber talent! For
inquiries please email Nelson at
nelson@recruiterscafe.com.